Chapter 27: Return to Andros

The goblin took Harry back up to the main hall of the bank, and led him off into a long and beautifully decorated corridor. Harry was too worried about what was going to happen to pay attention to the magnificent portraits and sculptures, however.

They came to a well carved, polished mahogany door at the end of the corridor, marked 'HEAD GOBLIN'. The goblin who had found Harry knocked once, then strode inside.

A desk was in the centre of the room. Behind it sat a very important-looking goblin, who appeared rather strange because he had a walrus moustache. In front of it were standing the goblin from the cart and the goblin who had checked Harry's money.

"Is this the wizard you served?" asked the goblin with the moustache. The goblins in front of the desk both nodded.

"He wasn't behave suspiciously, you say?"

The goblins shook their heads. "I think someone may have tried to hit him with a curse," said the goblin who had taken Harry to his vault.

"We will investigate it," said the Head Goblin. "Very well then. You may go now."

"Thank you," Harry breathed, and departed, escorted by the goblin who'd found him.

Harry fought his way through the wind and the crowds of people to the SPEWIN Shop, where he found Ron, Hermione and Rudolf serving a large number of customers.

"I need to speak to all of you," he hissed in Ron's ear as he went into the area behind the shop. He sat down on a chair, took a book off the shelf and began to read. It was entitled The Aims of Dark Wizards.

Ron, Rudolf and Hermione came through an hour later for a lunch-break. Harry told them everything that had happened: all of Millstew's plots, his meeting with the old man in the cave, his encounter with Amarenox and his strange discovery in the vault at Gringotts. They watched and listened intently.

"You should tell Dumbledore," was Hermione's immediate reaction when he had finished.

"No," said Harry. "I don't want to. I'm an Auror, or at least I will be. I want to handle this myself."

"Oh," said Hermione. "If you say so."

Term restarted on January 17th. Harry, Rudolf and Ron were met by Professor Gabriel, Lizzy and Hannah, and the teacher drove them to the college. They enjoyed a large meal but Harry was disturbed by the non-attendance of the second-years, as well as that of Professor Potts and the Headmaster.

"Where is everyone?" he asked Rudolf and Ron as they started on the main course.

"Don't ask me," Ron replied after he had finished his mouthful of potato. "Maybe Gabriel will tell us." Professor Gabriel was the deputy head.

He was right. At the end of the meal the Spell Creation and Transfiguration teacher stood up. "Some of our younger students may have been wondering about the absence of our second-year pupils. Professors Potts and Confessus have taken them on our annual foreign course, which this year is in China. I think that's everything. Off you go, then."

Harry and the others left to the common room.

"What's the foreign course?" Harry asked Pegasus Equiner.

"It happens every year," the older student replied. "The second-years go off to a foreign country to practise their magic and get some international experience. We went to Transylvania. It was a bit spooky, but there's some excellent sports stadiums."

"Do you know where we'll be going?" asked Harry.

"It won't be announced till next Christmas, if you're anything like us," replied Pegasus. "They take a lot of time organising it – I think it's in case the country we're going to declares war or something. We didn't get a particularly good reception from all of the Transylvanians."

Harry nodded, and made to walk off, then he remembered something else he wanted to know. "What happens to our lessons?"

"Well, Professor Confessus and the Year Head go on the trip every year, if that's what you mean, and you won't take their lessons. You'll do extra in summer – they come back at the end of the Spring Term."

"Thanks for telling me all this," said Harry and left the common room.

"Where are you going?" Ron called after him. He had been playing chess with Rudolf.

Harry doubled back and went right up close to his two friends. "To get Hedwig back," he whispered. "Don't follow me."

It was dark outside. Harry had already written his message for the old man: Please can I have my owl back now. Thank you. He would put it into the trough, as he had been told.

It turned out that he didn't need to. He found the old man in the stable, stroking the horses. He jumped back when he sensed Harry, and stood as still as a statue.

"It's me," Harry hissed. "I want my owl back."

The old man's silhouette moved forwards until Harry could see him clearly. He didn't speak.

"I want my owl back, please," repeated Harry.

The old man looked too scared to speak, as if he was afraid of saying the wrong thing. He scuttled into another stall, and came back holding Hedwig, who twittered happily and flew onto her master's shoulder. Harry couldn't help smiling, and patted the bird's head. She was in excellent condition and didn't look any older than when Harry had been given her as a birthday present on the day he found out about the wizarding world. It seemed so long ago.

"Thank you," he breathed to the old man. "You're brilliant."

The man nodded and his lips mouthed something inaudible.

"Pardon?" said Harry, leaning closer.

"Go now, " whispered the old man in Harry's ear. He turned and ran back to the nearest horse, and began to comb its wing with his fingers.

Harry made sure Hedwig was holding onto his arm, then he left the stable and walked back across the darkened pitches to the school.