It's funny. I think this chapter is one of longest in the story, but it's
also the one that took almost the least amount of time. That's because it
was already pretty good the way it was and I didn't need to change much.
Cool huh?
Juliette
"So, how're we going to get them into the closet?" Elorra asked. "What if they're not in the same place at the same time!?"
"Well, tomorrow's Saturday, and we won't be having class, so we'll have plenty of time to figure it out!" Replied Lizzy.
"That doesn't help!"
"Ok! Ok!" We'll just plan some things to get them near the closet!"
"Which one?"
"Uhhh...the one by the Transfiguration classroom!"
"All right..."
So, by the next morning, Lizzy and Elorra had everything set. They walked down the corridor right near the Transfiguration classroom and had Harry and Joshua help them.
"So let me get this, right." Elorra whispered. "We're just going to stuff them into a closet."
"It's the only plan we've got."
"And it's not a very good one either."
Missy and Ron came down the hallway talking. Elorra had asked them to meet her by the Transfiguration classroom because she had to tell them something. When they reached the classroom, they looked around, but didn't see Elorra-at least not until it was too late. Harry and Joshua jumped on them, stuffed them into the closet, slammed the closet door, shut it with magic that couldn't be opened from the inside, then leaned against the door.
"Now what do we do?" Harry asked.
"Wait." Lizzy smiled.
"What if nothing happens?"
"Oh don't worry. Something will happen."
Missy tried opening the door, but it wouldn't move. "It's locked." She tried kicking the door, but that just hurt her foot.
"Now what do we do?" Ron sighed, sitting on a bucket turned upside down.
"I don't know. We're locked in here."
There was silence for a few minutes until Missy said something: "you don't think Lizzy and Elorra had something to do with this, do you?"
"Probably did." Ron grinned at her.
Missy turned over an empty bucket and sat down on it. "Now what are we supposed to do? I just don't understand why they keep locking us in closets!"
Ron laughed. "Me either. Must be something in the water."
Missy leaned back against the wall, and fell backwards. "Aaah!"
"Missy?!" Ron stood up and peered into the corner where she appeared to have fallen, but her didn't see her anywhere. He pounded on the door. "Let me out you guys! Missy's missing!"
Lizzy laughed. "Yeah right! Clever plan, but it won't work! How can she disappear in there? Go back to the drawing board."
Ron groaned. Obviously they weren't going to listen to him. He peered over the bucket again. He didn't see anything at all. In fact, that's what bothered him. He didn't see anything at all. No floor. No nothing. He reached down into the blackness and felt cold air coming up from below. He felt around and felt nothing but black space. He was starting to get worried. Then he heard a scratching noise coming from below him.
Then Missy's astonished voice wafted up to him. "Hey Ron..."
"What? Are you alright?"
"Yes fine. Jump down here. Don't worry, it's a soft landing."
Ron took a deep breath and jumped. He felt the air rushing past him, and he tumbled onto a pile of hay, in the corner of a small dungeon-like room. And it was filled with bones. And spiders. Ron screeched when he saw a particularly hairy one crawl toward him. Missy laughed and helped him up.
"This place is really interesting. I wonder what they used it for."
Ron shrugged and eyed a spider that was coming a little too close.
Missy ran her fingers through her dusty hair. "Oops. I just thought of something."
Ron looked at her. "What?"
Missy laughed weakly. "Well with both of us down here, there's really not much of a chance on us getting out of here."
"What?!" Ron grabbed Missy by the shoulders and shook her. "Do you mean to tell me that I'll probably die down here, just like all those other people? Death by spiders?!" He gestured towards the bones.
Missy shrugged. "I don't know." he shook her again. "Missy!"
They walked around trying to find an exit. Missy walked to a stone wall and pushed against it.
"Nothing's behind there." Ron mumbled.
"How would you know?" said Missy. She banged on the wall. It sounded hollow.
"There is something behind here!" She pressed harder and a door burst open.
"Missy!" Elorra screamed. "Are you still in there?"
"Maybe they want some time alone!" Lizzy squealed. "Maybe they like each other now."
Elorra rolled her eyes and pounded on the door. "You guys, this isn't funny!"
Meanwhile...
Missy and Ron walked inside the door, and more spiders scuttled past them. Ron leaned back away from them, and Missy laughed. She then heard a voice, sounding from far away. She walked slowly towards it. The tunnel wasn't completely dark, there was a little light, from who knows where, but in certain corners the shadows were so dark, that you couldn't see anything. It was those that Ron stayed away from, in case of spiders.
"Wh-when will we k-kill him, master?" said a voice.
"Tonight...tonight is perfect..."
"They're killing someone!" Ron whispered.
"Well, duh! Just shut up and listen!"
"Dumbledore will no longer be around..."
"Wh-why do we want to kill him again, My lord?"
"I have told you many times, Wormtail! I do not need to repeat myself!"
Ron stepped back further; a larger spider was crawling toward him. He stepped on a bone that echoed.
"There is someone out there, Wormtail." said the cold voice. "Go and check who it is!"
Before the door up ahead of them could open, Missy had grabbed Ron's wrist and led him to the entrance.
"We can't get out," said Ron.
"I know that! But there's got to be a way!"
The man called Wormtail was coming closer to them, a short man with a black hooded cloak billowing out behind him like a cape.
"Well, well, well," said the man in the hooded cloak. "What do we have here?"
Missy screamed. Wormtail laughed. He grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the place where she and Ron had heard the voices. Ron was hiding in the shadows, and wasn't seen. Ron shook with fear as he heard Voldemort laugh, and Missy scream. He had to get help! He ran as fast as he could into the dungeon room again. He started to scramble any way he could up the walls, now ignoring the spiders.
Lizzy put her ear to the door. "I still don't hear anything." Mandy, who had come up with Hermione, and Patrick while Elorra, Lizzy, Harry, and Joshua had been waiting, shook her head. "Come on you guys. This does not sound too good. Let's open the door."
Elorra nodded in agreement. Lizzy unlocked the door, and they walked in.
"Where are they?"
Ron heard their voices. "Hey guys!" he shouted. "You guys!"
Elorra walked over to the hole and waved her wand "Lumos!" She peered down the shaft, "Ron, is that you?"
"Yes! Help me up! Quickly! Missy's in trouble!"
Mandy pulled out a coil of rope from in the corner and threw it down the hole. Ron caught it, and using it like a rope climber would, scaled the walls. He pulled himself up over the edge and onto the floor of the closet.
"Quickly," he gasped, I have to talk to Dumbledore!"
No one said anything; they all just ran right away to the great hall where lunch was going on.
"Why do you want to speak to Dumbledore?" Mandy asked, as they raced to the Great Hall.
"Something that happened down there!" Ron said. Lizzy swung the door open and they went inside.
Everyone was at lunch, and staring at them.
"Professor Dumbledore!" said Ron, as he ran up to the staff table.
"Is there something wrong, Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes! Wormtail has got Missy and Voldemort's in the school!"
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes!"
They raced out the hall, Dumbledore following them, and Ron in the lead, Ron telling them all that had happened down in the underground rooms, on the way.
They went to the closet and Ron showed Dumbledore the hole.
"Ahh...I remember when this tunnel was built." Dumbledore led them down the hole.
When they reached the dungeon, Lizzy squealed as a spider went toward her, and she fell back but Harry caught her.
"Thanks, Harry." she said, blushing. Ron led them to where Missy was taken and they heard Voldemort and Wormtail speak again.
Dumbledore rushed down the hallway that had been carved into the stone, with his wand out, and stepped into the room where Voldemort reigned. Ron, Lizzy, Mandy, Hermione, Elorra, and Harry, all stopped at the entrance. Dumbledore hadn't stopped to ask any teachers to come with him, so they were stuck if he needed help. Except for...everyone moved a little in case Harry needed to get through. Ron peered into the room, where Dumbledore and Voldemort had their arms raised with wands high. He saw Missy tied up in a shadowy corner, lying behind Wormtail, who was watching the action. Before anyone could stop him, Ron slipped along the wall, hidden from the firelight in the middle of the room, and sidled up behind Missy, his back on the walls.
Elorra gazed open mouthed at Ron. "What the heck does he think he's doing?"
Lizzy shook her head then buried her face in her hands. "He's gonna get himself killed!"
Elorra looked at her strangely. Lizzy was usually so brave. Ron kneeled down on the floor behind Missy. He watched closely as Dumbledore put clever charms on Voldemort that, unfortunately, didn't deter him any. Just then, Dumbledore looked over at Ron briefly and winked. Ron was startled. He had known he was there the whole time? Ron put his arms around Missy's waist where the knots were, and began to undo them, right behind Wormtail's back.
Missy gasped, not knowing who it was.
"Shhh!" He whispered. "It's me!"
She relaxed a little bit, and he went back to undoing the knots. Fortunately, they weren't magical, and he got them undone easily. He helped Missy up on her feet quietly and they walked back under the protection of the shadows to their friends.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore was fighting Voldemort, but losing quickly.
Lizzy ran up to Ron and threw her arms around him. "I was so afraid you were going to die!"
Missy noticed that Harry looked very unhappy about this. She turned back to Lizzy. "Weren't you afraid for me?"
Lizzy wrinkled up her forehead. "Not really. I figured if they hadn't killed you yet, they weren't going to kill you at all."
Everyone hugged, and would have laughed if this weren't such a bad situation. All attention turned yet again to Dumbledore and Voldemort.
Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at Dumbledore. "Crucio!"
Harry couldn't take it. He jumped up, yanked out his wand, and shouted; "Expelliarmus!"
Voldemort's wand flew out of his hand, and into Harry's. Harry was so angry; he snapped the wand right in half. Dumbledore walked over to Harry. Voldemort was staring in shock at Harry, his anger mounting. Finally he snapped his fingers and he and Wormtail disappeared in a cloud of dust. Dumbledore stood next to Harry, and Harry threw his arms around him.
"Thank you." Dumbledore whispered in his ear. All the girls were crying, and Ron was sniffling, side-smushing all spiders.
"How're we going to get out?" Harry asked.
"There's a rope that we can climb on," said Elorra.
"Who's going to hold it?" Hermione asked.
Harry shrugged and they approached the wall.
"Someone can climb it," Missy suggested.
"I'll try," said Lizzy, walking up to the wall.
"There's nothing to grab onto," Elorra warned her.
"Oh well!"
Lizzy put her foot on a rock and began to climb.
"You're almost there, Lizzy!" said Mandy.
"Shut up! You're making me nervous!"
"Sorry!"
Lizzy finally made it, and she held onto the rope. As soon as everyone was finally up, they got out of the closet.
Juliette
"So, how're we going to get them into the closet?" Elorra asked. "What if they're not in the same place at the same time!?"
"Well, tomorrow's Saturday, and we won't be having class, so we'll have plenty of time to figure it out!" Replied Lizzy.
"That doesn't help!"
"Ok! Ok!" We'll just plan some things to get them near the closet!"
"Which one?"
"Uhhh...the one by the Transfiguration classroom!"
"All right..."
So, by the next morning, Lizzy and Elorra had everything set. They walked down the corridor right near the Transfiguration classroom and had Harry and Joshua help them.
"So let me get this, right." Elorra whispered. "We're just going to stuff them into a closet."
"It's the only plan we've got."
"And it's not a very good one either."
Missy and Ron came down the hallway talking. Elorra had asked them to meet her by the Transfiguration classroom because she had to tell them something. When they reached the classroom, they looked around, but didn't see Elorra-at least not until it was too late. Harry and Joshua jumped on them, stuffed them into the closet, slammed the closet door, shut it with magic that couldn't be opened from the inside, then leaned against the door.
"Now what do we do?" Harry asked.
"Wait." Lizzy smiled.
"What if nothing happens?"
"Oh don't worry. Something will happen."
Missy tried opening the door, but it wouldn't move. "It's locked." She tried kicking the door, but that just hurt her foot.
"Now what do we do?" Ron sighed, sitting on a bucket turned upside down.
"I don't know. We're locked in here."
There was silence for a few minutes until Missy said something: "you don't think Lizzy and Elorra had something to do with this, do you?"
"Probably did." Ron grinned at her.
Missy turned over an empty bucket and sat down on it. "Now what are we supposed to do? I just don't understand why they keep locking us in closets!"
Ron laughed. "Me either. Must be something in the water."
Missy leaned back against the wall, and fell backwards. "Aaah!"
"Missy?!" Ron stood up and peered into the corner where she appeared to have fallen, but her didn't see her anywhere. He pounded on the door. "Let me out you guys! Missy's missing!"
Lizzy laughed. "Yeah right! Clever plan, but it won't work! How can she disappear in there? Go back to the drawing board."
Ron groaned. Obviously they weren't going to listen to him. He peered over the bucket again. He didn't see anything at all. In fact, that's what bothered him. He didn't see anything at all. No floor. No nothing. He reached down into the blackness and felt cold air coming up from below. He felt around and felt nothing but black space. He was starting to get worried. Then he heard a scratching noise coming from below him.
Then Missy's astonished voice wafted up to him. "Hey Ron..."
"What? Are you alright?"
"Yes fine. Jump down here. Don't worry, it's a soft landing."
Ron took a deep breath and jumped. He felt the air rushing past him, and he tumbled onto a pile of hay, in the corner of a small dungeon-like room. And it was filled with bones. And spiders. Ron screeched when he saw a particularly hairy one crawl toward him. Missy laughed and helped him up.
"This place is really interesting. I wonder what they used it for."
Ron shrugged and eyed a spider that was coming a little too close.
Missy ran her fingers through her dusty hair. "Oops. I just thought of something."
Ron looked at her. "What?"
Missy laughed weakly. "Well with both of us down here, there's really not much of a chance on us getting out of here."
"What?!" Ron grabbed Missy by the shoulders and shook her. "Do you mean to tell me that I'll probably die down here, just like all those other people? Death by spiders?!" He gestured towards the bones.
Missy shrugged. "I don't know." he shook her again. "Missy!"
They walked around trying to find an exit. Missy walked to a stone wall and pushed against it.
"Nothing's behind there." Ron mumbled.
"How would you know?" said Missy. She banged on the wall. It sounded hollow.
"There is something behind here!" She pressed harder and a door burst open.
"Missy!" Elorra screamed. "Are you still in there?"
"Maybe they want some time alone!" Lizzy squealed. "Maybe they like each other now."
Elorra rolled her eyes and pounded on the door. "You guys, this isn't funny!"
Meanwhile...
Missy and Ron walked inside the door, and more spiders scuttled past them. Ron leaned back away from them, and Missy laughed. She then heard a voice, sounding from far away. She walked slowly towards it. The tunnel wasn't completely dark, there was a little light, from who knows where, but in certain corners the shadows were so dark, that you couldn't see anything. It was those that Ron stayed away from, in case of spiders.
"Wh-when will we k-kill him, master?" said a voice.
"Tonight...tonight is perfect..."
"They're killing someone!" Ron whispered.
"Well, duh! Just shut up and listen!"
"Dumbledore will no longer be around..."
"Wh-why do we want to kill him again, My lord?"
"I have told you many times, Wormtail! I do not need to repeat myself!"
Ron stepped back further; a larger spider was crawling toward him. He stepped on a bone that echoed.
"There is someone out there, Wormtail." said the cold voice. "Go and check who it is!"
Before the door up ahead of them could open, Missy had grabbed Ron's wrist and led him to the entrance.
"We can't get out," said Ron.
"I know that! But there's got to be a way!"
The man called Wormtail was coming closer to them, a short man with a black hooded cloak billowing out behind him like a cape.
"Well, well, well," said the man in the hooded cloak. "What do we have here?"
Missy screamed. Wormtail laughed. He grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the place where she and Ron had heard the voices. Ron was hiding in the shadows, and wasn't seen. Ron shook with fear as he heard Voldemort laugh, and Missy scream. He had to get help! He ran as fast as he could into the dungeon room again. He started to scramble any way he could up the walls, now ignoring the spiders.
Lizzy put her ear to the door. "I still don't hear anything." Mandy, who had come up with Hermione, and Patrick while Elorra, Lizzy, Harry, and Joshua had been waiting, shook her head. "Come on you guys. This does not sound too good. Let's open the door."
Elorra nodded in agreement. Lizzy unlocked the door, and they walked in.
"Where are they?"
Ron heard their voices. "Hey guys!" he shouted. "You guys!"
Elorra walked over to the hole and waved her wand "Lumos!" She peered down the shaft, "Ron, is that you?"
"Yes! Help me up! Quickly! Missy's in trouble!"
Mandy pulled out a coil of rope from in the corner and threw it down the hole. Ron caught it, and using it like a rope climber would, scaled the walls. He pulled himself up over the edge and onto the floor of the closet.
"Quickly," he gasped, I have to talk to Dumbledore!"
No one said anything; they all just ran right away to the great hall where lunch was going on.
"Why do you want to speak to Dumbledore?" Mandy asked, as they raced to the Great Hall.
"Something that happened down there!" Ron said. Lizzy swung the door open and they went inside.
Everyone was at lunch, and staring at them.
"Professor Dumbledore!" said Ron, as he ran up to the staff table.
"Is there something wrong, Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes! Wormtail has got Missy and Voldemort's in the school!"
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes!"
They raced out the hall, Dumbledore following them, and Ron in the lead, Ron telling them all that had happened down in the underground rooms, on the way.
They went to the closet and Ron showed Dumbledore the hole.
"Ahh...I remember when this tunnel was built." Dumbledore led them down the hole.
When they reached the dungeon, Lizzy squealed as a spider went toward her, and she fell back but Harry caught her.
"Thanks, Harry." she said, blushing. Ron led them to where Missy was taken and they heard Voldemort and Wormtail speak again.
Dumbledore rushed down the hallway that had been carved into the stone, with his wand out, and stepped into the room where Voldemort reigned. Ron, Lizzy, Mandy, Hermione, Elorra, and Harry, all stopped at the entrance. Dumbledore hadn't stopped to ask any teachers to come with him, so they were stuck if he needed help. Except for...everyone moved a little in case Harry needed to get through. Ron peered into the room, where Dumbledore and Voldemort had their arms raised with wands high. He saw Missy tied up in a shadowy corner, lying behind Wormtail, who was watching the action. Before anyone could stop him, Ron slipped along the wall, hidden from the firelight in the middle of the room, and sidled up behind Missy, his back on the walls.
Elorra gazed open mouthed at Ron. "What the heck does he think he's doing?"
Lizzy shook her head then buried her face in her hands. "He's gonna get himself killed!"
Elorra looked at her strangely. Lizzy was usually so brave. Ron kneeled down on the floor behind Missy. He watched closely as Dumbledore put clever charms on Voldemort that, unfortunately, didn't deter him any. Just then, Dumbledore looked over at Ron briefly and winked. Ron was startled. He had known he was there the whole time? Ron put his arms around Missy's waist where the knots were, and began to undo them, right behind Wormtail's back.
Missy gasped, not knowing who it was.
"Shhh!" He whispered. "It's me!"
She relaxed a little bit, and he went back to undoing the knots. Fortunately, they weren't magical, and he got them undone easily. He helped Missy up on her feet quietly and they walked back under the protection of the shadows to their friends.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore was fighting Voldemort, but losing quickly.
Lizzy ran up to Ron and threw her arms around him. "I was so afraid you were going to die!"
Missy noticed that Harry looked very unhappy about this. She turned back to Lizzy. "Weren't you afraid for me?"
Lizzy wrinkled up her forehead. "Not really. I figured if they hadn't killed you yet, they weren't going to kill you at all."
Everyone hugged, and would have laughed if this weren't such a bad situation. All attention turned yet again to Dumbledore and Voldemort.
Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at Dumbledore. "Crucio!"
Harry couldn't take it. He jumped up, yanked out his wand, and shouted; "Expelliarmus!"
Voldemort's wand flew out of his hand, and into Harry's. Harry was so angry; he snapped the wand right in half. Dumbledore walked over to Harry. Voldemort was staring in shock at Harry, his anger mounting. Finally he snapped his fingers and he and Wormtail disappeared in a cloud of dust. Dumbledore stood next to Harry, and Harry threw his arms around him.
"Thank you." Dumbledore whispered in his ear. All the girls were crying, and Ron was sniffling, side-smushing all spiders.
"How're we going to get out?" Harry asked.
"There's a rope that we can climb on," said Elorra.
"Who's going to hold it?" Hermione asked.
Harry shrugged and they approached the wall.
"Someone can climb it," Missy suggested.
"I'll try," said Lizzy, walking up to the wall.
"There's nothing to grab onto," Elorra warned her.
"Oh well!"
Lizzy put her foot on a rock and began to climb.
"You're almost there, Lizzy!" said Mandy.
"Shut up! You're making me nervous!"
"Sorry!"
Lizzy finally made it, and she held onto the rope. As soon as everyone was finally up, they got out of the closet.
