A/N: Oh…my…GOD!!!!!!! You guys just kick all arse!!! You're the best reviewers that a girl could have!!! **Dies of happiness, then realises she should be writing and inexplicably resurrects herself** See, you've made me sooooooo happy that I died and managed to toy with the laws of physics! You guys are just THE BEST!!! Thank you all so, so, SO much!!!
But…there are some absolutely shining stars out there that I must thank personally, this chapter is for you guys:
Tabasco*Redhead: The birthday greeting was very appreciated, it was the only one I got **glares meaningfully at other reviewers**. It made me smile **this** big!
Sweet Stephanie: You certainly are sweet, Steph, but you're completely and utterly off your trolley. You're mad! But I must say, you are wonderfully creative, that rap owned! Word to my homie, Steph!
Silver Ice: Your reviews made my mailbox! You made me very damn happy and I'm still trying to get over having my very own chapter in your fic. I'll now put in a cheap plug for you, :D.
EVERYBODY READING THIS FIC HAS GOTTA READ 'THE WEASELS'S DAMSEL' BY MY BUDDY SILVER ICE!!!
So thanks!
Now, the reasons I haven't been updating for a while are that I have been on holiday to Tenerife, had my birthday (which was cool!!!) and have somehow managed to join a band. I have ended up as the drummer for a band, which is cool. I also write some songs and stuff, so if we ever get famous I'll dedicate a song to all the people on fanfiction.net, lol.
There is also a quick warning here: I start school again on the 8th (sob, scream, yelp!) so the story will probably go quite slowly, but I will update whenever I can!
Peace and love!
Xodox
Chapter 7: The Fire of Finnigan and The Flames of Passion
It wasn't only Ron who was completely mystified by the whole cupboard incident, the rest of the Gryffindors were baffled too.
As soon as they heard silence from the cupboard, the madness began. The puzzled Gryffindors, anxious to know what had happened, waited for a few hours before deciding to try opening the cupboard. They tried the door, but the handle refused to budge. They jiggled it, bashed it and even got Neville to sit on it in attempt to move it. Nothing, not even Neville's backside, could open the door and it wasn't even locked.
Dean and Seamus first formed a plan to lever the door open. This didn't work because nobody owned a crowbar and Fred and George had, of course, made their memorable exit.
Then they decided that a spell might work…but nobody knew one and everyone was far too worked up to bother with a book.
Now it was time for drastic action. Seamus quickly dashed to the boys' dormitory and returned with a box of matches.
"Seamus, why on Earth do you have a box of matches?" Harry suddenly piped up.
"My dad gave them to me, in case of an emergency. And I think we can call this an emergency."
And it soon became clear what he intended to do with them.
He struck one on the side of the box and held it up to the door.
"Seamus! What are you doing?!? You're only burning the handle you idiot, try burning the wood instead!" Lavender shouted.
Seamus turned to argue back, but as he did he dropped the match and landed on the mat outside the door. The flames instantly flared on the rug. Dean swore loudly and everybody ran backwards away from the fiery carpet.
Ginny quickly came to the rescue by conjuring up a bucket of water and sloshing it hurriedly on the blaze.
Everyone sighed with relief and gingerly made their way to gawp at the rug. There was a large bald spot in the middle of it; surrounded by brown and black scorch marks. The fire had, however, had no affect at all on the cupboard.
"Bugger." Said Dean. And with that, he managed to sum up just what everyone else in the room was thinking.
**~**
It was decided that they would try and keep the professors out of this for as long as possible, especially the fact that Seamus had set fire to the carpet and that the floor now had damp. They divided into two groups, girls and boys, to see how they could cover up the mess they'd made of everything.
The boys started to cover the hole in the rug with bits of magazines and The Daily Prophet, then charming the pieces to go a reddish colour. The girls on the other side of the room were trying to decide what to tell their teachers.
"We could tell them that they did a Fred and George." Suggested someone in third year.
"But why would Hermione do that? That's a bit hard to believe."
"Um…how about that Hermione had to go home because someone died and…she took Ron with her?"
"Nah, how about they were kidnapped?"
"That'd worry people too much, then people would get involved and the truth would get out."
"Oh! How about they eloped to Hogsmeade? That'd be so romantic…" Pavarti sighed and looked dreamily away.
"Oh get real. Ron, elope? He won't even tell Hermione that he likes her at all." Ginny laughed as she thought about it.
"Um…how about we just tell people that they're in the hospital wing? Ron could've had a Quidditch accident and
Hermione has flu or something." A fifth year said quietly.
"That'll do nicely."
And it was agreed that Ron and Hermione hadn't disappeared, they were just in the hospital wing, safe and sound.
**~**
The Gryffindors, with a tremendous amount of effort on everyone's part, managed to keep the teachers believing that Ron and Hermione were ill for around three days.
It was only when Professor McGonagall made a trip to the hospital wing to see Madame Pomfrey that everyone found out the truth.
It was early Wednesday evening, the locking in and the fire occurring on the Sunday, and professor McGonagall had a rather nasty headache. She had had problems with a third year Hufflepuff who blew up several toads as he tried to change them into a bowl, a fifth year Ravenclaw who insisted that the kneazle that she had to transfigure into a puppy was trying to kill her, and a ton of marking that had to be done. The professor made her way to the hospital wing and got her cure but just as she was walking out, she noticed that all the beds there were devoid of any Gryffindor students. Ever so slightly suspicious, the professor asked Madame Pomfrey where Ron and Hermione were and found out that they had never been admitted to the wing.
Now extremely suspicious, and rather angry, she walked to the Gryffindor common room.
When she entered, the room went rather still. The only movement was Neville quickly moving to cover up the hole in the carpet, which was still very obvious as the boys' attempts to cover it were very slapdash indeed.
"Students of Gryffindor," Professor McGonagall began, "I do have reason to believe that you have spinning a few tales about the whereabouts of Mr Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger. Now if you could kindly tell me where they are, we can get this over and done with."
The silence lay heavily upon the room until Dean finally spoke up.
"Well, Professor, the thing is…we don't really know."
**~**
"So what you're telling me is that you LOST your fellow students in a cupboard?"
"Erm…yes." Said Dean.
"And you locked them in a
cupboard to make them talk to each other?"
"All in the name of friendship, Professor." Dean said with a pleased nod.
"And to find out the results of our bet…" Seamus said, quietly.
"Yes, your stupid bet, which I will be having strong words about with both of you. Very strong words."
Dean glared at Seamus, and then they both nodded.
"You do realise that you and your housemates have severely risked the safety of two of our finest students here at Hogwarts?"
"Wait, we are talking about Ron still, aren't we?"
"I'll have you know that Mr Weasley is a very fine student, but we are not here to talk about his academic achievements, Mr Thomas."
"Sorry…"
"Now, you say that the cupboard wouldn't open…even after you tried to set fire to the door? And by the way, I will also have strong words with you about those matches and the damage to the carpet."
"No, it wouldn't open." Seamus mumbled.
"Did either of you try a spell?"
"We don't know one."
"And nobody bothered to look in a book?"
They both went bright red at this.
"We didn't think."
"I can very well see that. It seems that nobody in Gryffindor bothered to use
their brain in this whole situation. I'm very disappointed with you all."
Professor McGonagall shook her head and walked over to the cupboard. She took out her wand and performed the 'Alohomora' spell.
It did not have the desired effect, as the door stayed shut and hissed ever so slightly. The professor frowned as it did and turned to face the gawking Gryffindor students. She beckoned Ginny towards her and said, "Miss Weasley, would you please go and get Professor Dumbledore? He'll be in his office, the password is," she sighed, "Weasley's Ton-Tongue Toffees…"
**~**
"And they're stuck in the cupboard?"
"Yes, sir."
"And it hissed when Professor McGonagall performed Alohomora?"
"Yes."
Professor Dumbledore got up from his chair and walked over to his bookcase. He scanned it briefly and then found the right book. He flipped through it and smiled as he hit the desired page and quickly read it.
"Come along now Miss Weasley," he said as he walked towards the door, "I must see this cupboard."
**~**
Dumbledore looked the cupboard up and down and nodded. He stepped backwards and mumbled, "Yes, just as I thought."
"Professor?"
"Yes, Miss Weasley?"
"It's not…it couldn't be…"
"Not what?"
"It couldn't be from, You-Know-Who?"
"I must admit, it was a possibility, but I rather doubt that it is."
"Good."
"But Professor, what is it?" asked Professor McGonagall.
"I feel it would be better explained in my office. Gryffindor students, I suggest that you go to bed; it has been a long few days for you all. I will explain what is going on tomorrow, for it is not an issue to be solved tonight."
The students departed, though a few lingered desperately trying to find out what was happening. Dumbledore smiled at them and motioned for them to go upstairs.
The two professors then left through the Fat Lady's portrait and walked towards Dumbledore's office.
"Your sure this isn't anything to do with You-Know-Who, Albus?"
"Quite sure."
"Do you actually know what it is?"
"Well…no."
"What?!?"
"There are ideas about it, but nobody can ever be completely sure what it is,
unless they've used it. Even then, the people that have used it are
usually…concentrating on something quite different afterwards." Dumbledore's
eyes twinkled happily and he looked rather delighted for some reason.
"Minerva, that cupboard isn't really a cupboard. It's actually some kind of portal and it's sealed with a very unique type of charm. It can only be unsealed by a certain bond between two people, a deep, flowing friendship but with a passionate love intertwined with it."
Dumbledore's eyes sparkled even more and his cheeks were ever so slightly pink.
"Albus, you're not saying…"
"Yes, I most certainly am. The thing is, though this bond is deep and very loving, the two involved are still too shy and awkward to express their passion correctly and so it comes out as heated arguments and tantrums.
' The portal opened, it seems, to try and fix this and help them…get together. Their friends have actually done them a huge favour, even if they did set fire to the carpet."
Professor McGonagall charmed a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes on it.
"Oh Albus, it's so wonderful. But…"
"But what Minerva?"
"Why couldn't we explain it down there?"
"Well, I thought it may be a little embarrassing for Ron and Hermione, even if they are in another dimension."
"Of course…oh dear…"
"What?"
"It's just that all the Gryffindors are crowded around your office door…"
**~**
A/N: Well that was absolutely knackering! I hope it clarified things a bit. And I hope you all enjoyed it! **Sigh** that's it, I'm off to bed now. See what you've done to me? I love you all so much I exhausted myself for you! I hope it'll last you until I write again, which may take a while as, like I said, I'm back at school soon! So please keep me insane and review!!!!
Luv, Xodox
