A/N: Due to how slowly the story was moving, I decided that each chapter needed to be even longer, explaining the length of this one.
After a review commenting on spelling errors, I thought I'd better clarify to some of you readers out there that all spelling/grammar etc in this story is written in New Zealand English. Therefore 'center' will be 'centre', 'color' will be 'colour' etc. So to American readers particularly, this story may appear to have not been beta read. Although having said that, I'm sure that there are genuine mistakes that have slipped past my filters, and for those I'm sorry.
Finally, if you're going to leave questions in your reviews that you want answers to, can you please leave a signed review so I can follow the link to find an email address, or just write the address in with your name? I don't want to end up putting individual elaborate replies to reviewers at the beginning of each chapter. If you leave an email address when you ask your questions, I'll do my best to answer them in a reply email.
Oh! To those of you that have asked to be on the update mailing list: make sure that your email address is set to accept my emails! I've been turned away by a couple of AOL addresses, so I just want to say to those people that I didn't forget to tell you or deliberately leave you out – I just couldn't send the message.
Chapter 11: Men on a Mission
Two Hufflepuff students looked uneasily at the cloaked figure striding ominously up the hall. The venomous glare on the man's face was frightening, but the two girls remained where they were, the approaching figure's gaze fixed upon them with an angry expression. When he met them, his voice was as surly and demanding as his face.
"Where's Dumbledore? I need to speak to him." His sharp tone made it plain that he was in no mood for waiting.
"Um, uh," one of the girls stammered, cowering under the glare of the tall man, "he's, uh…I don't know…"
The man sniffed with disdain before raising his voice. "Well, find him! I shouldn't have to stand around here all day!"
"I don't believe it is necessary to address my students in such a manner," came a new, calm voice. Dumbledore had rounded a corner to see them, and was now looking serenely down his nose at the visitor.
The two students mustered enough energy to their feet and so rapidly departed. The visitor hadn't been pleasant in the slightest.
The two men stood looking at each other in an unwavering gaze, Dumbledore's face irritatingly calm to the other man.
"Is there some place we might sit down?" The visitor said. "Or am I expected to stand around in these halls to talk?"
If Dumbledore was perturbed by this rudeness, he didn't show it. He extended an amicable invitation to his office, and began to walk towards a large stone gargoyle, the visitor swishing his cloak and following.
After stating the password 'popping fizzy pebbles' to the gargoyle and was carried upward by the hidden spiral stairs behind it, Dumbledore walked to his desk and sat. Only when he had made himself adequately comfortable did he return his attention to his visitor, who had already seated himself and was looking impatient.
"Dumbledore," the man started angrily before hesitating, unsure of how to start his tirade.
"Lucius," the Headmaster amicably responded. This only served to further incense the taller man's anger.
"I have just come from the Ministry," Lucius said.
Dumbledore steepled his fingers in front of him, his eyes growing sombre. "I see."
"It has come to their attention that your protection over the school and its students isn't as effective as was thought." He said these last words with an inkling of a superior smile.
The Headmaster's face betrayed nothing.
"Is it not true, Headmaster," Lucius continued, "that students have been taken by Voldemort from these very grounds?"
"We do not have evidence that it was indeed Voldemort," Dumbledore amended, "but considering the history of those who were taken, it is a safe assumption I think."
Lucius snorted. "'Safe'. That is hardly a word to associate with the dealings of such a dark wizard, Dumbledore." He received no response, so continued, "I have received knowledge of the names of the students removed from your care by the object of this 'safe' assumption." Lucius now sounded markedly angrier and even a little fearful as he said, "Is it not true that my son was one of the taken?"
"I assure you," said Dumbledore, "that young Mr Malfoy is being given the same concern as the remaining three, however needed that concern may be."
Lucius bristled at the obvious remark pertaining to his rank among Voldemort's followers. It had just been insinuated that because Draco was the son of a Death Eater his safety under Voldemort might be more assured, but Lucius Malfoy was unable to confront the Headmaster for such an assumption, as the words had not been directly said.
Lucius Malfoy stood. "If you are unable to protect those who have been entrusted to you, as I see you are not, I will see to it that your position of authority is revoked." He sneered patronisingly at Dumbledore. "After all, we can't have incompetence running the school, can we?"
That said, Lucius Malfoy swirled his cloak as he turned and left Dumbledore's office, leaving the Headmaster sitting in his characteristic silence.
~~
The car had been unusually silent since leaving Hastings. Undoubtedly, Tony and Trina were caught up in the thought that they were leaving their hometown for an OE they'd allowed four years for. Draco and Ron had obviously changed their animosity from yells and insults to ignoring each other in deafening silence, and Harry and Hermione saw no need for conversation.
Tony gave a small sigh as she thought of all the overwhelming events of the past week, and the days to come. The sigh was caught by the wind whipping past her open window, and taken away. A small smile ticked at the corner of her mouth as the wind blew her hair back, giving the feeling of all the problems and concerns being taken somewhere where they didn't matter. The open road in front of them had no other cars on it at the moment, and it seemed to stretch away into nothing. Tony slowly turned her head to look at Trina in the back, and wasn't surprised to see a glistening tear-track on her friend's cheek as she was looking out the window. Tony doubted Trina was actually looking at the scenery. Upon feeling a warning lump developing in her throat, Tony abruptly turned to face the road again determinedly. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't. She and Trina were always going to do this – so why not now? Nothing was happening differently to what they'd planned.
Except for four issues sitting around me, she thought wryly. They hadn't been in the plan. She mused for a moment over what might have happened if the newcomers had instead approached someone else for help. Tony was willing to bet there was no one else on her block that had been planning an OE and had the funds for it. The students had come to the only place likely to be able to help them beyond pointing them to a police station. Lucky for them, she thought. A disturbing thought suddenly occurred to her, and made her wonder if 'luck' had anything to do with it at all. The website, she remembered from a week ago. I need to figure out how that works in. As much as it was making her to feel as if this was partly her fault, she highly doubted that a piece of non-magical machinery with the intelligence of a paperclip was able to teleport four people from the other side of the world. Other questions flew through her mind. If these four were real then, then the rest of the characters must be real. So why haven't we heard from them about Harry? Why hasn't Voldemort confronted us if he did this? How long is it going to be this easy?
'Easy', a grim smile formed on her face. I just called this 'easy'. The realisation made her chuckle a little.
"Do enlighten us on what's so funny," came a voice from the back.
"Nothing at all, Trina," Tony responded ironically. "Nothing at all."
For a moment silence was again threatening to overtake them all, before Trina cleared her throat loudly and withdrew her gaze from the window. "So," she said, "are we stopping in Napier or just going right on through?"
"Oh of course we have to stop there – it's an unspoken traveller's rule. And there are several places in Napier we'll want to see before leaving it for years, aren't there?"
"Aquarium, Marineland, beach…" Trina counted off, "…uh, the putt golfing thingee?"
Tony laughed. "I'm sure I'll survive without visiting the 'putt golfing thingee'. And I've actually never been to the Aquarium, so I won't miss that – the rest of you can go to that while I just sit on the beach outside."
"Are you sure?" Trina asked.
"Sure," Tony assured her. "The beach is my favourite thinking spot – I could spend the whole day there. In fact, I have, before."
"Ok." Trina leaned forward in her seat for a better view out the windscreen. "We should be in Napier by now, surely."
Tony laughed softly. "Just coming into it now…see? 'Marine Parade'."
"I get the impression that marine life is a main theme on this street," came another voice from the back, reminding Trina and Tony that despite the reasonable quiet, they weren't in fact the only ones in the car. "With a name like 'Marine Parade', and featuring an Aquarium and some place called Marineland." Such a commentary could only have been said by Hermione.
"Well, it is along a coastline," Trina supplied. "There are fountains too, if you want to add that to your list."
"One of them in particular is really nice at night," Tony said. "This place has lights of every colour at night. One particular fountain is green, purple and pink…even the water looks neon. I really want to see Napier at night before we move on. We can make a day of it here, right?"
"I guess," Trina said. "There's enough in Napier to keep someone occupied."
"Of course!" Tony replied with an excited smile. "It's one of New Zealand's main tourist attractions for a reason!"
The sombre mood had indeed lifted now as the six people entered Napier. Tension had eased a little…until they were all thrown forward as the car braked suddenly. Trina said something that earned a startled look from Hermione, and she turned around to see if any cars had been behind them. Fortunately the closest car was still a fair distance behind them.
Trina was incredulous. "What did you do that for?" she exclaimed loudly to Tony.
Tony looked as if some divine and uplifting idea had just occurred to her. "I just had a thought."
"Then I never thought I'd say this to anyone," Trina continued, "but for the love of all that is good and pure, please don't think while you're driving!"
Tony looked at her friend in the rear-view mirror, her face becoming serious again. "I knew there were no cars behind us."
"That's not the point!" Trina exclaimed. "If we hadn't been wearing seatbelts, we could have flown out the windscreen!"
"And if you hadn't been wearing seatbelts," Tony said as the car resumed its previous speed, "you would have deserved it."
"This coming from someone whose life was saved once by not wearing one."
"Well," Tony amended, "I possibly would have lived anyway, but okay, I admit it saved my legs. But anyway, in the very same accident wearing a seatbelt did save your own life, so there you go."
"You were in an accident together?" said a voice that had been silent until now. Harry looked at them questioningly.
"We're best friends," Trina said with a smile. "We share everything."
"Not that we intended to share that one!" Tony laughed. Spotting his now wary look, she added, "If it's any reassurance, I wasn't driving that particular time." Harry looked significantly calmer, although he couldn't help sneaking a speculative sideways glance at Trina. Seeing this, Tony continued, "It wasn't Trina either. It was a mutual acquaintance that we never saw or heard from again after he was whacked over the wallet in court."
The coastline came into view to the right of the car, as Hermione asked, "Was anyone hurt?"
Trina's face grew stunned, and Tony couldn't help but burst out laughing – a reaction that caused even Draco to look at her in surprise.
"A little bit, I guess," Tony said, still laughing. "And then some."
"A little bit?" Trina resounded, before turning to Hermione and informing her, "The bones in my left forearm totally shattered and needed to be replaced with what Tony calls 'Terminator Technology'." This reference was totally lost on Ron and Draco, who were still blatantly ignoring each other, so Trina clarified, "I basically have a metallic left forearm, which makes walking through metal detectors really fun. My dad worked at the hospital back then, so he visited me when he could."
"I would have visited you," Tony consoled her, "but I was a little…indisposed."
"She was still in a coma after the rest of us got out of hospital," Trina said. "Then she went into a rehab unit to learn to talk, walk, read and write again."
At this point Draco spoke, derisively, as he turned to her. "How do you forget how to do all that?"
"It wasn't that I forgot," Tony said. "I knew how to do it, but my body was acting like it had never done it before. It was like getting a new car and having to learn how to drive it… ok, so you wouldn't know what that's like. It was just difficult. But I learned to talk before I got my whatever-it's-called back. You know – the ability to make new memories. So I don't actually remember not being able to talk. I'm told I used a sign with the alphabet and pointed out letters."
Hermione was looking rather alarmed now, and looked at the two other girls as if she wasn't sure whether or not to believe them – they didn't look like they'd been in a nasty accident. "It took you two months to do all that again?" she said. "That must have been intense, if it was through muggle treatment."
Tony smiled at her through the rear-vision mirror. "Yes, I thought I did quite well."
"She was supposed to die," Trina said. "I heard a nurse say she had a 5% chance of living."
"I guess I just have an insatiable need to prove people wrong," Tony said. "That, and when I go it'll be my way, not bald and with machines having kept me alive. Besides, we were all meant to die on impact with the telegraph pole in the first place, or when the car split in half and the back went south for the winter."
"So even the muggles have Two Girls who Lived," Draco said, curling his lip in distaste and sounding completely unimpressed.
Tony turned to face him and gave him a warning glare. "If you make a big deal out of that," she said, "I'll break you somewhere that you'd be too embarrassed to tell Pomfrey about." This was sufficient to cause Draco to swiftly return his gaze to the road ahead.
Now that this conversation was over and their attention was free to wander, the passengers saw that they were now well into Marine Parade, and approaching a car park. Tony pulled into this, and found a place on the edge facing the coastline, before switching off the engine.
The small waves lapped at the coastline, and the endless blue expanse sparkled in the sunlight. The subtle roar of the tide was carried by the breeze, and Tony revelled in it for a few moments before abruptly opening the door and leaving the car to walk down the stones and driftwood to the beach.
The remaining five sat, the sound of Tony's door being closed still resounding.
"I guess that means we get out now," Trina surmised, as she made to do the same. "Who wants to come into the Aquarium with me?"
"I think that would be very interesting," piped up Hermione.
"You would," Ron muttered quietly, but it still was apparently loud enough for Hermione to hear. She turned to him with a disciplinary expression.
"I don't see why you're so against learning about new things, Ron," she said. "Come with us, it'll be fun."
Ron looked to Harry in a last ditch effort for an excuse to stay out of it. Harry looked regretfully at him before shrugging at Hermione in resignation. "Ok," he said, "it probably won't be too bad."
"But Harry-" Ron started before Harry interrupted.
"Come on, Ron, it's not that bad."
Ron settled for fixing a disgruntled expression on his face as he clambered out of the car.
"Come on, Draco," Trina said to the remaining passenger. "I need to lock this car up."
None of the Gryffindors were about to ask Draco to accompany them into the Aquarium, which seemed to suit him just fine – he looked to be in no hurry to go.
"I assume you're not coming in with us?" Trina presumed, with the hint of a question.
"You'd assume right," Draco said as he stepped out of the car.
Trina locked the doors before commenting, "Ok, the rest of us are going now – have fun being boring." She turned towards the street and started walking, the Gryffindor three in tow.
Draco watched them leave until he could no longer justify his staring in that direction without looking stupid. Now what was he supposed to do? He contemplated wandering into town, but the worry of him getting lost stopped him. Without any knowledge of wizards in the vicinity, and without his wand to catch the night bus, getting lost wasn't something that sounded like it would turn out well. He looked out to his left, towards the ocean, and saw Tony sitting on the stones, looking out over the water and occasionally leaning down to rearrange driftwood. Perhaps she could tell him some interesting places to go? At least, more interesting than the Aquarium…
He started towards Tony, and even when she heard the crunching of his shoes on the smoothed stones, she didn't turn around. Draco stood next to her, waiting for her to acknowledge his presence, but no reaction was forthcoming. Rather rude, really.
"Why do you like sitting on the beach, anyway?" was the first thing out of his mouth.
Tony picked up some small stones and let them fall through her fingers. "Why not?"
Draco went to sit also, but wondered if this would be tolerated by Tony. Back at Hogwarts he wouldn't have hesitated to inconvenience someone – he had actually gone out of his way to do it – but when he didn't have Crabbe and Goyle to back him up and the threat of telling his father didn't carry any weight, dynamics appeared to be different.
"May I sit?" was the question he settled for. He was determined not to say please – he wouldn't reduce himself that low.
Tony finally turned to look at the platinum-haired boy, who was obviously still getting used to not having any gel, as he would occasionally, frustrated, push a white wave from his face. She appraised him as if judging the safety of allowing him to sit, before turning back to stare resolutely over the water again. "It's not my beach."
Draco sat.
"How long do you think they'll take in there?" he asked, motioning toward the renovated Aquarium.
"No idea," Tony responded. "If you just wanted to kill time, you could have just gone with them, you know."
"Pass." As much as he resented Harry, the Boy Who Lived wasn't Draco's biggest issue while so far from home. The idea of spending more time than he needed to in the company of one Ron Weasley when he couldn't hex him was an idea he'd rather leave stagnant. Evidently the same reasoning had occurred to Tony, even before she made her comment, as an amused smile had lifted the corner of her mouth. "This is rather boring," Draco commented.
"So leave."
The blonde boy turned his head to look at her sceptically. "You're not very pleasant, you know."
Tony actually laughed now, her sour demeanour lifting. "I have three words for you," she said, with amusement. "Pot. Kettle. Black."
Draco looked at her quizzically. He didn't have a clue what she meant, but he wasn't about to ask. Besides, he was sure she knew he was clueless, and he didn't want her to have the satisfaction of lording it over him. He was a little miffed that Tony didn't seem to mind if he ignored it.
He looked out over the rippling blue expanse, when he remembered the short drama on the way into Napier. Curiously, he asked, "So what was this 'thought' that we all almost died for?"
Tony's sudden movement startled Draco so much he could have sworn his heart stopped. "My thought!" Tony exclaimed in remembrance. She excitedly started to walk back up to the beach, and Draco quickly rose from the stones to catch up.
"Where are you going?" he asked, no wanting to be left by himself for however long the others decided to stay in the Aquarium.
"I'm on a mission of nostalgia," Tony said with a smile of anticipation. "If you like, you can come with."
Draco wasn't sure that he did like, but he was sure he didn't want to stay by himself in one spot until someone came back for him, so he prepared to tag along.
~~
Fred and George had seen Lucius Malfoy go past the gargoyle statue with Dumbledore, and later stride away, and they'd looked at each other worriedly. The four students had been away for over a week now, so it was possible Lucius knew about Draco's disappearance through his contacts with the Ministry of Magic. Well, that would explain his lethal expression.
The twins were now in their dormitory, Fred rummaging through his trunk. "Here it is," retrieving the object that their sister had been too distracted to ask about.
"We just need something of You-Know-Who's," George said.
"Well where are we going to get that?" Fred exclaimed in disbelief. "We can't just Accio him then say, 'Excuse me, may we have a fingernail or lock of hair?'"
George looked despondent. "Hey, let's go see Dobby!"
Fred was quizzical. "You want food now?"
"No, you great nit – I think he still has Riddle's old diary. You know, after Harry gave it to him in a sock."
Fred grimaced at the notion of being handed a dirty sock. "But You-Know-Who's disappeared from it!" he said. "At least, that's what Harry told us Dumbledore said."
"But it used to be his, right?" George said, excited. "It might work if we just have something that used to belong to him."
Fred was dubious. "It's worth a try, I guess."
"Excellent!" George had bounded towards the door, not sparing a backward glance to see if his brother was following him.
It didn't take long for them to find the portrait of fruit once they'd reached their destination. George reached out a lithe finger to tickle the pear, and the portrait swung open to reveal the Hogwarts kitchens.
They had barely clambered through the portrait hole and into the kitchen when they were accosted by an eccentric figure adorned in numerous tea cosies.
"Sirs! Mr Fred Weasley Sir, and Mr George Weasley! Dobby is so delighted to see you, Sirs!"
"Hi, Dobby," Fred said, as the portrait swung shut behind him. "We were wondering if you could help us."
"Oh, Fred Weasley Sir, Dobby will do what he can!" A rainbow-coloured striped tea cosy slipped forward a little off his head to hang off one of his flag-like ears, and the house-elf awkwardly lifted a hand to straighten it. "But Sirs must be quick to talk to Dobby – Dobby must leave soon to prepare dinner, he must."
"Do you still have Tom Riddle's old diary?" George said. "The one that was inside the sock Harry gave to you when you worked for the Malfoys?"
"Yes Sir, Dobby keeps that diary, and the sock with which Harry Potter freed him with,
Sir."
Fred screwed up his face. "I hope you wash it, Dobby."
"Can you lend us this diary, Dobby?" George asked furtively.
"Certainly, Sir," Dobby said obligingly. "Dobby will bring it to Mr George Weasley when he has finished his kitchen duties for making dinner."
Another house-elf, wrapped in dirty plain cloth, looked disdainfully at Dobby as it hurried past with a dishcloth.
"Dobby must go, Sirs," said Dobby, seeing the judgement. "Dobby should be working."
"Ok," said Fred, "but first, can we have some Whipped Chocolate Cremes?"
"Certainly, Sir!" said Dobby with a grin, eager to please as he rushed off to get some. Other house-elves who had heard the request soon arrived with trays of goodies as well, and the twins soon had their arms laden with Whipped Chocolate Cremes and other items.
They bid Dobby goodbye through mouthfuls of Cremes as they made their way stealthily back into the hall, for one of the hidden passages in Hogwarts. Despite having given the Marauders Map to Harry in their fifth year, Fred and George were still well versed in the secret rooms and passages in the castle.
By the time they had put their hoard away and come down to the Common Room, it was nearing dinnertime. They were greeted with the sight of Ginny slouched on a soft scarlet couch. Her face was contorted in concentration as she stared vacantly off into space. Probably thinking of ways she could 'help', the twins guessed. At their entrance their sister looked up, and seeing them, her brows drew together in a frown and she huffily walked past them and out of the common room.
They looked at each other in resignation as they followed the path she had just taken, down the Great Hall. Much of Gryffindor house was already seated, and Fred and George placed themselves next to Dean Thomas.
"What did you do to Ginny?" he asked as she saw the girl glaring daggers at her brothers.
"We didn't do anything," Fred replied in a tone suggesting Dean had suggested the impossible.
"She doesn't look very happy," Dean commented. "You didn't pull a prank on her, did you?"
"Us? Of course not…" George said in utmost seriousness.
Dean looked at them sceptically as a loud voice stilled the gossip of the students. Dumbledore stood to address them all.
"You may have heard," Dumbledore started, causing the remaining tendrils of conversation to die, "that some students have been taken by Voldemort." This opening statement caused alarmed gasps, and whispers resumed. Many of the Slytherin students merely looked around with open interest, some with a little too much confidence. "I don't hide this from you," the headmaster continued, "as the Ministry already knows about it. You would have heard sooner or later. Please do not see this as cause for alarm – there is no reason to suspect your lives are endangered as long as you stay here." Fearful whispers were still circulating the Great Hall, so Dumbledore clarified, "We have reason to believe that where they are, Mr Ron Weasley, Miss Hermione Granger, Mr Harry Potter and Mr Draco Malfoy are currently well." Upon hearing that Draco's absence was pertaining to Voldemort, many of the Slytherins looked rather nonplussed, and a few had expressions of open admiration for the boy whom they were sure was on some mission for the Dark Lord.
Dumbledore's face changed into a broad smile, "Now, let us put aside our sombre moods, and tuck in."
Food lavishly spread before them all, and the twins looked at it with a somewhat diminished appetite due to their previous indulgence in Whipped Chocolate Cremes. They served some roasted chicken onto their plates and bathed it in a rich dark gravy, but after taking a few mouthfuls, concluded that they weren't able to eat any more. Dean looked at them sympathetically, putting it down to them being overly concerned about Ron, but Ginny looked disapprovingly at them, correctly guessing the genuine reason.
The boys excused themselves early and went to their dormitory.
"Perhaps those Cremes weren't such a good idea," George surmised.
"Don't be silly," contradicted Fred. "They're always a good idea." This vote of confidence was followed by a grimace as his stomach complained. He flopped back onto his bed and groaned. He sat up quickly however when something landed on his bed.
"Wha-?"
"Fred Weasley, sir," said the creature, "Dobby has brought the diary that sirs wanted."
"Oh, thanks, Dobby," Fred said, quickly recovering from the fright.
"Is sirs going to get Harry Potter back?" inquired the house-elf, who looked to be almost quivering with worry.
"We're going to have a bloody good go," George said, resolutely.
"We'll do what we can," affirmed Fred.
Dobby only nodded silently before disappearing with a 'pop'.
Both boys looked down at the black book that Dobby had left on Fred's bed. It was battered, torn, dusty, and had a large hole in the middle from a large basilisk fang.
George picked up the book and idly flipped through the yellowed pages, each of them blank. "Well, he doesn't have his memory in here now," he mused.
"Were are we going to try the spell?" Fred asked. "Prefect's bathroom? An empty classroom? If we did it in the Slytherin area it wouldn't matter if it all went wrong and exploded."
"As appealing as that idea is, we'd better do it in one of the secret rooms – the one down the hidden hall from the fireplace will be fine."
"Ok," Fred agreed. He picked up the diary and slid it under the bed. "We'll go there once everyone else here is in asleep."
"Right," George said, with an excited smile.
It didn't take as long as the twins had expected for the other boys in their dormitory to fall to sleep. All the same, they waited until the moonlight spilling through the window illuminated George's bedside orb, which upon a whispered 'tempus', portrayed that it was just past midnight.
George slid out of bed, still dressed, moments before Fred too emerged. In silence the two boys mischievously tiptoed out of the dormitory and made their way down the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room. After checking for any wandering prefects or other late night wanderers, they moved along the wall to a large bookcase that stood next to an ornate red and gold vase on a pedestal.
George twisted the vase a little to the left, at the same time as Fred removed two books from the further end of the bookcase to push on the wall behind. A few moments after, the back of the fireplace slid away to reveal a darkened tunnel. The two boys stepped over the charred wood still in the fireplace, and crawled into the tunnel. Once on the other side George felt along the wall to the side of the entrance until his fingers found a loosened brick. He pushed it to put the fireplace wall back in place.
"Let's hope nobody lights a fire," Fred said. "We'd be toasted on the way back in."
"Who lights a fire in the middle of the night, in summer?" George said. "We can always take a different way back, just in case the house-elves get overly zealous. Ow! Mind where you're putting your bony elbows!"
"Shh!" came the reply before the voice quietened to a loud whisper. "They're just as bony as yours! Besides, I can't see a thing in here! Lumos!"
A yellowish-green light emitted from the tip of Fred's wand, showing the rest of the short passage. They crawled along this to the end, where the light now revealed a corridor. Fred swung his legs over the edge of the tunnel end and dropped down to the gritty stone floor below. He held his wand up high for George to see where to go, and soon the two boys stood at the end of the corridor. It was rather dirty, with spots of algae on the walls.
They began to walk down the stone passage. About a third of the way down the corridor they were looked at disapprovingly by a ghost who had just drifted through the wall. For a moment the boys had stopped and looked at each other in worry, but either the ghost was too used to wandering students to pay much heed, or it just wasn't it the mood to interfere. Whatever the reason, it drifted on through the opposite wall and the boys put on a little more speed for fear of confronting anyone else.
A dilapidated door that almost blended seamlessly into the wall stood open, and the boys could see the room behind it, empty but for an old tipped over cauldron, and a faded cabinet. George made to walk in, but just inside the doorway he stopped suddenly.
"What?" Fred said, his breath hitched. He peered over his brother's shoulder to see if they'd been spotted. He didn't think it would be likely, as they'd travelled this passage plenty of times and never come across anyone else apart from the occasional ghost, but he couldn't think of why else George would suddenly stop.
George turned and said with a mischievous smile, "You know, you're right – doing this in the Slytherin area would be better. After all, it might be loud, and they shouldn't be allowed to sleep if we're not."
"Of course," agreed Fred. "Although, it's a pity that Malfoy isn't here to appreciate a good midnight explosion."
"Hopefully this won't make an explosion though," said George. "All going well."
"That wont," Fred concurred, "but this will." He plunged the hand that wasn't holding his lighted wand into his pocket, and when it withdrew, six small stones of different colours were nestled in it.
George's smile broadened.
"I thought of it when we heard Dumbledore say his password to the gargoyle before," Fred explained. "When he was with Lucius Malfoy – 'popping fizzy pebbles'. Everyone knows not to chew two different coloured ones at the same time, unless they want to hear the bang merely seconds after they mix. Six different colours at once may rouse their whole house!" He looked down at the candies with remorse. "It's a pity to waste good sweets on frightening the Slytherins, but some things in life are an obligation."
"Definitely," George agreed. "It's a pity they won't cause any damage, but with any luck we'll get someone out of bed to investigate."
Fred pocketed the pebbles again and headed off past the open door to a trapdoor further down the corridor. The wooden planks of the trapdoor creaked ominously as they were lifted by a brass ring. Fred held his wand ahead of him, and the blackness below them was eradicated to reveal very steep stone steps in a narrow passage. They carefully made their way down the oddly structured stairs – sometimes they went in a spiral pattern, sometimes zig-zag, and sometimes straight.
George groaned a little as his legs started to get sore from the decent. "How much further?" he whispered.
Fred was running his hand alongside the left wall. His deft fingers found a loose brick like the one above the back of the fireplace. "We've just passed the second floor," he said. His fingers skimmed over the brick without pushing it, and they continued onward down the steep steps.
"…First floor…" Fred said after they'd walked a little further.
George groaned again as they progressed. "Now I remember why I don't take this passage if I can help it."
"Here we are," Fred assured him minutes later. He pushed on a brick near his left shoulder, and they heard a faint click before part of the wall slid backward and to the side. "Sub-ground floor," narrated Fred. "I give you…the dungeons."
They quietly slid into the room the passage had opened into, and looked around as the panel slid shut. They were in a three-sided room that opened out onto a corridor furnished with a lush green carpet strip with shining silver edging, as was visible from dim torches that shone on the wall at intervals above it. The room where they stood didn't appear to have anything in it besides a large table with candelabra, and various portraits, all of which were asleep, fortunately.
"You remember where the secret rooms are, in the Slytherin area, don't you?" George whispered, tentatively.
"Uh…I think so."
George's whisper raised slightly in pitch. "That's not very reassuring after all the effort it took for us to get down here!" He stopped, and appeared to be listening. "Did you hear that?"
A rhythmic muted tapping could be faintly heard from around the corner.
"Quick!" George whispered in alarm. "Turn that out!"
"Nox!" Fred quickly responded in an urgent whisper, and the light from his wand was extinguished.
The boys ducked down behind an intricately carved leg of the table. Normally this would have been insufficient to hide them, but as the room was inky black since the extinguishing of Fred's wand, it would suffice.
Soon a figure came regally striding into view along the green carpet, its black cloak rippling behind it. It was characterised by long white-blond hair.
"Lucius Malfoy!" George whispered behind Fred as the man passed the room's opening. George tiptoed to the edge of the room, now mere inches from the carpet, but didn't peer around. As Fred crept nearer to him, they heard the muted footsteps grow louder as they moved from the carpet onto stone floor around the corner.
The boys now peered around the edge of the room to see where Lucius Malfoy had gone.
"Come on," whispered George, and slunk off in Lucius' wake, Fred following quietly. They took care with looking around each corner before moving down a new corridor. "Keep an eye out for the Bloody Baron," George added to his brother, "we don't need a house ghost alerting anyone about intruders."
Lucius Malfoy turned right again. "Is that another corridor? What if it's an office?" George speculated. "We couldn't follow him in there without getting caught."
"Wait!" Fred whispered to him. "I know where we are now! This is the south side of the dungeon complex. There should be a secret door to that room – yes, it's a room – over there somewhere." He pointed in the general direction of where they'd just come.
They tiptoed back down the corridor they'd walked, and Fred lifted a wall hanging of the Slytherin insignia, revealing an opening at knee height, just high enough for them to crawl through, but wide enough for two or even three. Fred climbed in first, pausing occasionally to wipe grit and dust off his palm that he'd picked up from the passage's floor. The passage sloped upwards, and it didn't take long until the boys had reached what seemed to be the end of it.
"Here," Fred whispered. "This should be it."
He slowly and noiselessly slid the barrier in front of him to his left. A chink of light ahead of them showed them to be behind a closed cupboard of what looked like vials, and a few books. George shifted the books to one side while Fred lifted the vials out of the way, one by one. When the cupboard space directly ahead of them was empty, they shuffled forward a little more, on their bellies, and Fred gently prodded open one of the cupboard doors a little, hoping it wouldn't squeak.
They weren't both able to see, although they could both hear what was going on in the room, and Fred peered out of the widened chink in the cupboards.
He saw that the room was an office – Professor Snape's office, to be specific, as Fred concluded when he looked across the room and viewed the greasy-haired Potions Professor below them, seated at a desk. He wanted to excitedly tell this to George, but didn't for fear of being heard.
"I thought you'd still be here, Severus," came the voice of Lucius Malfoy. He sat regally in a chair opposite the Professor.
"Lucius," Severus Snape responded in brusque greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" His tone implied that Lucius Malfoy's presence was anything but a pleasure.
"You're aware that some students, including Potter and my son, have been taken by the Dark Lord?"
"Due to a speech by Dumbledore tonight, I doubt there are any who do not know," informed Snape with distaste.
"Ah," Lucius responded. "He always has had a tendency to do the most inappropriate things. Surely telling the students what has happened will only cause a panic."
Snape made no answer, but only waited for Lucius to continue.
"Our Lord had made no such mention to me of my son being part of his scheme of acquiring Potter. Are you equally ignorant of his reasons?"
"I take it you have not had much involvement in this case of his, Lucius," Severus Snape concluded.
"I have been otherwise engaged," admitted the Senior Malfoy. "My services to our Lord have been employed in the area of…muggle management."
"Ah," Snape said, knowingly. "It is little known outside the upper circle of our Lord's followers – which is why I am surprised to hear that despite your rank with him you remain unaware – that the transport of others was in actual fact a mistake. A mistake swiftly punished by our Lord. As well as retrieving Potter, the inflicted spell brought back those in his immediate vicinity, it would appear."
Lucius was incredulous. And furious. "A mistake? My son is missing because of a careless mistake?"
"Our Lord is not divulging information to us at this time," Severus Snape informed his visitor in his monotonous drone, "but I believe he maintains control – he has a plan for finding Potter, despite the Concealment Charm."
Lucius was still positively spitting. "Can't he bring back the others?"
Snape mused before answering, "I don't believe so, as they are all covered by the charm." Lucius' lips hardened into a thin line as he wallowed in his frustration. Snape dared to make it worse. "But," he continued, "I think our Lord would not retrieve your son, even if presented with the opportunity."
Lucius sat forward a little and bore a face of utter surprise and denial. "Why would he do that?"
"Lucius, my friend, it is not in our place to question the actions of the Dark Lord…" Snape censured, and Lucius leaned back in his chair in defeat. "…but one might believe that your son has prematurely been presented with ample opportunities to serve."
The room was blanketed in silence as Lucius contemplated this. "So…our Lord is going to use this mistake to his advantage. But my son has not yet been initiated into our Lord's circle, as he is not yet old enough."
"I'm sure you've raised Master Draco with ample knowledge of our Lord for him to be useful for his purposes."
Lucius stood, a definite mark of pride in his stance now. "I'll detain you no longer, Severus." He moved towards the door. "Thankyou for your…" he hesitated while thinking of an appropriate term, "…enlightening information."
Severus Snape watched as the tall white-haired man left, closing the door behind him with a dull 'thud'.
The Potions master nonchalantly reaching for a quill and parchment was the last thing Fred saw before he inched the cupboard shut and replaced the vials and books. He quickly shuffled back into the passage, followed by George, and closed the secret panel.
The two boys crept back through the passage, and once listening for any wanderers but hearing none, climbed back out past the Slytherin insignia.
"Quickly," Fred whispered, motioning to a narrow side hall. They scampered down the narrow hall until they reached a snake statue with eyes of green gemstone. "Good, it's still here," Fred muttered, and pushed the one nearest the wall. A bookcase opposite swung open a little and they hurriedly trotted through, before it closed again.
"Did you hear all that?" Fred exclaimed to his brother, wide eyed, once they were safely in the hidden passage and striding along its slowly descending length.
George nodded animatedly. "I always knew there was talk of Snape being a Death Eater, but it seems it's true…" He trailed off in thought. "Surely Dumbledore would know, right?
Fred contemplated this. "Dumbledore has known a lot about You-Know-Who's movements in the past – he had to have gotten that information from somewhere. I reckon Snape's probably working for both sides. That would explain why Dumbledore's kept the beast of a man working here instead of firing him long ago for Inflicting Trauma to Students."
"Yeah, maybe," agreed George. "Even though he referred to You-Know-Who as 'our Lord' – which I guess he'd have to do, to avoid suspicion – he didn't sound too happy that Lucius was there."
"He didn't look too happy either," added Fred.
The two boys continued to wander through the dim passage, mulling over this new speculation while looking absently ahead for the door to the unused room they wanted.
"It sounds like You-Know-Who's going to use Malfoy to get to Harry," George finally said.
"Yeah," his brother concurred. "But surely Harry would never trust that excuse for a person? He'd always be aware of Malfoy's associates and contacts."
"I hope so," George said. "Here's the room we want." He ducked into a small nook they had almost walked past, and turned sharply into a stone room furnished with only a cracked porcelain sink with taps that no longer turned, and a old-looking wooden cupboard will small splits along the side caused by the excess moisture of the room. Lumps of stone that had been chipped or knocked from the walls long ago lay haphazardly along an edge of the room. "My mental-map tells me we should now be just below the Slytherin Girls dormitories."
"Right, let's do this," Fred said determinedly. He brought the old black diary that had been Tom Riddle's out of his robes and laid it on the cold floor. "Did you bring Harry's Tempus Orb?"
"I couldn't get into his dorm to get it before Seamus locked it for the night."
"What?" Fred exclaimed in disbelief. "We can't do this without having something belonging to Harry!"
"Fear not, my friend," George assured him. "I have something much better, that I acquired quite innocently before lunchtime today."
Fred knew as well as anyone that anything he or his brother did could hardly be described as 'innocent'. "What did you get?"
George proceeded to slowly draw something out of his robes, and Fred's eyes widened as he saw it.
"By golly," Fred said in awe. "Harry's wand? How did you get hold of that?"
"Let's just say Dumbledore's office isn't much more secure than Snape's. I'll have to get this back soon, though, so let's hurry up."
"Brilliant," said Fred as George laid the wand onto the floor also.
"Okay," George said. "Let's hope we have this right." He withdrew his own wand from an inside pocket of his robes and pointed it at Harry's wand, concentrating hard as he whispered, "Periclitatus Praeda."
A pale blue light seeped from the tip of George's wand and hovered above the wand on the floor for a moment before fluidly encompassing it in its soft glow. It stayed that way for a moment, before the light diminished, leaving Harry's wand lying innocently on the gritty floor.
"Okay so far," Fred surmised, as he pointed his own wand at the old black diary. "Periculosus Venator," he whispered.
Although the light was just as soft and misty as the one from George's wand, this light was a shimmering scarlet. It enveloped the diary before locking onto it with the alarming speed of a striking cobra. Once again all traces of a spell disappeared as the light diminished to leave the diary with its previous appearance.
"Well that part went well, I think," George concluded. He once again reached into his robes to bring out the object that the old woman in the portrait outside of the Great Hall had found so suspicious. He withdrew a small silver plate, square and slightly concave, with an unusual design carved onto the front and tiny grip hooks on two opposite sides. George looked at it in contemplation. "Quite a nifty little belt clip, really," he said. "At least, I think that's what it is."
"It'll work as that," Fred said, as his brother put the silver plate onto the floor and positioned the diary and Harry's wand to either side of it. "Right, here goes."
His face went grim with fierce concentration as he tried to remember the correct words and their pronunciation. "Noceo iuxta laurus."
The resulting yellow light illuminated every nook of the room, and the boys even had to raise their arms over their faces to fend off the violent brightness. They couldn't see what the main beam of light did, as their faces remained covered for the next few seconds. When they lowered their arms, the silver plate sat shuddering a little, before finally coming to a stop.
"Was that supposed to happen?" Fred asked.
"I don't know. I hope it worked." George leaned down and picked up the plate, which was a little warm now. He held it against his belt and the little hooks immediately reached out their fine silver claws to grasp the sides of it.
"There," Fred said, looking proud. "Now we'll know when You-Know-Who gets close to hurting Harry. It'll give Dumbledore a head start at intercepting him, if he knows in advance."
"Excellent," George surveyed of their handiwork, and gathered up Harry's wand and passed the diary to Fred. "I'd better put this wand back now – I pretty sure I can do it without waking Fawkes."
They made to head out of the room before Fred grabbed a sleeve of his brothers robes. "Wait!"
He picked up one of the blocks of stone from the floor and after putting the six Popping Fizzy Pebbles down in small colourful pile, brought the block down on them hard.
The almighty 'bang' that followed was only rivalled by the panicked shrieks that followed, and the two mischief makers scampered back to the Gryffindor dormitories through the conveniently available secret passages that received so much more importance to their Hogwarts life than academic study.
~~
A/N: In explanation to the spells the twins did, 'Periclitatus praeda' translates to 'Endangered Prey', and 'Periculosus Venator' translates to 'Dangerous Hunter'. 'Noceo iuxta laurus' loosely translates to meaning 'near success to do harm'.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'd love a review letting me know what you thought.