Chapter 10: Spring Cleaning
It was a gloomy day Saturday. There was an overcast that threatened to rain at any moment. Landyr arrived at Dumbledore's office five minutes to eight. A large group of people were already there. Dumbledore stood up when the last person arrived.
"I have called this special meeting of Prefects and DA to ask you to do a little house cleaning. You may notice that certain Prefects are not here. They are the son or daughter of known Death Eaters. We need you to find them and take them to Argus Filch in the dungeons. You will start at ten o'clock when everyone lines up in the Entrance Hall to go to the ceremony."
The only Slytherin in the room spoke out, "do you really expect me to help you catch members of my house?"
"Yes, I do, and for a good reason. There is something that you need to know. What I am about to tell you cannot be told to anyone else. Today at about 11:07 AM Lord Voldemort will launch an attack against this school. Landyr brought this information to us from the future. One thousand years from the future to be precise. In the original events that he witnessed, the Death Eaters attack the Quidditch stands when the match was going on. A lot of people died even those from your house."
Landyr chimed in, "including you." He said to the Slytherin boy. "You were the one that I saw get shot down by a Death Eater as you tried to fly to safety on a broom. I was sent back in time to help prevent these deaths from happening again."
Everyone in the room gasp at this news. The Slytherin boy was at a loss for words.
Dumbledore spoke again, "These students that I ask you all to find are willing to let people from their own house die. Now do you see why I need your help?"
The Slytherin boy was on the verge of tears, "Yes, but won't people at this ceremony be attacked since it last two hours long?"
Dumbledore smiled, "One of my more brilliant ideas if you ask me. There is no ceremony. It was announced so that the students that know about the attack will find any excuse to get out of it. Once the clock reaches ten o'clock, all the students that plan on attending the ceremony will be in the Entrance Hall. I am giving you all permission to enter all of the house dormitories to complete your mission. Harry, did you bring your map?"
"Yes, it's right here," said Harry as he held up the Marauder's Map.
"Good, that should make the hunt a little easier. Landyr, did you get all the secrete passages sealed up."
"Yes! On Tuesday Mr. Filch showed me where they were and I sealed them."
"Excellent! I would like to ask for volunteers from the sixth and seventh years to help with the battle against the Death Eaters. The rest of you will be led by Landyr in monitoring the hallways. Now, who volunteers to help fight the Death Eaters outside?"
All the sixth and seventh year students raised their hands. Some of them swallowed the lumps in their throats. They could only guess if this will be the last thing they ever do.
"Very well, and for the rest of you, I made special mirrors that are bewitched to display what is happening outside. If too many of us fall, you can decide if you want to come out to help or find seventh year students in the Great Hall that are willing to help. These mirrors can also be used to contact one another. Just look in the mirror and say the persons name or say everybody to contact everyone at the same time."
The tensions were high as they sat in the office. They could feel it in the pit of their stomachs. Dumbledore handed out the mirrors to the Hallway Patrol. They were small, circular mirrors. Landyr looked in his mirror. It was getting very dark out because of the overcast.
Everyone left Dumbledore's office at ten minutes to ten. Harry looked at the map, "Malfroy, Crabbe, and Goyle are in the Hospital Wing. Let's go."
They all ran to the hospital wing. Harry Quietly opened the door. They pulled out their wands and rushed in surrounding the three. Madame Pomfrey came running over.
"What are you doing? These boys are sick."
Harry answered back, "No they're not. They are faking it to avoid the ceremony. Besides we are acting on Dumbledore's orders. All right you three give up your wands."
Seeing that they were outnumbered, they gave up their wands. They were led to the dungeons and turned over to Mr. Filch. Mr. Filch was preparing a bunch of chains with wrist locks on the end when they arrived.
"I've been keepin' 'em oiled for just this sort of occasion," Filch sounding rather happy.
Malfroy, Crabbe, and Goyle were hanging by their wrists in no time at all. The group found two people at the statue of a one-eyed, humped witch. They couldn't get the hump open because Landyr sealed it on Tuesday. They were taken to Filch as well. The group, led by Harry Potter, went to the entrance to the Slytherin house.
"It seems like yesterday when I was last in there," Harry said.
The Slytherin boy asked, "You have been in the Slytherin house before?"
"Long story."
The Slytherin boy said the password, and they went in. The girls checked the all of the girls' rooms, while the boys checked all of the boys' rooms. The girls found Millicent Bulstrode in the seventh year room, and she went to Filch. They didn't believe that she just forgot about the ceremony. A total of six people were found in the halls, Ravenclaw house, and Hufflepuff House. After they took the students to Filch, they headed to the remaining area, the Gryffindor House. They stood in front of a painting of a rather large woman wearing a pink dress.
"What are you all doing here? They do not belong in Gryffindor."
Harry replied, "We are on official Hogwarts business."
He said the password, the painting swung forward reveling a hole in the wall, and they all climbed through it. Harry and Landyr checked the boys' sixth year room. They walked into the room and noticed that the hangings on one of the four-posters were closed. Harry pulled open the curtains at the foot of the bed while Landyr had his wand pointed at the bed. Harry poked the boy with his wand.
"Huh? What? Who's there?" asked the boy sleepily. He looked up, "oh! It's just you, Harry."
"Colin, get up!" said Harry forcefully.
"What time is it?"
"You missed the line up for the ceremony."
"I did! Is it too late for me to go down there now?"
"Yes, Colin, it is."
Colin was the eleventh and final person that they found. The group was just about to leave the dungeon after taking Colin there, when Malfroy started to yell at them.
"You can't do this to me. Once my dad finds out what you have done to me, he will kill you. You will be sorry for holding that ceremony today."
"Ceremony? What ceremony?" Teased Harry.
"But, there was -," the smirk drained from Malfroy's face. "There is no ceremony."
"Nope, but I'm sure you told your father there was, and he told Voldemort, right? We knew about his plan to attack today, so they are walking into a trap. Thanks for you help with that part, Malfroy." Harry seemed very satisfied.
Landyr headed up to the Entrance Hall to tell Professor McGonagall that the task was complete. It was now 10:34 AM. He had to fight his way though all the restless students irritated that they have been waiting there for more than a half hour. He approached Professor McGonagall and whispered into her ear. She put a stern look on her face.
"Listen up everyone!" the room went silent and she continued, "I want all of you to have your wands ready, and head into the Great Hall. The doors will be locked for your protection. Seventh year students, will you please help keep order in there for we have just received word that Lord Voldemort has arrived at Hogwarts."
It was a gloomy day Saturday. There was an overcast that threatened to rain at any moment. Landyr arrived at Dumbledore's office five minutes to eight. A large group of people were already there. Dumbledore stood up when the last person arrived.
"I have called this special meeting of Prefects and DA to ask you to do a little house cleaning. You may notice that certain Prefects are not here. They are the son or daughter of known Death Eaters. We need you to find them and take them to Argus Filch in the dungeons. You will start at ten o'clock when everyone lines up in the Entrance Hall to go to the ceremony."
The only Slytherin in the room spoke out, "do you really expect me to help you catch members of my house?"
"Yes, I do, and for a good reason. There is something that you need to know. What I am about to tell you cannot be told to anyone else. Today at about 11:07 AM Lord Voldemort will launch an attack against this school. Landyr brought this information to us from the future. One thousand years from the future to be precise. In the original events that he witnessed, the Death Eaters attack the Quidditch stands when the match was going on. A lot of people died even those from your house."
Landyr chimed in, "including you." He said to the Slytherin boy. "You were the one that I saw get shot down by a Death Eater as you tried to fly to safety on a broom. I was sent back in time to help prevent these deaths from happening again."
Everyone in the room gasp at this news. The Slytherin boy was at a loss for words.
Dumbledore spoke again, "These students that I ask you all to find are willing to let people from their own house die. Now do you see why I need your help?"
The Slytherin boy was on the verge of tears, "Yes, but won't people at this ceremony be attacked since it last two hours long?"
Dumbledore smiled, "One of my more brilliant ideas if you ask me. There is no ceremony. It was announced so that the students that know about the attack will find any excuse to get out of it. Once the clock reaches ten o'clock, all the students that plan on attending the ceremony will be in the Entrance Hall. I am giving you all permission to enter all of the house dormitories to complete your mission. Harry, did you bring your map?"
"Yes, it's right here," said Harry as he held up the Marauder's Map.
"Good, that should make the hunt a little easier. Landyr, did you get all the secrete passages sealed up."
"Yes! On Tuesday Mr. Filch showed me where they were and I sealed them."
"Excellent! I would like to ask for volunteers from the sixth and seventh years to help with the battle against the Death Eaters. The rest of you will be led by Landyr in monitoring the hallways. Now, who volunteers to help fight the Death Eaters outside?"
All the sixth and seventh year students raised their hands. Some of them swallowed the lumps in their throats. They could only guess if this will be the last thing they ever do.
"Very well, and for the rest of you, I made special mirrors that are bewitched to display what is happening outside. If too many of us fall, you can decide if you want to come out to help or find seventh year students in the Great Hall that are willing to help. These mirrors can also be used to contact one another. Just look in the mirror and say the persons name or say everybody to contact everyone at the same time."
The tensions were high as they sat in the office. They could feel it in the pit of their stomachs. Dumbledore handed out the mirrors to the Hallway Patrol. They were small, circular mirrors. Landyr looked in his mirror. It was getting very dark out because of the overcast.
Everyone left Dumbledore's office at ten minutes to ten. Harry looked at the map, "Malfroy, Crabbe, and Goyle are in the Hospital Wing. Let's go."
They all ran to the hospital wing. Harry Quietly opened the door. They pulled out their wands and rushed in surrounding the three. Madame Pomfrey came running over.
"What are you doing? These boys are sick."
Harry answered back, "No they're not. They are faking it to avoid the ceremony. Besides we are acting on Dumbledore's orders. All right you three give up your wands."
Seeing that they were outnumbered, they gave up their wands. They were led to the dungeons and turned over to Mr. Filch. Mr. Filch was preparing a bunch of chains with wrist locks on the end when they arrived.
"I've been keepin' 'em oiled for just this sort of occasion," Filch sounding rather happy.
Malfroy, Crabbe, and Goyle were hanging by their wrists in no time at all. The group found two people at the statue of a one-eyed, humped witch. They couldn't get the hump open because Landyr sealed it on Tuesday. They were taken to Filch as well. The group, led by Harry Potter, went to the entrance to the Slytherin house.
"It seems like yesterday when I was last in there," Harry said.
The Slytherin boy asked, "You have been in the Slytherin house before?"
"Long story."
The Slytherin boy said the password, and they went in. The girls checked the all of the girls' rooms, while the boys checked all of the boys' rooms. The girls found Millicent Bulstrode in the seventh year room, and she went to Filch. They didn't believe that she just forgot about the ceremony. A total of six people were found in the halls, Ravenclaw house, and Hufflepuff House. After they took the students to Filch, they headed to the remaining area, the Gryffindor House. They stood in front of a painting of a rather large woman wearing a pink dress.
"What are you all doing here? They do not belong in Gryffindor."
Harry replied, "We are on official Hogwarts business."
He said the password, the painting swung forward reveling a hole in the wall, and they all climbed through it. Harry and Landyr checked the boys' sixth year room. They walked into the room and noticed that the hangings on one of the four-posters were closed. Harry pulled open the curtains at the foot of the bed while Landyr had his wand pointed at the bed. Harry poked the boy with his wand.
"Huh? What? Who's there?" asked the boy sleepily. He looked up, "oh! It's just you, Harry."
"Colin, get up!" said Harry forcefully.
"What time is it?"
"You missed the line up for the ceremony."
"I did! Is it too late for me to go down there now?"
"Yes, Colin, it is."
Colin was the eleventh and final person that they found. The group was just about to leave the dungeon after taking Colin there, when Malfroy started to yell at them.
"You can't do this to me. Once my dad finds out what you have done to me, he will kill you. You will be sorry for holding that ceremony today."
"Ceremony? What ceremony?" Teased Harry.
"But, there was -," the smirk drained from Malfroy's face. "There is no ceremony."
"Nope, but I'm sure you told your father there was, and he told Voldemort, right? We knew about his plan to attack today, so they are walking into a trap. Thanks for you help with that part, Malfroy." Harry seemed very satisfied.
Landyr headed up to the Entrance Hall to tell Professor McGonagall that the task was complete. It was now 10:34 AM. He had to fight his way though all the restless students irritated that they have been waiting there for more than a half hour. He approached Professor McGonagall and whispered into her ear. She put a stern look on her face.
"Listen up everyone!" the room went silent and she continued, "I want all of you to have your wands ready, and head into the Great Hall. The doors will be locked for your protection. Seventh year students, will you please help keep order in there for we have just received word that Lord Voldemort has arrived at Hogwarts."