Chapter 2: Strange Arrivals
The trio were not the only ones to notice Dumbledore's absence. As the Great Hall continued to fill, more and more people began to whisper about where Dumbledore might be. Some dismissed it as him just being late to the feast. Their suspicions were confirmed when McGonagall walked in to begin the Sorting and yet Dumbledore still had not arrived. Dumbledore, no matter what, would not have missed the Sorting if it could have been helped.
Hermione looked frightened and kept casting nervous glances toward the large entry doors, her fingers tapping anxiously on the table. Ron appeared to have abandoned worrying about Dumbledore and was merely glaring at up at the staff table at Percy, his hands balled into fists under the table. Harry was watching Dumbledore's chair as if a sign would appear, letting him know Dumbledore was alright. But none came, and Harry was so distracted he didn't even notice that the Sorting had started. When McGonagall called the first name, "Armand, Hilary!" Harry jumped, Hermione started, and Ron jerked. They had all been so involved in their thoughts they'd completely missed the Sorting hat's song.
Hermione muttered, "Oh no! I wanted to hear the song! What if there was a clue in it about Dumbledore's disappearance? After all, that hat spends all year in his office, it would know if something had happened!" Harry nodded and unconsciously clapped his hands when Hilary Armand was sorted into Gryffindor.
Many other people seemed to be paying no attention to the Sorting as well. Glancing around among the students, Harry found fellow Gryffindor Neville Longbottom glancing from Dumbledore's chair to Harry in fright. Not wanting to try to figure out what he wanted, Harry quickly turned and saw Draco Malfoy smirking and gazing with glee upon Dumbledore's deserted spot among the staff. Harry would have very much liked to go over to the Slytherin table and demand to know if Draco's father had anything to do with Dumbledore's disappearance, which was highly likely. Harry also saw Cho Chang, and her bottom lip was quavering. She was about to start crying- again.
Suddenly, everyone who had been talking stopped. Harry looked up and saw McGonagall
handing the stool and Sorting Hat to Filch. "If I may have your attention please," McGonagall said redundantly, as everyone was already staring at her, "I have a few start of term announcements to pass along to you."
Hermione slid her hand into her book bag and drew out a scroll of parchment and quill, pushing her hair back. "You're taking notes?" Ron muttered. Hermione shot him a look in annoyance and then turned her attention back to McGonagall.
"First of all, I'd like to welcome two new members to our staff. Please welcome Professor Lupin back to his Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Professor Weasley is also filling in for the History of Magic Professor as Professor Binns moved on some time during the summer. Now, to address the matter of our two Divination teachers: they have agreed to share the position. They will be alternating lessons. Finally, there are a few special messages that must be passed along dealing with added security to the castle. No student
is allowed in the corridors after dark, all letters shall be read before allowed to be sent, and all other unauthorized means of communication will be strictly off limits until further notice. With that, enjoy the feast." The plates on the tables instantly piled with food, but none of the trio immediately dived in, not even Ron.
"Why are they monitoring our letters? Umbridge left," Ron asked.
Hermione rolled up her parchment and put it back into her bag before saying, "They don't want anyone finding out Dumbledore's gone. Notice how McGonagall didn't even mention him? They're all going to act that he was never here, or that they simply don't notice. They won't let any letters leave this castle if they mention Dumbledore's disappearance, and they won't let us out after dark because they don't want anyone else to disappear. They're scared, and I think it's due to something bigger than we think."
"Like what?" Harry asked, leaning forward and piling some roast chicken on his plate, trying to avoid the strange stare he was receiving from Katie Bell when she saw he hadn't even began to eat. Ron and Hermione also began to pile food on their plates, glancing nervously down the table.
"I don't know. Maybe they're not sure who took Dumbledore."
"Are you kidding? Hmm, I can think of one obvious person. Three guesses who," Ron snorted.
"Ron, we don't know for sure if it was Voldemort- stop it. Aren't you able to say his name yet? It could be anyone. Besides, if Voldemort had taken him, wouldn't Snape know by now? He's still pretending to be a Death Eater, so he would have found out. Voldemort wouldn't keep this kind of thing a secret from his minions. He'd want to gloat, show off the fact that he's finally captured the one person everyone thinks he's so terrified of. They wouldn't be so worried if Voldemort had him, now would they?" Harry and Ron both shook their heads and finally began to eat their dinners, Harry's mind full of thought. If Hermione was right, and Voldemort didn't have Dumbledore, then who did?
"Night, Harry," Ron muttered, pulling the curtains on his four poster bed closed.
"Night, Ron," Harry replied, doing the same thing. Laying down in between the cool sheets, Harry closed his eyes, content. There was no Umbridge around, or any other truly terrorizing teachers, save for Snape, and for tonight he didn't have to worry about homework, classes, or Voldemort. Sure, Dumbledore was missing, but for the moment, Harry could just relax. There would be time to talk to Remus about Dumbledore's disappearance in the morning. Rolling over on his side, he drifted off into what should have been a peaceful sleep.
But, upon closing his eyes, he found himself transported to an incredibly dark room where he was sitting in a tall chair, his milky white hands gripping the arms so tightly it hurt. There were three slow knocks at a large door far down the room. "Come in," he said in a high, cold voice.
The door opened quietly and in slipped three cloaked, masked beings. "Any news?" he asked, leaning forward in anticipation. The nearest person shook their head slowly, bowing.
"NO? NO! AND WHY NOT?" Harry shouted.
"Master, please! We've tried out hardest, honestly we have. But we can't find Dumbledore anywhere."
"I don't care," Harry said slowly, and then suddenly raised his voice and roared, "THAT WAS NOT YOUR JOB! YOUR JOB WAS TO FIND HIM AND FIGURE OUT WHAT HE WAS UP TO! NOT TO LOOK FOR A DAY AND THEN COME BACK AND TELL ME HE'S NOWHERE TO BE FOUND! HE'S GOT TO BE HERE SOMEWHERE! HE CAN'T JUST DISAPPEAR!" He stopped shouting, and continued more softly, "He's planning something, I know it. I have to find him before he destroys us. GO! I don't want to see your disgusting faces again, understood?" Harry sat there glaring and growling at the three people as they scurried away, the furthest one squeaking a bit.
Suddenly, from what seemed like worlds away, he heard a vaguely familiar voice call, "Harry! Harry, come on, wake up!" Harry opened his eyes and found himself in a very odd position. One leg was wrapped up in his bed curtain, his head was on the ground, an arm gripped the covers, and his other leg was so entangled in the covers he could hardly see it. Ron was standing over him, his eyes wide in panic and concern.
"What happened?" Ron asked in a whisper, casting a nervous glance to the other beds in the dorm. Harry could hear Neville's snores, so he knew they hadn't woken anyone up.
"Hermione was right."
"And that caused you to fall out of bed? It's not really that surprising, Harry, she's right all the time."
Harry shook his head and snapped, "She was right about Voldemort not having Dumbledore. Voldemort's looking for him, but his Death Eaters can't find him anywhere. Voldemort thinks Dumbledore's planning something in secret and that's why no one knows where he is."
Ron looked shaken. Harry started to get up and find his glasses when Ron asked, "Wait, what are you doing?"
"Going to tell McGonagall. There's no way I'm going through a repeat of last year. I'm telling her, are you going to come?"
Ron nodded but said, "We're not supposed to be in the corridors after dark though."
"I don't care. I have to tell her. What if he's trying to trick me again? Either way, she has to know." With that, Harry left the dorm, and soon found Ron right on his heels.
"Any idea where she might be?" He asked as they descended the staircase.
"Her office?" Harry suggested, carefully swinging forward the portrait of the Fat Lady. They both scrambled out and hurried along to McGonagall's office. Harry and Ron were both silent as they walked, Harry trying to relieve himself of the pain in his scar by massaging it the best he could, and Ron continually glancing over at him as if he was insane.
They were just about to round the corner to McGonagall's office when they heard two voices, belonging to kids their age, talking. Harry froze, as did Ron. It was at that moment that Harry realized that, in his hurry to reach McGonagall, he had forgotten to grab his Invisibility Cloak and now had no way to hide should the two people who owned those voices come around the corner.
"-Oww! That's my eye you've got your finger in!" a boy's voice complained.
"Sorry. Now if you'd be so kind as to remove your foot from my chest, it'd be greatly appreciated," a girl's voice retorted bitterly.
"Don't complain to me. I'm not the one who thought jumping was a good idea. Seems to me I'm the one who said it'd be safer to take the long way around."
"Shh! What if someone hears you?"
"Fine, fine, I'll be quiet. You don't have to be rude about it." Harry and Ron chose that moment to come around the corner, trying to look as if they hadn't been standing there listening the whole time.
The girl, who had curly red hair and pale blue eyes, looked up from dusting off her arm and screamed. The boy looked first at her, and then the two of them and stiffened, his blonde hair covering the shocked expression in his black eyes."
"Uh…er…" the girl began, but stopped when she realized no coherent words would come out.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Harry asked, quietly slipping his hand into his pocket for his wand.
"We could ask you the same question," the boy said.
"We're students here, what's your excuse?" The girl had frozen right where she was and was staring at Ron in shock. The boy nudged her and she jumped.
"Oh! My name's Ursula Flannery and this is Xander Hennessey."
"Nice to meet you. But you forgot the last part," Harry said evenly.
"We actually have no idea how we got here," Xander began, and Ursula gave him a confused look, "we just sort of popped up here. One minute we were being attacked by Death Eaters, the next we're here."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Death Eaters? You honestly expect us to believe that?" In one swift moment, he whipped out his wand and pointed it straight at the two of them, only to find Xander pull his own out an instant later.
"Just try me," Xander challenged, narrowing his eyes and flexing the fingers of his unused hand.
"Xander!" Ursula cried, looking horrified.
"What? He started it! Stupefy!" Ursula pushed against his arm so his spell hit the wall.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry shouted back, and this time Ursula pushed Xander himself out of the way and just barely managed to get out of the spell's way herself.
"Stop it, the both of you! What is so hard to believe about us being attacked by Death Eaters anyway?"
"Why did they attack you?" Harry asked, putting his wand away. After a look from Ursula, Xander did the same.
"Because- well, they…" Ursula was at a loss of words once more, but this time she was saved by another voice that startled them all as it rang down the corridor.
"Potter! Weasley! What on earth are you doing out of bed?" Harry and Ron turned in time to see McGonagall, Snape, and Percy all rushing at them, McGonagall looking murderous.
"Professor, I-" Harry started, but McGonagall held up her hand to silence him.
"I don't want your excuses, Potter. Were you not listening at the feast? Did I not specifically say that no student was to be in the corridors after dark for any reason? Tell me, Potter, do you have a different view of light then I do, or is this night to you as well? Is it not dark here?" Harry nodded, feeling extremely small under McGonagall's harsh gaze.
"Professor, you have to listen!" Ron shouted.
"Mr. Weasley, you are in enough trouble as it is, don't make this worse by shouting at me!" McGonagall commanded.
"But, Professor-" Harry protested. Did she honestly not see the two strangers standing right behind them?
"Don't 'But, Professor' me! Both of you, into my office, now!"
"Professor McGonagall-," Snape said slowly, gesturing with one hand to Ursula and Xander. McGonagall glanced over and froze, one eyebrow raised.
"And who might you two be?" she asked, pushing Harry and Ron to the side to come closer to the two strangers.
"Ursula Flannery and Alexander Hennessey," Ursula said.
"Xander," Xander interjected angrily. Ursula shot him a look.
"How did you get here?"
Ursula's eyes widened and she looked utterly frightened. "Death Eaters attacked us. And I don't know how, but we suddenly ended up here."
McGonagall looked troubled for a moment, but then slowly nodded, as if this was perfectly possible, and Xander and Ursula both seemed to breath a sigh of relief.
"Professor McGonagall, are you honestly going to believe them?" Snape asked suddenly and angrily, sweeping forward, his robes billowing out behind him as usual.
"Why not, Severus? They are so many ancient, practically forgotten spells on this castle I don't find it hard to believe that there could very well be some spell that would transport those in grave danger here. Or perhaps it's new. You never know with this castle."
"But what about their punishment for disobeying the rules?" Percy asked, and Ron's jaw dropped.
"Why are you doing this?" Ron asked with a groan.
"Doing what?" Percy asked, looking a bit shocked that Ron spoke to him.
"Trying to ruin my life."
Percy laughed and said, "Now, Ronald, why would I want to do that? I am simply doing my job. You break the rules, you need to be punished. Part of being a respectable citizen is being able to follow rules and orders, and you seem to be able to do neither."
Harry was trying to not look at Ron, who was trying very hard to contain his anger. Instead he glanced over at Xander and Ursula. Xander was trying to stifle laughter for some reason, and Ursula was shooting him another look.
"Do you think this is funny?" Harry muttered, stepping closer to Xander as Percy continued to preach to Ron the importance of following rules.
"No," Xander replied with a grin.
"Don't mind him," Ursula said quickly, "He can be a bit mad sometimes. I honestly don't know why I put up with him half the time." The last part she was speaking more to Xander than Harry, and Xander looked halfway nervous for a moment.
Snape suddenly cleared his throat and everyone stopped talking, looking up at him. "Weasley, as much as I am enjoying this, it is late and they are already in enough trouble. Perhaps we should send Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley back to bed while we take these two-" He paused to sneer at Ursula and Xander- "to be Sorted, and then to the Hospital Wing to treat their injuries. One thing's bothering me: since when did Death Eaters cut and bruise their victims? Usually it's just kill and leave."
"But, but, we were running from them in the woods behind my house," Ursula said, the words coming so fast they seemed almost rehearsed.
Snape glared at her and snarled, "Hold your tongue! You have no right to contradict me, young lady, not after just popping into this school whenever you wish and expecting everyone to pity you. What are you going to tell us next, the Death Eaters killed your parents too?"
Ursula stood frozen for a moment, her mouth open.
"Actually," Xander said coldly, "they did kill her parents. Or, at least, her mother. Her father died years ago. Her mother just died a hour ago, so if you don't mind you could show a little sensitivity." Snape's eyes were popping out of his head now.
"Rest assured that 50 points each will be taken from whatever house you two end up, and I pray it's not mine. As for her mother, she doesn't seem to be too upset about it."
Apparently, this was too much for Ursula, who suddenly starting screaming at Snape. "You miserable monster! Just because I know when the right time is to cry and when it's the wrong time doesn't mean I don't care! Would you rather me become a sniveling basket case?"
"No, he'd rather learn more about the Death Eaters, I think. Probably will want to know why he got to miss out on what seems like such a terrible adventure," Harry said coldly, glaring at Snape's back.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" McGonagall barked, "I don't want to hear another word. Potter, Weasley, 25 points each for being out in the hall, and another 50 from you, Mr. Potter, for disrespecting your professor. Now go straight back to bed without another word or both or you shall have detentions for a month. Miss Flannery, Mr. Hennessey, both of you come with us to get Sorted and settle this points business." With that, McGonagall turned and started off down the hall, Ursula and Xander hurrying nervously along behind her. Snape took a second to sneer at Harry and Ron before sweeping off after them, and Percy followed hastily, adjusting his hat.
A/N: Thanks anyone who reviewed, and to Smadronia for beta-reading.