Harry Potter & the Honeychurch Institute of Magic
By Darkmoore
"Professor, what are your intentions with my Mum?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter Fifteen: The Finding of a Secret
"Mr. Beagle?" Harry sputtered, "I … I … I have no intentions towards your mother. I promise."
"Are you sure?" asked Will, "I wouldn't mind it if you did."
Now both Harry and Charlotte Beagle were blushing ferociously.
"Professor," Xander piped in, "Will and I were wandering if you'd like to go flying or sledding with us, but if you're busy …" he didn't finish, but gave Harry a knowing look.
"Sledding is an excellent idea, Mr. Malfoy, brilliant actually. Let me get my cloak on." said Harry in a rush as he dashed to retrieve his winter cloak.
So the rest of the morning Harry spent it sledding with the boys and hoping that Will did not start on him dating his mother. Then he hoped that Edwina wouldn't do the same later also.
* * * * *
After lunch, Harry was in his office going over his new map and quickly discovering a few missing things and a few extra things he didn't existed in the castle. Such as missing segments of the map that Dobby and who ever helped him couldn't get in to and secret passages that Harry didn't know about.
"Dobby," Harry called out and a moment later a pop sounded in his office and there stood his faithful friend and he smiled at him.
"Yes, Harry Potter, what is you needing?" the elf asked.
"I just have a few questions about this map you made for me. What is this small passage here?"
"Those is stairs that lead down into the dungeons to a secret room near the entrance of the south tower, sir. The other elves is telling Dobby about it and I's putting it on the map."
"How many entrances are there to this room? And who knows about it?"
"I is not thinking anyone who is knowing about it and the stairs is the only way in or out."
"Okay, that's good to know. Now about these blank places, here," Harry pointed, "here and here."
"I's not knowing sir, when I's doing the rooms on either side the spaces is showing up. The other elves is not knowing about them either."
"Hmmm," said Harry, "I wonder how you can get into them to see what's in there."
"Harry Potter?" Dobby asked a little timidly, "why isn't you just asking the paintings?"
"Ask the what … ?" Harry said stunned at the simplest answer to his question.
"Some of them has's been here for years." Dobby said with more confidence.
"Dobby, your brilliant." said Harry causing Dobby to beam. "And I know just who to get to ask the paintings about it." With that said Harry hurried off to his quarters.
* * * * *
"Oh Sirius, come one, who know your curious about it as well." pleaded Harry.
"You go flirt with the old bat then, she's worse than my mother." said Sirius in a huff.
"Of the three rooms that aren't covered by the map, it's the only one with a portrait hanging over them, which leads me to believe that she's a guardian to something. I have to take on the other two and figure them out."
"Oh all right, I'll go talk to the old bitch, but I am NOT flirting with her or touching her in anyway what-so-ever to get any information for you. So if she wants to kiss, you better start puckering up now." and with that Sirius went off to have a chat with Lady Letitia Honeychurch.
'One down, Harry thought and two to go.' thought Harry, 'now to get the boys.'
* * * * *
After a few hours of investigation of the two different locations where well hidden rooms were, Harry eventually went down to eat his dinner in the dining hall with the others. Harry has a pleasant dinner talking back and forth with all the people in the hall and happily surprised that both of the boys were well behaved about his playfulness that morning with Mrs. Beagle. Though Charlotte herself was a little stand-offish, he chalked that up being embarrassed by him, which he didn't mean to do.
After dinner Harry played chess with Taryn Whitlock for a few games and gloriously lost each time. 'Is it me, or is everyone just better at this game than I am?' he thought after his fifth defeat. However, the hour soon grew late and he escorted his two exhausted lambs back to the south tower where he had every intension of putting them to bed after a long day of flying and sledding. Well that was his intention anyway, as he was soon talked into a game or two of exploding snap with the boys in their common room.
Finally, with a few singed eyebrows to show for it, the two boys finally gave it up and went to bed and Harry somehow found his way back up to his quarters in the west tower. Upon entering his sitting room he heard…
"Where have you been all night? I had to go into the cruel world and brave the battiest woman in this castle for you and your out lazing about like some Slytherin." called out his godfather from his portrait.
"I was out performing my good little sponsor duties tonight Sirius, give me a break." whined Harry.
Sirius then smiled and said, "You really are starting to love those kids you know, even the Malfoy brat."
"He's not like that Sirius, if I didn't know better, I'd swear he'd been adopted and placed under the Inheirment Charm." said Harry. Of course, everyone knew that a Malfoy would never use the Inheirment Charm, it would prove that they were unable to produce a true heir, for even though the child under the charm would bear the physical characteristics of the adoptive parents, the moment they died the charm would fade, leaving the adopted child with it's true appearance, which in some cases was a drastic change. After several cases that resulted in insanity the charm was banned from practical use.
Harry sighed and continued, "Yeah, they are something aren't they?"
Sirius smirked at Harry and said, "You know that could have been you and Draco, if things had gone a little differently."
"Yeah, I'd be the happy little wife, no thanks. What were you bellowing about when I came in?"
"Oh not much, I got the information you wanted me to get for you." said the animagus with an air of satisfaction.
"Brilliant, what the secret?" asked Harry.
His godfather smiled and said, "Your never going to believe this, but she doesn't know what's in the room."
"That's not helpful and you know it."
"True, so true, BUT what she did tell me that IS helpful is that only a person born of Veela blood can persuade her to open to reveal her secret."
"Veela blood?" Harry mused, "very interesting."
* * * * *
The next morning, Boxing Day, Harry awoke after spending the previous evening reading the little Muggle children's book and though it did has some similarities to his life during his first few weeks of his first year at Hogwarts; they weren't an exact duplicate of his life. Though he did find the story amusing.
The other book he received, Snape's autobiography, was a much heavier, if not depressing, read. He barely got through the first four chapters, before he had to put it down and hide it on his bookshelf so it wouldn't come and get him in the middle of the night.
As Harry walked into his sitting room Dobby appeared with a cup of coffee for him and a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Thanks Dobby," Harry said with a wide yawn, "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Dobby beamed and popped away leaving him with his coffee and paper, which Harry began to read.
'Ministry Announces Closing of Useless Schools across Britain' was the morning headline written by Rita Skeeter. He read further, 'according to a reliable source in the Department of Magical Education some of the smaller and less developed schools should be and will be closing with in the next few months.'
"Smaller and less developed schools?" said Harry aloud, "I hope that's not us." However, he didn't dwell on the headline too much longer as he soon picked up the map and began to muse about the hidden room on the third floor behind the painting of Lady Letitia Honeychurch. 'I need to get into the shower and get the boys for this one; they might like a little adventure this morning.' Thought Harry as he got up and headed into his bath.
A short time later, after harry had his shower, he was heading down to have breakfast when he ran into Mrs. Beagle talking to the ghost of Headmaster Robert O'Hearlihy. He assumed that the helpful ghost was once again giving directions to poor lost souls, when he heard a snippet of their conversation.
"Professor Potter? Oh no, I don't believe that he would ever do anything disrespectful. Most the students seem to like him quite a bit, even with the homework he gives out. If he ever made a pass at someone, it would have been with the greatest deal of respect involved." said the dead former Headmaster.
"So you don't think he would even do it playfully in his anima….animi… in his animal form?" she asked.
"He might, he might not, but I've only known him since the beginning of term, when classes started. If it is worrying you, why not ask him directly?" asked the ghost before he stepped through a wall and on to other things.
Harry waited a few moments and then continued his walk towards where Charlotte Beagle was standing. "Mrs. Beagle is something wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost, and in this castle it's a likely thing to happen." She smiled at him warmly, and said she had seen one and together they went off to find breakfast in the dining hall.
Shortly after breakfast Harry stopped the two boys and asked, "How would the pair of you like to partake in an adventure today?" causing both boys to greedily nod 'yes.' After a few minutes walk, the three of them found themselves in front of the portrait of Lady Letitia Honeychurch in the third floor hallway.
"Oh look a half blind halfblood, an ugly little mudblood and part human blood traitor freak come to pay me a visit this morning. Oh do state your business and be off with you, I have much better things to do with my time." said the nasty tempered painting.
"Well isn't she sweet and lovable?" asked Will causing both Harry and Xander to laugh.
"Actually, m'lady, we've come to see what secret it is that you are guarding." said Harry to the portrait.
"If you think I'm going to tell you any such thing, you are sadly mistaken young man. You do not meet any of the requirements of such a venture." said the sneering ancient witch.
"Probably not, but I do believe he does." and then Harry pointed to Xander Malfoy.
"He may or he may not, does he have the stuff it takes to find out?" she asked pointedly and the fingers of her right hand tapped on the dagger in her lap.
Unfortunately, Harry missed her tapping fingers and was about to speculate when Xander drew his penknife out of his pocket and cut open his finger of let the blood drip on the dagger in the portrait causing the old witch to smirk and say, "I see you do after all." Then the portrait opened up for the first time in many centuries to reveal a dusty and smelly little room containing nothing. Nothing except two spiral stairs in opposite corners of the little room going up into two different rooms on the fourth floor.
"Well that explains why I couldn't get into those rooms up there; you have to go through this room first." said Harry almost to himself and then continued to the boys, "Alright men, wands out. Lumos." They saw that the little room had nothing to offer them any clues as to what it was about and they thought it must be an anti-chamber to something else above.
"Well, which one?" Harry was indicating the different stairs, "right or left?"
Will said "Left," as Xander said "Right."
Harry smirked and said, "Well I guess I have the tie breaker then don't I? Let's go left first then." Harry led the way up the stairs in case something happened like an ancient booby trap or something else and the boys found another small room filled with what looked to be…
"Books?" Will said, "we came all this way to find books?"
"Books can often hold far more treasure than a pirate's plunder." said Harry and Xander nodded in agreement. "I wonder what kind of books these are. And where they came from?" Just then Will opened one up and a face came stretching out from the pages and started to howl like it was dying. Will dropped it immediately.
"Dark Arts." said Harry and Xander together.
"Let's not stay any longer then, these books could be very dangerous. I'll inform the headmistress about them later. Let's try the other stairs and see what we find there."
So the three went back down to the anti-chamber and then up the other stairs to the last hidden room. There they found a room with dark drapes hanging all over the walls and several tables with boxes on them. Xander walked over to one of the tables and tried to open the chest sitting on it, but it wouldn't budge. He took out his wand and tried "Alohamora" but it also didn't work.
Inspired, Xander took his cut finger and reopened it and let one drop of blood drop on the chest. It sprang open and revealed a small pile of human bones sitting in the black velvet lines chest.
"Well Xander, I think you just found Mr. Larson's missing bones." said Harry over his shoulder.
"Now aren't you glad you stayed in school over the holidays?" asked a grinning Will.
To Be Continued…
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Author's Note: To everyone who reviewed, thanks again...
athenakitty wrote Harry's making a Honeychurch map? Will Harry get Winky to come? How many socks did Harry send to Dumbledore? Will Mrs Beagle be able to visit Diagon Alley with a charm?
Answer - Making a map and is made! Harry doesn't know how Dobby made the map, he only gave him the instructions of how to do it and apparently they worked. :) They just send each other one pair of socks, it's about the Mirror of Erised from Book 1. Mrs. Beagle just needed someone one to remind her where the entrance was. Remember it was just one little door between two shops in Muggle London.
Also, Athena, I have a question for you, do you sit by the computer each night and wait for me to post? Your almost always the first to review me after I post a new chapter. I was emailing back and forth with Bill tonight and told him I was posting and said quick go read it before Athena posts and you still beat him! I was impressed.
Madam Whitbrook wrote I'm thrilled to have a character named after me -- love you lots! :) Keep those chapters coming!!
Answer - So, I should pull the chapter then? hehehehehe
kensai2 wrote You never answered my question about Draco from Chap. 10 or 11. Thank you for your dedication to this story!
Answer - Anything about Harry's romances will come out in it's own time. You'll justhave to wait for that, wether it be with Fitzy, Vesta, Charlotte or Draco, you'll just have to waiti and see. As for the Will Beagle fic, yes I will continue with it, but it may end up more about his mother than him. I guess I should change the name of it then. Hmmmmmmm.
Bill wrote That book does sound similar to the Harry Potter series. It makes you think that JKR may have read it; on the other hand, so many books are published every year, it's quite possible that the resemblances are simply coincidence. The most amusing gift by far was the Severus Snape opus, though.
Answer - Read it, its spooky.
HexWa wrote Damn you update fast! Great chapters though, keep up the good work!
Answer - Well, I get inspired sometimes. Then again, I also get stuck and need to talk to someone to get unclogged.
mindfunk wrote (a lot doesn't even cover it, but I loved it, so once again, I'm only pasting in what I am responding to) I'm still hung up on Veela!Draco. On one hand, I like taking cliches and giving them an unexpected twist, like you've also done with Harry teaching (but not at Hogwarts). The whole thing where Draco finds out Harry is his mate (and despite their years of hate they're humping by chapter 3) is unimaginative and boring. However, it's been pretty firmly established in the annals of HP fanfic that Veela must succeed in winning their mate or else be doomed to a loveless life of lonliness and misery. Some authors have Veela die if they're rejected, but at the very least it's accepted that the Veela cannot find any happiness without the one the Fates have chosen as his/her mate.
Anyway, if one thinks Draco is a character that deserves a lifetime of pain and misery, then it works, but if one doesn't, then it's pretty unsatisfying. I don't think Harry would be so cruel to anyone, even Malfoy, to condemn them to such an unhappy fate. If he wasn't able or willing to give Draco a chance to try and woo him, he'd at least try to be friends. It wouldn't happen overnight, but someone as sensitive and love deprived as Harry wouldn't just turn his back on someone who was hopelessly in love with him, even if he didn't reciprocate those feelings. See his acceptance of Colin Creevey as an example of that.Obviously there's still lots more story to come, so maybe all will be answered in time. It just seemed like you closed the door on any HD in any form, and that doesn't sit right with me. I'd just like to see the Veela thing resolved in a way that makes sense.
Maybe Veela in your universe can take a potion to supress their desire for their mate, or maybe they can simply be with others despite not having their true love. Maybe having relinquished any claim on Draco in writing to Blaise trips some magical deal breaker and allows Draco to be with the other man. The possibilities are numerous, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with this situation.
Answer - I sooooo love getting long winded reviews. It's not better than sex, but it's close. :) Too begin with the Veela thing kicked in when Draco turned 17, yes I took a bit from other fanfictions I read on that point, but in mine, Harry rejected him and kept on rejecting him. Of all the Veela encountered, both in cannon or in fanfics, no male has been able to resist a Veela, and yet in mine, Harry never once felt the pull to be with him. Hmmmmmm, maybe the fates were giving Draco his just desserts? But this is all 5 years prior to our story anyway. I mean many things have happened in that time period that we haven't heard about yet. Who knows what has happened?
I would normally agree with you that Harry would normally try to give a Veela a chance, but you must realize is that Draco Malfoy is vain, arrogant, cruel, selfish, hateful and generally has his head so far up his own arse, he doesn't see anything else except what he wants to. Would you want to be bonded to that all your life? Well Harry didn't either. PLus the fact, Harry deserves to be treated with respect, which I'm sure Draco didn't give him a drop of. As for Collin Creevey, he just annoyed Harry, Draco tried to have him expelled, taunted him about Cedric's death and over Sirius as well. Collin never did that. As for Harry being cruel to Draco, should he allow this person to try and control him so much that he ends up being cruel to himself? Harry is self sacrificing, but there are limits!
Lastly and very importantly, I hope you stick with the story, because I love getting your feedback, but once again I must say...Harry is not gay! I sooooooo wish he was, it would make it so much easier for me to write this, as I have no idea how to describe straight sex. Ewwwww!
captuniv wrote Oh yeah, the first Christmas at Honeychurch was a success. Liked that the firsties won the tree competition. Harry must have learned some great charms from Flitwick for decorating trees. Now I wonder why Harry decided to create his own Marauder's Map of Honeychurch. So it doesn't give a spiel when activated? Darn. And just who is going to receive that map for some fun? Oh, I had a thought, when Harry wrote his letter to Charlotte, it automatically added the Order of Merlin at the bottom. Is she going to ask about that? And I'm surprised that after talking to the Weasley's and other shopkeepers at Diagon Alley, someone didn't shove an unauthorized biography of Harry at her. I'm sure many were written after the Final Defeat of Voldemort and are stocked at Florish & Blotts. Anyway, keep this great story coming!!
Answer - Christmas holidays last three weeks, the boys haven't gotten into their mischief quite yet. As you have just read. hehehee. Well, Harry was in a crowded room and I didn't want to mention the spiel, though it was there, okay the truth, I didn't have time to look it up in book 3 before I posted. As what happened in Diagon Alley and at the Weasley's shop, read the side story, I'm working on that. Charlotte learns a lot about Harry and maybe something about a certain Veela as well. :)
Spiffycool wrote great chapter! you did change the Wizards hall plot and characters, though. Henry is a lot different from Harry and doesn't look like him either. but besides that it's good.
Answer - With the exception of hair color and glasses, they both have green eyes, are short, too short, too skinny and go to magic school with no idea of what to find when the get there. Also each has a tall male friend with red hair and a lot of siblings, and a very smart girl as a trio. I also admit, I've not read the whole thing, but it does sound familiar. Besides, it was Charlotte Beagle who thought it and told Harry about it.
TuxedoMac wrote I like how the holiday turned out and I can't waite to see the update on the stroie behind that. i also thought that the idea of him making a marauders map was a good one. And the book about snap was a very origonal idea.
Answer - Well, here it is, I hope it was well worth waiting for. :)
By Darkmoore
"Professor, what are your intentions with my Mum?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter Fifteen: The Finding of a Secret
"Mr. Beagle?" Harry sputtered, "I … I … I have no intentions towards your mother. I promise."
"Are you sure?" asked Will, "I wouldn't mind it if you did."
Now both Harry and Charlotte Beagle were blushing ferociously.
"Professor," Xander piped in, "Will and I were wandering if you'd like to go flying or sledding with us, but if you're busy …" he didn't finish, but gave Harry a knowing look.
"Sledding is an excellent idea, Mr. Malfoy, brilliant actually. Let me get my cloak on." said Harry in a rush as he dashed to retrieve his winter cloak.
So the rest of the morning Harry spent it sledding with the boys and hoping that Will did not start on him dating his mother. Then he hoped that Edwina wouldn't do the same later also.
* * * * *
After lunch, Harry was in his office going over his new map and quickly discovering a few missing things and a few extra things he didn't existed in the castle. Such as missing segments of the map that Dobby and who ever helped him couldn't get in to and secret passages that Harry didn't know about.
"Dobby," Harry called out and a moment later a pop sounded in his office and there stood his faithful friend and he smiled at him.
"Yes, Harry Potter, what is you needing?" the elf asked.
"I just have a few questions about this map you made for me. What is this small passage here?"
"Those is stairs that lead down into the dungeons to a secret room near the entrance of the south tower, sir. The other elves is telling Dobby about it and I's putting it on the map."
"How many entrances are there to this room? And who knows about it?"
"I is not thinking anyone who is knowing about it and the stairs is the only way in or out."
"Okay, that's good to know. Now about these blank places, here," Harry pointed, "here and here."
"I's not knowing sir, when I's doing the rooms on either side the spaces is showing up. The other elves is not knowing about them either."
"Hmmm," said Harry, "I wonder how you can get into them to see what's in there."
"Harry Potter?" Dobby asked a little timidly, "why isn't you just asking the paintings?"
"Ask the what … ?" Harry said stunned at the simplest answer to his question.
"Some of them has's been here for years." Dobby said with more confidence.
"Dobby, your brilliant." said Harry causing Dobby to beam. "And I know just who to get to ask the paintings about it." With that said Harry hurried off to his quarters.
* * * * *
"Oh Sirius, come one, who know your curious about it as well." pleaded Harry.
"You go flirt with the old bat then, she's worse than my mother." said Sirius in a huff.
"Of the three rooms that aren't covered by the map, it's the only one with a portrait hanging over them, which leads me to believe that she's a guardian to something. I have to take on the other two and figure them out."
"Oh all right, I'll go talk to the old bitch, but I am NOT flirting with her or touching her in anyway what-so-ever to get any information for you. So if she wants to kiss, you better start puckering up now." and with that Sirius went off to have a chat with Lady Letitia Honeychurch.
'One down, Harry thought and two to go.' thought Harry, 'now to get the boys.'
* * * * *
After a few hours of investigation of the two different locations where well hidden rooms were, Harry eventually went down to eat his dinner in the dining hall with the others. Harry has a pleasant dinner talking back and forth with all the people in the hall and happily surprised that both of the boys were well behaved about his playfulness that morning with Mrs. Beagle. Though Charlotte herself was a little stand-offish, he chalked that up being embarrassed by him, which he didn't mean to do.
After dinner Harry played chess with Taryn Whitlock for a few games and gloriously lost each time. 'Is it me, or is everyone just better at this game than I am?' he thought after his fifth defeat. However, the hour soon grew late and he escorted his two exhausted lambs back to the south tower where he had every intension of putting them to bed after a long day of flying and sledding. Well that was his intention anyway, as he was soon talked into a game or two of exploding snap with the boys in their common room.
Finally, with a few singed eyebrows to show for it, the two boys finally gave it up and went to bed and Harry somehow found his way back up to his quarters in the west tower. Upon entering his sitting room he heard…
"Where have you been all night? I had to go into the cruel world and brave the battiest woman in this castle for you and your out lazing about like some Slytherin." called out his godfather from his portrait.
"I was out performing my good little sponsor duties tonight Sirius, give me a break." whined Harry.
Sirius then smiled and said, "You really are starting to love those kids you know, even the Malfoy brat."
"He's not like that Sirius, if I didn't know better, I'd swear he'd been adopted and placed under the Inheirment Charm." said Harry. Of course, everyone knew that a Malfoy would never use the Inheirment Charm, it would prove that they were unable to produce a true heir, for even though the child under the charm would bear the physical characteristics of the adoptive parents, the moment they died the charm would fade, leaving the adopted child with it's true appearance, which in some cases was a drastic change. After several cases that resulted in insanity the charm was banned from practical use.
Harry sighed and continued, "Yeah, they are something aren't they?"
Sirius smirked at Harry and said, "You know that could have been you and Draco, if things had gone a little differently."
"Yeah, I'd be the happy little wife, no thanks. What were you bellowing about when I came in?"
"Oh not much, I got the information you wanted me to get for you." said the animagus with an air of satisfaction.
"Brilliant, what the secret?" asked Harry.
His godfather smiled and said, "Your never going to believe this, but she doesn't know what's in the room."
"That's not helpful and you know it."
"True, so true, BUT what she did tell me that IS helpful is that only a person born of Veela blood can persuade her to open to reveal her secret."
"Veela blood?" Harry mused, "very interesting."
* * * * *
The next morning, Boxing Day, Harry awoke after spending the previous evening reading the little Muggle children's book and though it did has some similarities to his life during his first few weeks of his first year at Hogwarts; they weren't an exact duplicate of his life. Though he did find the story amusing.
The other book he received, Snape's autobiography, was a much heavier, if not depressing, read. He barely got through the first four chapters, before he had to put it down and hide it on his bookshelf so it wouldn't come and get him in the middle of the night.
As Harry walked into his sitting room Dobby appeared with a cup of coffee for him and a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Thanks Dobby," Harry said with a wide yawn, "I don't know what I'd do without you."
Dobby beamed and popped away leaving him with his coffee and paper, which Harry began to read.
'Ministry Announces Closing of Useless Schools across Britain' was the morning headline written by Rita Skeeter. He read further, 'according to a reliable source in the Department of Magical Education some of the smaller and less developed schools should be and will be closing with in the next few months.'
"Smaller and less developed schools?" said Harry aloud, "I hope that's not us." However, he didn't dwell on the headline too much longer as he soon picked up the map and began to muse about the hidden room on the third floor behind the painting of Lady Letitia Honeychurch. 'I need to get into the shower and get the boys for this one; they might like a little adventure this morning.' Thought Harry as he got up and headed into his bath.
A short time later, after harry had his shower, he was heading down to have breakfast when he ran into Mrs. Beagle talking to the ghost of Headmaster Robert O'Hearlihy. He assumed that the helpful ghost was once again giving directions to poor lost souls, when he heard a snippet of their conversation.
"Professor Potter? Oh no, I don't believe that he would ever do anything disrespectful. Most the students seem to like him quite a bit, even with the homework he gives out. If he ever made a pass at someone, it would have been with the greatest deal of respect involved." said the dead former Headmaster.
"So you don't think he would even do it playfully in his anima….animi… in his animal form?" she asked.
"He might, he might not, but I've only known him since the beginning of term, when classes started. If it is worrying you, why not ask him directly?" asked the ghost before he stepped through a wall and on to other things.
Harry waited a few moments and then continued his walk towards where Charlotte Beagle was standing. "Mrs. Beagle is something wrong, you look like you've seen a ghost, and in this castle it's a likely thing to happen." She smiled at him warmly, and said she had seen one and together they went off to find breakfast in the dining hall.
Shortly after breakfast Harry stopped the two boys and asked, "How would the pair of you like to partake in an adventure today?" causing both boys to greedily nod 'yes.' After a few minutes walk, the three of them found themselves in front of the portrait of Lady Letitia Honeychurch in the third floor hallway.
"Oh look a half blind halfblood, an ugly little mudblood and part human blood traitor freak come to pay me a visit this morning. Oh do state your business and be off with you, I have much better things to do with my time." said the nasty tempered painting.
"Well isn't she sweet and lovable?" asked Will causing both Harry and Xander to laugh.
"Actually, m'lady, we've come to see what secret it is that you are guarding." said Harry to the portrait.
"If you think I'm going to tell you any such thing, you are sadly mistaken young man. You do not meet any of the requirements of such a venture." said the sneering ancient witch.
"Probably not, but I do believe he does." and then Harry pointed to Xander Malfoy.
"He may or he may not, does he have the stuff it takes to find out?" she asked pointedly and the fingers of her right hand tapped on the dagger in her lap.
Unfortunately, Harry missed her tapping fingers and was about to speculate when Xander drew his penknife out of his pocket and cut open his finger of let the blood drip on the dagger in the portrait causing the old witch to smirk and say, "I see you do after all." Then the portrait opened up for the first time in many centuries to reveal a dusty and smelly little room containing nothing. Nothing except two spiral stairs in opposite corners of the little room going up into two different rooms on the fourth floor.
"Well that explains why I couldn't get into those rooms up there; you have to go through this room first." said Harry almost to himself and then continued to the boys, "Alright men, wands out. Lumos." They saw that the little room had nothing to offer them any clues as to what it was about and they thought it must be an anti-chamber to something else above.
"Well, which one?" Harry was indicating the different stairs, "right or left?"
Will said "Left," as Xander said "Right."
Harry smirked and said, "Well I guess I have the tie breaker then don't I? Let's go left first then." Harry led the way up the stairs in case something happened like an ancient booby trap or something else and the boys found another small room filled with what looked to be…
"Books?" Will said, "we came all this way to find books?"
"Books can often hold far more treasure than a pirate's plunder." said Harry and Xander nodded in agreement. "I wonder what kind of books these are. And where they came from?" Just then Will opened one up and a face came stretching out from the pages and started to howl like it was dying. Will dropped it immediately.
"Dark Arts." said Harry and Xander together.
"Let's not stay any longer then, these books could be very dangerous. I'll inform the headmistress about them later. Let's try the other stairs and see what we find there."
So the three went back down to the anti-chamber and then up the other stairs to the last hidden room. There they found a room with dark drapes hanging all over the walls and several tables with boxes on them. Xander walked over to one of the tables and tried to open the chest sitting on it, but it wouldn't budge. He took out his wand and tried "Alohamora" but it also didn't work.
Inspired, Xander took his cut finger and reopened it and let one drop of blood drop on the chest. It sprang open and revealed a small pile of human bones sitting in the black velvet lines chest.
"Well Xander, I think you just found Mr. Larson's missing bones." said Harry over his shoulder.
"Now aren't you glad you stayed in school over the holidays?" asked a grinning Will.
To Be Continued…
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Author's Note: To everyone who reviewed, thanks again...
athenakitty wrote Harry's making a Honeychurch map? Will Harry get Winky to come? How many socks did Harry send to Dumbledore? Will Mrs Beagle be able to visit Diagon Alley with a charm?
Answer - Making a map and is made! Harry doesn't know how Dobby made the map, he only gave him the instructions of how to do it and apparently they worked. :) They just send each other one pair of socks, it's about the Mirror of Erised from Book 1. Mrs. Beagle just needed someone one to remind her where the entrance was. Remember it was just one little door between two shops in Muggle London.
Also, Athena, I have a question for you, do you sit by the computer each night and wait for me to post? Your almost always the first to review me after I post a new chapter. I was emailing back and forth with Bill tonight and told him I was posting and said quick go read it before Athena posts and you still beat him! I was impressed.
Madam Whitbrook wrote I'm thrilled to have a character named after me -- love you lots! :) Keep those chapters coming!!
Answer - So, I should pull the chapter then? hehehehehe
kensai2 wrote You never answered my question about Draco from Chap. 10 or 11. Thank you for your dedication to this story!
Answer - Anything about Harry's romances will come out in it's own time. You'll justhave to wait for that, wether it be with Fitzy, Vesta, Charlotte or Draco, you'll just have to waiti and see. As for the Will Beagle fic, yes I will continue with it, but it may end up more about his mother than him. I guess I should change the name of it then. Hmmmmmmm.
Bill wrote That book does sound similar to the Harry Potter series. It makes you think that JKR may have read it; on the other hand, so many books are published every year, it's quite possible that the resemblances are simply coincidence. The most amusing gift by far was the Severus Snape opus, though.
Answer - Read it, its spooky.
HexWa wrote Damn you update fast! Great chapters though, keep up the good work!
Answer - Well, I get inspired sometimes. Then again, I also get stuck and need to talk to someone to get unclogged.
mindfunk wrote (a lot doesn't even cover it, but I loved it, so once again, I'm only pasting in what I am responding to) I'm still hung up on Veela!Draco. On one hand, I like taking cliches and giving them an unexpected twist, like you've also done with Harry teaching (but not at Hogwarts). The whole thing where Draco finds out Harry is his mate (and despite their years of hate they're humping by chapter 3) is unimaginative and boring. However, it's been pretty firmly established in the annals of HP fanfic that Veela must succeed in winning their mate or else be doomed to a loveless life of lonliness and misery. Some authors have Veela die if they're rejected, but at the very least it's accepted that the Veela cannot find any happiness without the one the Fates have chosen as his/her mate.
Anyway, if one thinks Draco is a character that deserves a lifetime of pain and misery, then it works, but if one doesn't, then it's pretty unsatisfying. I don't think Harry would be so cruel to anyone, even Malfoy, to condemn them to such an unhappy fate. If he wasn't able or willing to give Draco a chance to try and woo him, he'd at least try to be friends. It wouldn't happen overnight, but someone as sensitive and love deprived as Harry wouldn't just turn his back on someone who was hopelessly in love with him, even if he didn't reciprocate those feelings. See his acceptance of Colin Creevey as an example of that.Obviously there's still lots more story to come, so maybe all will be answered in time. It just seemed like you closed the door on any HD in any form, and that doesn't sit right with me. I'd just like to see the Veela thing resolved in a way that makes sense.
Maybe Veela in your universe can take a potion to supress their desire for their mate, or maybe they can simply be with others despite not having their true love. Maybe having relinquished any claim on Draco in writing to Blaise trips some magical deal breaker and allows Draco to be with the other man. The possibilities are numerous, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with this situation.
Answer - I sooooo love getting long winded reviews. It's not better than sex, but it's close. :) Too begin with the Veela thing kicked in when Draco turned 17, yes I took a bit from other fanfictions I read on that point, but in mine, Harry rejected him and kept on rejecting him. Of all the Veela encountered, both in cannon or in fanfics, no male has been able to resist a Veela, and yet in mine, Harry never once felt the pull to be with him. Hmmmmmm, maybe the fates were giving Draco his just desserts? But this is all 5 years prior to our story anyway. I mean many things have happened in that time period that we haven't heard about yet. Who knows what has happened?
I would normally agree with you that Harry would normally try to give a Veela a chance, but you must realize is that Draco Malfoy is vain, arrogant, cruel, selfish, hateful and generally has his head so far up his own arse, he doesn't see anything else except what he wants to. Would you want to be bonded to that all your life? Well Harry didn't either. PLus the fact, Harry deserves to be treated with respect, which I'm sure Draco didn't give him a drop of. As for Collin Creevey, he just annoyed Harry, Draco tried to have him expelled, taunted him about Cedric's death and over Sirius as well. Collin never did that. As for Harry being cruel to Draco, should he allow this person to try and control him so much that he ends up being cruel to himself? Harry is self sacrificing, but there are limits!
Lastly and very importantly, I hope you stick with the story, because I love getting your feedback, but once again I must say...Harry is not gay! I sooooooo wish he was, it would make it so much easier for me to write this, as I have no idea how to describe straight sex. Ewwwww!
captuniv wrote Oh yeah, the first Christmas at Honeychurch was a success. Liked that the firsties won the tree competition. Harry must have learned some great charms from Flitwick for decorating trees. Now I wonder why Harry decided to create his own Marauder's Map of Honeychurch. So it doesn't give a spiel when activated? Darn. And just who is going to receive that map for some fun? Oh, I had a thought, when Harry wrote his letter to Charlotte, it automatically added the Order of Merlin at the bottom. Is she going to ask about that? And I'm surprised that after talking to the Weasley's and other shopkeepers at Diagon Alley, someone didn't shove an unauthorized biography of Harry at her. I'm sure many were written after the Final Defeat of Voldemort and are stocked at Florish & Blotts. Anyway, keep this great story coming!!
Answer - Christmas holidays last three weeks, the boys haven't gotten into their mischief quite yet. As you have just read. hehehee. Well, Harry was in a crowded room and I didn't want to mention the spiel, though it was there, okay the truth, I didn't have time to look it up in book 3 before I posted. As what happened in Diagon Alley and at the Weasley's shop, read the side story, I'm working on that. Charlotte learns a lot about Harry and maybe something about a certain Veela as well. :)
Spiffycool wrote great chapter! you did change the Wizards hall plot and characters, though. Henry is a lot different from Harry and doesn't look like him either. but besides that it's good.
Answer - With the exception of hair color and glasses, they both have green eyes, are short, too short, too skinny and go to magic school with no idea of what to find when the get there. Also each has a tall male friend with red hair and a lot of siblings, and a very smart girl as a trio. I also admit, I've not read the whole thing, but it does sound familiar. Besides, it was Charlotte Beagle who thought it and told Harry about it.
TuxedoMac wrote I like how the holiday turned out and I can't waite to see the update on the stroie behind that. i also thought that the idea of him making a marauders map was a good one. And the book about snap was a very origonal idea.
Answer - Well, here it is, I hope it was well worth waiting for. :)