A/N: Yay!! I'm writing another chapter!! Thanks so much to every1 who has
reviewed! I AM review mad!! So here's another chapter, Enjoy!!!
CHAPTER 23
So the next day, Harry, Ron and Hermione were heading down to the kitchens to talk to the house elves. Hermione reached out her hand to tickle the pear on the painting outside the entrance. At once, the pear became a door handle that Hermione grasped. The door slowly opened.
They had been in the kitchens before, in their fourth year. That was when Hermione started up SPEW a plan to protect the house elves and give them freedom, but thankfully, she seemed to have given up on this and had finally realised that house elves didn't want to be free. It came as a surprise to them to see dozens of small elves scurrying around, preparing the evening feast. At once, they were surrounded by them, all of them offering Ron, Harry and Hermione snacks. "Er, thanks." Said Harry.
"Harry Potter! You came to see us!" Came an excited shriek from one of the house elves. It was Dobby. A house elf harry had met in his second year.
"Yeah," said Harry. "Where's Winky?"
"She is over there Harry Potter, she is feeling very much better." Dobby gestured over at the oven, where Winky was cooking sausages. Hermione went over to talk to her. Harry and Ron however, stayed with Dobby
"Dobby," Harry began. "We wanted to ask you something." So Harry began telling Dobby all about how they needed him to come with them into the forbidden forest to talk to centaurs.
Dobby seemed a bit reluctant at first. "We really need you!" Said Ron.
Eventually, Dobby made up his mind. "Dobby will come, but Dobby does hope it will not be too dangerous."
"Not at all." Said Ron, so they arranged to go on Saturday evening, when both Hagrid and Dobby were free.
"Right," said Hagrid when the four of them arrived at his cabin. "Are you all ready to go? I'll come with you, but I won't talk to the centaurs. I'll go get some animals for my class on Monday. Send up sparks if you need me." So they entered the forest, Fang closely behind them.
"It's alright Dobby," said Harry. The elf seemed to be terrified. "We've been here before. It's not dangerous."
"Where are they?" Ron asked.
"They'll be in the heart of the forest." Said Hermione. Already, it was getting dark. The trees above their heads were thickening by every step they took.
After five more minutes, they were starting to hear distant voices. The voices of centaurs! "We're nearly there!" Harry said.
The voices were getting louder and louder. Then, they heard a human voice. "Oh hurry!" Whispered Hermione. It was easier said than done. Harry and Ron were stumbling along behind her, Dobby close behind them.
"Ahhhh! My robes!" Ron yelled.
"Ron! Come on!" Hissed Hermione. Ron's robes were caught on a rather spiky branch of a tree. "Oh, let me do it!" She snapped as Ron tugged at his robes, making the rip steadily larger. Then they heard a shout. A human shout.
"I wonder who it is." Said Ron, listening carefully.
"Do you Ron!" Snapped Hermione. "Isn't it quite obvious who..." She had tugged Ron free and the three of them and Dobby hurried towards the voices.
"You have been in our forest far too long human!" Barked a centaur. Harry, Ron and Hermione dashed behind a large bush, Dobby closely behind them.
"We shall not take orders from Hagrid anymore!" Roared a centaur.
Harry peered round the bush and saw, though with a lot of difficulty, as the darkness was thickening by every second, a pack of around 50 centaurs; all circled round Luna Lovegood! "Dobby, come on!" Harry hissed at him, and the four of them leapt out from behind the bush. The eyes of all the centaurs were now resting on them. "More humans!" Roared a centaur.
However, most of the centaurs were not looking at Harry, Ron or Hermione, their eyes were fixed on Dobby. "What... is this... thing doing here?" A centaur asked almost nervously. Luna's large eyes drew to gaze at Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dobby as well.
"Who, the elf?" Harry asked stressing the word elf.
"We have never heard of such things." Said another centaur.
"Well, do you know what elves can do?" Harry asked them. All of the centaurs were now staring warily at Dobby. They looked almost afraid.
"We do not like new things." Said a centaur at the end of the pack.
"Oh what can we do for you to take it away!" Bellowed a centaur at the front.
"Well," began Harry, speaking his demands with caution. "We're asking that you may welcome Firenze back into the forest. He is no longer at Hogwarts."
"That traitor!" Barked a dozen centaurs. "Never!"
"Well," stammered Hermione. "We'll stay here, with the elf."
Harry could tell they were thinking about it, even if there were looks of fury in their faces. They drew towards each other and began talking, but they were talking so softly Harry couldn't hear what they were saying. Luna slipped away from them and towards Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dobby.
The centaurs parted. "We have discussed what we think." Said an old centaur at the front. "And we have decided to accept Firenze."
"Oh, that's good!" Said Hermione happily. "We'll just go and get..."
"You will not!" Barked a different centaur. "We have decided to welcome Firenze, but take you." Harry froze. Dobby was quivering down near his waist.
"But... we'll stay here with the elf!" Hermione shouted. "We'll stay!"
"You will not." Said a centaur. "We will destroy the elf, as you call it."
"Destroy it!" Harry's blood seemed to have frozen.
"Yes." Said a centaur. "For Baine knows what this creature is. It is from Hogwarts and will obey any command."
"No it will not!" Roared Harry. "Dobby, don't listen to them, this is an order! Stay here with us!" Dobby did not do anything to show he had understood. He was standing still by Harry.
"Come here, elf." Ordered a centaur. Dobby did not move. Hermione shot sparks high into the air. Harry knew this was a bad idea. The centaurs stamped their hooves in fury.
"I'm sorry." Said Hermione breathlessly. "I lost control of the wand."
Harry looked at Luna. She was gazing at something on the ground, feet from Harry. Harry looked down. It was a snake. A large, fat, green and red one.
Hermione screamed. "It's poisonous!"
"Go on." Said Luna calmly, as though they were in a Hogwarts corridor. "Speak to it."
Harry stared at her. It was true, Harry was a parsletongue. He had not used this rare gift for four years. Dumbledore believed Voldermort had passed it on to him when he had tried to murder him. Voldermort himself had been one. "I'll try." He said, gazing at the snake. "Er, help me!" The snake turned to face him. It understood! The snake turned and began wriggling towards the centaurs at a great speed. The centaurs eyeing it nervously, scattered. Harry turned to the snake. "Thanks." He said. The snake turned towards him for a minute, then vanished.
"Luna, what are you doing in here?" Harry asked her as they began to leave the forest. Luna said nothing. Then, Hagrid came galloping towards them looking breathless.
"Are you ok?" He asked them, looking very concerned. "I saw them sparks."
"We're fine." Said Harry. "They agreed to take Firenze back." He explained what had happened all the way out of the forest.
"Yer mustn't go in there any more." Hagrid said to Luna as they left the forest. "Them centaurs, if they find yer..."
Luna said nothing. They all returned to the castle and Dobby returned to the kitchen. "Dobby does hope he was of use Harry Potter." He stammered.
"You were excellent!" Harry, Ron and Hermione said together. Dobby smiled at them, then vanished downstairs.
"Well we've done it!" Said Ron happily.
"Done what?" Asked Ginny coming over to them. They were back in the Gryffindor common room, sitting in their favourite chairs by the fire.
"A quest." Said Ron.
"A quest? What sort of quest?" Ginny persisted.
"A quest into the forbidden forest Ginny, putting all our lives at danger." Said Hermione glaring at Ron and Harry accusingly.
"It was your idea!" Snapped Ron indignantly.
Ginny had an odd look to her tonight, but Harry couldn't quite work out what it was. He suddenly realised what Anna had told him on the train back from Hogwarts, when he had discovered her in that corridor. He pulled Hermione and Ron away.
"It's Anna!" He hissed at them. "Don't tell her anything!"
"No way!" Ron's jaw fell open.
"Yes, she's a metamorphmagus and she's been using it to disguise herself as other people!"
"I'll ask her something only she would know." Said Ron, looking very pale. "Er Ginny, what's my favourite quidditch team?" Ron called over at her.
Ginny was silent for a moment, then whispered, "I don't remember."
Ron grinned triumphantly. "Then she's not Ginny. She knows it's the Chudley cannons. Honestly, she would never forget! Hey Anna, why are you disguised as my sister?" He called over.
Hermione glared at him. "Oh you idiot!" She snapped.
"Who says I am?" Ginny, or Anna rather asked him.
Ron didn't reply.
"I'm going to Dinner." Said Anna "And by the way, I know where you, the elf and Luna Lovegood were this evening. In the forbidden forest." She left the common room.
"She mustn't do that!" Said Hermione. "It's dangerous. There's something odd about her, I think she's some sort of spy. How else would she know about this evening? You know it was Ginny last time who gave you that note, she read it and made sure she was there in her invisibility cloak."
"Hello" said Ginny as she came through the portrait to the common room. "I've been practising quidditch with..."
"What's my favourite quidditch team?" Ron asked her abruptly.
Ginny frowned at him. "The Chudley cannons. Why?"
Ron let out a sigh of relief and sunk back in his chair. "What?" Ginny asked him again.
"Ginny," Hermione began. "Anna Chang is pretending to be you."
"Oh." Said Ginny. There was no expression in her voice. "Right. Well, I can't see why..."
"I can." Said Hermione. "She's spying on you, Harry for someone. I wonder who. It's like that dream Hagrid's been having, that voice. Maybe Anna's been having the same one."
"What dream?" Ginny asked her.
"Like that dream people had over Christmas. I think it's connected in some way." Hermione said frowning. "But we need to find out exactly what the dream says. We need to see Hagrid." She looked out of the small common room window. It was very dark.
"We'll go tomorrow." Said Harry firmly.
"But you don't need to see Hagrid." Ginny said smiling. "Try Neville, Ingrid, Luna, or that Polkiss boy."
"Why?" Harry asked her in surprise.
"Well, who was at that meeting on the first day back?" Ginny asked him looking excited.
"You mean..." said Ron slowly. "That all the people who've seen someone die will be having weird dreams."
"That means it's Voldermort who's behind it all!" Hermione yelled triumphantly. Ron and Ginny flinched at hearing Voldermort's name.
"Yeah," said Harry. "That would make sense, and that's what Dumbledore thinks. But he wouldn't bother controlling Dumbledore; he's too powerful. I need to find them!"
"Well Ingrid's over there." Ginny said pointing over at a corner where three large armchairs were facing the fire. "And I think Luna's at the owlery."
But Ron had already made up his mind. "Oi! Ingrid!" He yelled in the direction of where there was a tuft of reddish brown hair poking out from behind the large red armchair. The tuft of hair vanished and was replaced by Ingrid's face.
Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione hurried over to her. "Hi," Harry said. "We were just wondering, if you'd been having, those dreams."
Ingrid smiled at him. She was accompanied by her brother, William Shakklebolt and a fourth year girl Harry didn't know the name of. "Yes." She said. "I have been, it's odd because Andrew hasn't been."
"Well, Dumbledore hasn't been and he's seen someone die." Ginny said.
"That's true," said Ingrid thoughtfully, "but he's powerful."
"Are you saying I'm not powerful?" Grinned Andrew. He and William were having another match of gobstones. "I just won." He announced happily as though he knew they were searching for the source of his unusually cheerful mood.
"Anyway," Ingrid continued as Andrew turned back to the gobstones board. The fourth year girl next to her was watching their conversation with interest. "If you want to know what happens, well it's about you. It's really odd. Just like that time over Christmas."
"Oh! I have that dream! The one with the darkness, and weird voices, that Professor McGonnagal said we might have!" She girl next to Ingrid piped up.
"Really?" Ingrid asked her in surprise. "You mean the one about-, "
"Yes!" Said the girl. Harry had not seen her with Ingrid before. She had large round glasses and long brown hair. "I'm Gretchen." She announced. "Well, it's odd. But I know we aren't the only ones. Well, there's this darkness. And then there's a voice. It's cold and eyrie and - "
Ingrid was looking at Gretchen with dislike, apparently annoyed at her for taking her opportunity to tell Harry about the dream. Gretchen however carried on. "Well the voice, it tells me weird stuff." Her eyes grew large and behind the glasses they appeared larger still. "Like, well about you." She gazed at Harry. "But I don't listen. It's silly. No one does do they Ingrid?" Ingrid said nothing so Gretchen harped on. "So I don't obey but the voice says to get to know you. It's really weird!"
"I can imagine." Said Ron grumpily.
"And it's really dark! The voice echoes! I dream it about once a week and every time, the voice says, I see you have found out no information. I am disappointed. But what's it going to do? The voice is a figment of my imagination." Ingrid got to her feet and stalked off to the other end of the common room leaving Gretchen to pester the boys. "Can I play? I'm good at gobstones. I'm better at charms but I'm good at gobstones!" Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny left them and headed back to the other end of the common room, by their favourite chairs by the fire. They could still hear Gretchen withering on: "I got 101 percent in my charms exam! You're not even listening are you?!"
"So..." Said Ginny. "You know who is up to something. I'd watch out if I were you Harry, anyone who tries to get to know you, they're just working for him."
"Hey Potty!" Came a loud jeer from the Slytherin table. "Goyle's dreaming about you!"
"Fantasising more like!" Laughed Piers Polkiss.
Harry turned. Over at the opposite end of the great hall was Malfoy and Piers waving and shouting at him. Then he saw Goyle, over as far away from them as possible. So Goyle was supposed to be 'getting to know him' too. It wasn't working. Harry knew Goyle would rather get to know a mandrake than get to know him.
"Goyle! Fantasising about Harry!" Roared a Ravenclaw who had obviously overheard the Slytherins shouts. Harry glared at them. He knew Goyle wasn't the only one. Why was it him? And more importantly, why were none of them obeying the voice. None of them apart from...
"Hi Harry, Goyle's dreaming about you." Came Anna Chang's voice.
"I would never have guessed." Snapped Harry.
Anna glared at him, obviously offended. "I was just wondering," she said stiffly, "If I could come with you on your next trek into the forbidden forest."
Ron and Hermione were watching them carefully. "Well you may know that much," said Ron still frowning at her, "But we know you're not really Anna Chang and we know Loony Lovegood's not a Skelthirophus and we know..."
Anna fixed him with an expressionless look. "I know that." She said. "But you're wrong. I'm not Anna Black."
"Yes you are!" Argued Ron. "It's on the tapestry, so stop pretending you're related to the Changs."
"I know I'm not related to the Changs." Anna said, still in the same quiet expressionless voice. "I'm not related to your Godfather either though Harry."
"How d'you know about Sirius!" Harry asked her. If the ministry found this out... "And how d'you know we know about Luna and you?"
Anna said nothing. "I just know." She mumbled eventually.
"Well someone obviously told you!" Hermione said.
"Yes," snapped Anna now glaring at Hermione. Her eyes were no longer soft and brown. There seemed to be flames dancing in her pupils. They were cold and sharp. Harry was now was certain she had been obeying the dreams. But she hadn't gone to the meeting. She had told him she had never been fond of Regulus Black. But he was not her father, she had said so herself, who had she seen die? But maybe she was related to him after all. Luna had told them not to trust her, but could they trust Luna? Then Anna spoke again. "Someone told me, but that is not for you to know about." Then she walked away, dark hair sweeping her back as she went.
"So who is she related to?" Ron asked stupidly.
"How should we know that?" Hermione snapped. "Don't you think we'd tell you if we..."
"Look!" Harry said, he pointed over at the Slytherins. Anna was in deep conversation with Malfoy. But if they weren't really related, then... but did Malfoy know that? They had to find out.
"Hey Polkiss!" Ron barked as Piers headed upstairs. "D'you know who Anna Chang's related to?"
Piers turned and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, Draco told me, she's Anna Black. She's sort of Draco's cousin." He turned and continued walking.
"Where is dear Draco anyway?" Harry asked him. "Or the bodyguards?"
"What bodyguards?" Piers asked them, left eyebrow almost vanishing under his hair. "Oh, if you mean them... Crabbe and Goyle. Draco decided they weren't important."
"So he just got rid of them?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah," Muttered Piers and vanished upstairs.
Then they spotted Crabbe and Goyle. Sitting in a corner and gaping at a newspaper article. "Does the Daily Prophet still think I'm insane?" Harry asked them, but it didn't appear to be the Daily Prophet they were reading, it was Witch Weekly.
"Crabbe! Goyle!" Ron yelled, still concealed behind the tapestry Harry himself had hidden behind so many times before. Harry watched laughing as Crabbe and Goyle stood up, eyes darting round and noses twitching as though they thought they could smell Ron. Then they lumbered off down the corridor, leaving the magazine behind.
"Quick," Harry hissed. The seventh year Head boy was patrolling the corridor and was frowning at the magazine, obviously about to pick it up. Harry, Ron and Hermione lurched forward and grabbing the magazine, dashed back behind the tapestry, but to their surprise, found that it was not empty.
"Ouch!" Came a voice from where Ron's foot was. Ron lifted up his foot. It was Ingrid, Andrew and William.
"What are you doing here? How do you know about the tapestry?" Harry asked them.
"Fred and George told us." Ingrid said. "And they also gave us this." She pulled out a small blue bottle that looked like the venom from a Doxy that Fred and George had shown him last year.
"It's Doxy Venom." William said. "We're experimenting with it, but no luck so far." He gestured at a spot about a foot from them where there was a small hole in the floor that looked like something had exploded there. There was a strip of muggle selotape over it. "We couldn't find a spell to repair it." William explained.
"Why are you experimenting with Doxy Venom?" Hermione asked, sitting down and pointing her wand at the hole, causing it to be filled with stone again.
"Gretchen." Andrew muttered.
"She won't leave us alone!" William said.
"And she's really annoying. I got 101 percent in charms." Ingrid mimicked.
"I wouldn't curse her." Hermione said disapprovingly.
"We're not going to." Grinned William.
"We'll see who's laughing when she can't do the next charms exam!" Andrew said.
"What d'you mean?" Ron asked. "How do you do that?"
"Well," Ingrid explained, "we're feeding her some sort of potion so she can't think of the answer."
"Try a pen." Ron suggested.
"Oh, like that answer to your queries one?" William asked. "I bought one of them at you brothers' shop!"
"That's a good idea," Ingrid said looking thoughtful. "But..." she said scanning the index of a thick red book. "We'll need..." she turned to a page towards the end of the book. "Yes, Doxy Venom, a boomslang skin and Murtlap essence. We've got the rest."
"I know where you can get Murtlap essence!" Hermione said.
"And Snape's got some Boomslang skin in his private stores." Ron suggested.
"I can't see Snape lending us..." William began.
"You don't ask him!" Ron said sounding exasperated. "You just do it, we needed some in our second year."
"We could do it now," Ingrid said. "I wonder if he's in his office or not." Harry pulled out his marauder's map.
"He is." He said. "Wait, he's leaving. Watch out for him, he's on the fifth floor corridor."
"How d'you know..." Andrew began but Ingrid and William were already racing out. "Wait for me!" He yelled and followed them.
"Poor Gretchen," Hermione sighed.
Ron and Harry grinned at each other. "It's a good idea though." Ron said.
"Well, back to this." Hermione said in a business like tone and pulling out the magazine. She flicked through the pages to the one Crabbe and Goyle were reading.
"Hey, our magazine's gone!" Came a loud grunt from the corridor.
"Why are you two looking at me!" Came a bossy voice. "I'm Head Boy."
They turned back to the magazine. The headline glared up at them. 'What's happening to the Daily Prophet?'
The popular Wizard newspaper 'The Daily Prophet' seems in many cases to have lost its touch. Last year, the Daily Prophet had the latest headlines, mainly based on the subjects of Harry Potter, Dumbledore, or Hogwarts. And are currently missing our top subjects such as 'Lucius Malfoy goes under Trial after Potter names him as Death Eater'. When questioned, the daily Prophet manager refused to answer questions and only said they were under new management. However, it is true to say that all the newspapers still believe in Potter's insanity.
Harry groaned. "Who wrote this?" He asked gloomily.
Hermione's eyes widened. "I don't believe it!" She whispered. "Rita Skeeter!"
CHAPTER 23
So the next day, Harry, Ron and Hermione were heading down to the kitchens to talk to the house elves. Hermione reached out her hand to tickle the pear on the painting outside the entrance. At once, the pear became a door handle that Hermione grasped. The door slowly opened.
They had been in the kitchens before, in their fourth year. That was when Hermione started up SPEW a plan to protect the house elves and give them freedom, but thankfully, she seemed to have given up on this and had finally realised that house elves didn't want to be free. It came as a surprise to them to see dozens of small elves scurrying around, preparing the evening feast. At once, they were surrounded by them, all of them offering Ron, Harry and Hermione snacks. "Er, thanks." Said Harry.
"Harry Potter! You came to see us!" Came an excited shriek from one of the house elves. It was Dobby. A house elf harry had met in his second year.
"Yeah," said Harry. "Where's Winky?"
"She is over there Harry Potter, she is feeling very much better." Dobby gestured over at the oven, where Winky was cooking sausages. Hermione went over to talk to her. Harry and Ron however, stayed with Dobby
"Dobby," Harry began. "We wanted to ask you something." So Harry began telling Dobby all about how they needed him to come with them into the forbidden forest to talk to centaurs.
Dobby seemed a bit reluctant at first. "We really need you!" Said Ron.
Eventually, Dobby made up his mind. "Dobby will come, but Dobby does hope it will not be too dangerous."
"Not at all." Said Ron, so they arranged to go on Saturday evening, when both Hagrid and Dobby were free.
"Right," said Hagrid when the four of them arrived at his cabin. "Are you all ready to go? I'll come with you, but I won't talk to the centaurs. I'll go get some animals for my class on Monday. Send up sparks if you need me." So they entered the forest, Fang closely behind them.
"It's alright Dobby," said Harry. The elf seemed to be terrified. "We've been here before. It's not dangerous."
"Where are they?" Ron asked.
"They'll be in the heart of the forest." Said Hermione. Already, it was getting dark. The trees above their heads were thickening by every step they took.
After five more minutes, they were starting to hear distant voices. The voices of centaurs! "We're nearly there!" Harry said.
The voices were getting louder and louder. Then, they heard a human voice. "Oh hurry!" Whispered Hermione. It was easier said than done. Harry and Ron were stumbling along behind her, Dobby close behind them.
"Ahhhh! My robes!" Ron yelled.
"Ron! Come on!" Hissed Hermione. Ron's robes were caught on a rather spiky branch of a tree. "Oh, let me do it!" She snapped as Ron tugged at his robes, making the rip steadily larger. Then they heard a shout. A human shout.
"I wonder who it is." Said Ron, listening carefully.
"Do you Ron!" Snapped Hermione. "Isn't it quite obvious who..." She had tugged Ron free and the three of them and Dobby hurried towards the voices.
"You have been in our forest far too long human!" Barked a centaur. Harry, Ron and Hermione dashed behind a large bush, Dobby closely behind them.
"We shall not take orders from Hagrid anymore!" Roared a centaur.
Harry peered round the bush and saw, though with a lot of difficulty, as the darkness was thickening by every second, a pack of around 50 centaurs; all circled round Luna Lovegood! "Dobby, come on!" Harry hissed at him, and the four of them leapt out from behind the bush. The eyes of all the centaurs were now resting on them. "More humans!" Roared a centaur.
However, most of the centaurs were not looking at Harry, Ron or Hermione, their eyes were fixed on Dobby. "What... is this... thing doing here?" A centaur asked almost nervously. Luna's large eyes drew to gaze at Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dobby as well.
"Who, the elf?" Harry asked stressing the word elf.
"We have never heard of such things." Said another centaur.
"Well, do you know what elves can do?" Harry asked them. All of the centaurs were now staring warily at Dobby. They looked almost afraid.
"We do not like new things." Said a centaur at the end of the pack.
"Oh what can we do for you to take it away!" Bellowed a centaur at the front.
"Well," began Harry, speaking his demands with caution. "We're asking that you may welcome Firenze back into the forest. He is no longer at Hogwarts."
"That traitor!" Barked a dozen centaurs. "Never!"
"Well," stammered Hermione. "We'll stay here, with the elf."
Harry could tell they were thinking about it, even if there were looks of fury in their faces. They drew towards each other and began talking, but they were talking so softly Harry couldn't hear what they were saying. Luna slipped away from them and towards Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dobby.
The centaurs parted. "We have discussed what we think." Said an old centaur at the front. "And we have decided to accept Firenze."
"Oh, that's good!" Said Hermione happily. "We'll just go and get..."
"You will not!" Barked a different centaur. "We have decided to welcome Firenze, but take you." Harry froze. Dobby was quivering down near his waist.
"But... we'll stay here with the elf!" Hermione shouted. "We'll stay!"
"You will not." Said a centaur. "We will destroy the elf, as you call it."
"Destroy it!" Harry's blood seemed to have frozen.
"Yes." Said a centaur. "For Baine knows what this creature is. It is from Hogwarts and will obey any command."
"No it will not!" Roared Harry. "Dobby, don't listen to them, this is an order! Stay here with us!" Dobby did not do anything to show he had understood. He was standing still by Harry.
"Come here, elf." Ordered a centaur. Dobby did not move. Hermione shot sparks high into the air. Harry knew this was a bad idea. The centaurs stamped their hooves in fury.
"I'm sorry." Said Hermione breathlessly. "I lost control of the wand."
Harry looked at Luna. She was gazing at something on the ground, feet from Harry. Harry looked down. It was a snake. A large, fat, green and red one.
Hermione screamed. "It's poisonous!"
"Go on." Said Luna calmly, as though they were in a Hogwarts corridor. "Speak to it."
Harry stared at her. It was true, Harry was a parsletongue. He had not used this rare gift for four years. Dumbledore believed Voldermort had passed it on to him when he had tried to murder him. Voldermort himself had been one. "I'll try." He said, gazing at the snake. "Er, help me!" The snake turned to face him. It understood! The snake turned and began wriggling towards the centaurs at a great speed. The centaurs eyeing it nervously, scattered. Harry turned to the snake. "Thanks." He said. The snake turned towards him for a minute, then vanished.
"Luna, what are you doing in here?" Harry asked her as they began to leave the forest. Luna said nothing. Then, Hagrid came galloping towards them looking breathless.
"Are you ok?" He asked them, looking very concerned. "I saw them sparks."
"We're fine." Said Harry. "They agreed to take Firenze back." He explained what had happened all the way out of the forest.
"Yer mustn't go in there any more." Hagrid said to Luna as they left the forest. "Them centaurs, if they find yer..."
Luna said nothing. They all returned to the castle and Dobby returned to the kitchen. "Dobby does hope he was of use Harry Potter." He stammered.
"You were excellent!" Harry, Ron and Hermione said together. Dobby smiled at them, then vanished downstairs.
"Well we've done it!" Said Ron happily.
"Done what?" Asked Ginny coming over to them. They were back in the Gryffindor common room, sitting in their favourite chairs by the fire.
"A quest." Said Ron.
"A quest? What sort of quest?" Ginny persisted.
"A quest into the forbidden forest Ginny, putting all our lives at danger." Said Hermione glaring at Ron and Harry accusingly.
"It was your idea!" Snapped Ron indignantly.
Ginny had an odd look to her tonight, but Harry couldn't quite work out what it was. He suddenly realised what Anna had told him on the train back from Hogwarts, when he had discovered her in that corridor. He pulled Hermione and Ron away.
"It's Anna!" He hissed at them. "Don't tell her anything!"
"No way!" Ron's jaw fell open.
"Yes, she's a metamorphmagus and she's been using it to disguise herself as other people!"
"I'll ask her something only she would know." Said Ron, looking very pale. "Er Ginny, what's my favourite quidditch team?" Ron called over at her.
Ginny was silent for a moment, then whispered, "I don't remember."
Ron grinned triumphantly. "Then she's not Ginny. She knows it's the Chudley cannons. Honestly, she would never forget! Hey Anna, why are you disguised as my sister?" He called over.
Hermione glared at him. "Oh you idiot!" She snapped.
"Who says I am?" Ginny, or Anna rather asked him.
Ron didn't reply.
"I'm going to Dinner." Said Anna "And by the way, I know where you, the elf and Luna Lovegood were this evening. In the forbidden forest." She left the common room.
"She mustn't do that!" Said Hermione. "It's dangerous. There's something odd about her, I think she's some sort of spy. How else would she know about this evening? You know it was Ginny last time who gave you that note, she read it and made sure she was there in her invisibility cloak."
"Hello" said Ginny as she came through the portrait to the common room. "I've been practising quidditch with..."
"What's my favourite quidditch team?" Ron asked her abruptly.
Ginny frowned at him. "The Chudley cannons. Why?"
Ron let out a sigh of relief and sunk back in his chair. "What?" Ginny asked him again.
"Ginny," Hermione began. "Anna Chang is pretending to be you."
"Oh." Said Ginny. There was no expression in her voice. "Right. Well, I can't see why..."
"I can." Said Hermione. "She's spying on you, Harry for someone. I wonder who. It's like that dream Hagrid's been having, that voice. Maybe Anna's been having the same one."
"What dream?" Ginny asked her.
"Like that dream people had over Christmas. I think it's connected in some way." Hermione said frowning. "But we need to find out exactly what the dream says. We need to see Hagrid." She looked out of the small common room window. It was very dark.
"We'll go tomorrow." Said Harry firmly.
"But you don't need to see Hagrid." Ginny said smiling. "Try Neville, Ingrid, Luna, or that Polkiss boy."
"Why?" Harry asked her in surprise.
"Well, who was at that meeting on the first day back?" Ginny asked him looking excited.
"You mean..." said Ron slowly. "That all the people who've seen someone die will be having weird dreams."
"That means it's Voldermort who's behind it all!" Hermione yelled triumphantly. Ron and Ginny flinched at hearing Voldermort's name.
"Yeah," said Harry. "That would make sense, and that's what Dumbledore thinks. But he wouldn't bother controlling Dumbledore; he's too powerful. I need to find them!"
"Well Ingrid's over there." Ginny said pointing over at a corner where three large armchairs were facing the fire. "And I think Luna's at the owlery."
But Ron had already made up his mind. "Oi! Ingrid!" He yelled in the direction of where there was a tuft of reddish brown hair poking out from behind the large red armchair. The tuft of hair vanished and was replaced by Ingrid's face.
Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione hurried over to her. "Hi," Harry said. "We were just wondering, if you'd been having, those dreams."
Ingrid smiled at him. She was accompanied by her brother, William Shakklebolt and a fourth year girl Harry didn't know the name of. "Yes." She said. "I have been, it's odd because Andrew hasn't been."
"Well, Dumbledore hasn't been and he's seen someone die." Ginny said.
"That's true," said Ingrid thoughtfully, "but he's powerful."
"Are you saying I'm not powerful?" Grinned Andrew. He and William were having another match of gobstones. "I just won." He announced happily as though he knew they were searching for the source of his unusually cheerful mood.
"Anyway," Ingrid continued as Andrew turned back to the gobstones board. The fourth year girl next to her was watching their conversation with interest. "If you want to know what happens, well it's about you. It's really odd. Just like that time over Christmas."
"Oh! I have that dream! The one with the darkness, and weird voices, that Professor McGonnagal said we might have!" She girl next to Ingrid piped up.
"Really?" Ingrid asked her in surprise. "You mean the one about-, "
"Yes!" Said the girl. Harry had not seen her with Ingrid before. She had large round glasses and long brown hair. "I'm Gretchen." She announced. "Well, it's odd. But I know we aren't the only ones. Well, there's this darkness. And then there's a voice. It's cold and eyrie and - "
Ingrid was looking at Gretchen with dislike, apparently annoyed at her for taking her opportunity to tell Harry about the dream. Gretchen however carried on. "Well the voice, it tells me weird stuff." Her eyes grew large and behind the glasses they appeared larger still. "Like, well about you." She gazed at Harry. "But I don't listen. It's silly. No one does do they Ingrid?" Ingrid said nothing so Gretchen harped on. "So I don't obey but the voice says to get to know you. It's really weird!"
"I can imagine." Said Ron grumpily.
"And it's really dark! The voice echoes! I dream it about once a week and every time, the voice says, I see you have found out no information. I am disappointed. But what's it going to do? The voice is a figment of my imagination." Ingrid got to her feet and stalked off to the other end of the common room leaving Gretchen to pester the boys. "Can I play? I'm good at gobstones. I'm better at charms but I'm good at gobstones!" Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny left them and headed back to the other end of the common room, by their favourite chairs by the fire. They could still hear Gretchen withering on: "I got 101 percent in my charms exam! You're not even listening are you?!"
"So..." Said Ginny. "You know who is up to something. I'd watch out if I were you Harry, anyone who tries to get to know you, they're just working for him."
"Hey Potty!" Came a loud jeer from the Slytherin table. "Goyle's dreaming about you!"
"Fantasising more like!" Laughed Piers Polkiss.
Harry turned. Over at the opposite end of the great hall was Malfoy and Piers waving and shouting at him. Then he saw Goyle, over as far away from them as possible. So Goyle was supposed to be 'getting to know him' too. It wasn't working. Harry knew Goyle would rather get to know a mandrake than get to know him.
"Goyle! Fantasising about Harry!" Roared a Ravenclaw who had obviously overheard the Slytherins shouts. Harry glared at them. He knew Goyle wasn't the only one. Why was it him? And more importantly, why were none of them obeying the voice. None of them apart from...
"Hi Harry, Goyle's dreaming about you." Came Anna Chang's voice.
"I would never have guessed." Snapped Harry.
Anna glared at him, obviously offended. "I was just wondering," she said stiffly, "If I could come with you on your next trek into the forbidden forest."
Ron and Hermione were watching them carefully. "Well you may know that much," said Ron still frowning at her, "But we know you're not really Anna Chang and we know Loony Lovegood's not a Skelthirophus and we know..."
Anna fixed him with an expressionless look. "I know that." She said. "But you're wrong. I'm not Anna Black."
"Yes you are!" Argued Ron. "It's on the tapestry, so stop pretending you're related to the Changs."
"I know I'm not related to the Changs." Anna said, still in the same quiet expressionless voice. "I'm not related to your Godfather either though Harry."
"How d'you know about Sirius!" Harry asked her. If the ministry found this out... "And how d'you know we know about Luna and you?"
Anna said nothing. "I just know." She mumbled eventually.
"Well someone obviously told you!" Hermione said.
"Yes," snapped Anna now glaring at Hermione. Her eyes were no longer soft and brown. There seemed to be flames dancing in her pupils. They were cold and sharp. Harry was now was certain she had been obeying the dreams. But she hadn't gone to the meeting. She had told him she had never been fond of Regulus Black. But he was not her father, she had said so herself, who had she seen die? But maybe she was related to him after all. Luna had told them not to trust her, but could they trust Luna? Then Anna spoke again. "Someone told me, but that is not for you to know about." Then she walked away, dark hair sweeping her back as she went.
"So who is she related to?" Ron asked stupidly.
"How should we know that?" Hermione snapped. "Don't you think we'd tell you if we..."
"Look!" Harry said, he pointed over at the Slytherins. Anna was in deep conversation with Malfoy. But if they weren't really related, then... but did Malfoy know that? They had to find out.
"Hey Polkiss!" Ron barked as Piers headed upstairs. "D'you know who Anna Chang's related to?"
Piers turned and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, Draco told me, she's Anna Black. She's sort of Draco's cousin." He turned and continued walking.
"Where is dear Draco anyway?" Harry asked him. "Or the bodyguards?"
"What bodyguards?" Piers asked them, left eyebrow almost vanishing under his hair. "Oh, if you mean them... Crabbe and Goyle. Draco decided they weren't important."
"So he just got rid of them?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah," Muttered Piers and vanished upstairs.
Then they spotted Crabbe and Goyle. Sitting in a corner and gaping at a newspaper article. "Does the Daily Prophet still think I'm insane?" Harry asked them, but it didn't appear to be the Daily Prophet they were reading, it was Witch Weekly.
"Crabbe! Goyle!" Ron yelled, still concealed behind the tapestry Harry himself had hidden behind so many times before. Harry watched laughing as Crabbe and Goyle stood up, eyes darting round and noses twitching as though they thought they could smell Ron. Then they lumbered off down the corridor, leaving the magazine behind.
"Quick," Harry hissed. The seventh year Head boy was patrolling the corridor and was frowning at the magazine, obviously about to pick it up. Harry, Ron and Hermione lurched forward and grabbing the magazine, dashed back behind the tapestry, but to their surprise, found that it was not empty.
"Ouch!" Came a voice from where Ron's foot was. Ron lifted up his foot. It was Ingrid, Andrew and William.
"What are you doing here? How do you know about the tapestry?" Harry asked them.
"Fred and George told us." Ingrid said. "And they also gave us this." She pulled out a small blue bottle that looked like the venom from a Doxy that Fred and George had shown him last year.
"It's Doxy Venom." William said. "We're experimenting with it, but no luck so far." He gestured at a spot about a foot from them where there was a small hole in the floor that looked like something had exploded there. There was a strip of muggle selotape over it. "We couldn't find a spell to repair it." William explained.
"Why are you experimenting with Doxy Venom?" Hermione asked, sitting down and pointing her wand at the hole, causing it to be filled with stone again.
"Gretchen." Andrew muttered.
"She won't leave us alone!" William said.
"And she's really annoying. I got 101 percent in charms." Ingrid mimicked.
"I wouldn't curse her." Hermione said disapprovingly.
"We're not going to." Grinned William.
"We'll see who's laughing when she can't do the next charms exam!" Andrew said.
"What d'you mean?" Ron asked. "How do you do that?"
"Well," Ingrid explained, "we're feeding her some sort of potion so she can't think of the answer."
"Try a pen." Ron suggested.
"Oh, like that answer to your queries one?" William asked. "I bought one of them at you brothers' shop!"
"That's a good idea," Ingrid said looking thoughtful. "But..." she said scanning the index of a thick red book. "We'll need..." she turned to a page towards the end of the book. "Yes, Doxy Venom, a boomslang skin and Murtlap essence. We've got the rest."
"I know where you can get Murtlap essence!" Hermione said.
"And Snape's got some Boomslang skin in his private stores." Ron suggested.
"I can't see Snape lending us..." William began.
"You don't ask him!" Ron said sounding exasperated. "You just do it, we needed some in our second year."
"We could do it now," Ingrid said. "I wonder if he's in his office or not." Harry pulled out his marauder's map.
"He is." He said. "Wait, he's leaving. Watch out for him, he's on the fifth floor corridor."
"How d'you know..." Andrew began but Ingrid and William were already racing out. "Wait for me!" He yelled and followed them.
"Poor Gretchen," Hermione sighed.
Ron and Harry grinned at each other. "It's a good idea though." Ron said.
"Well, back to this." Hermione said in a business like tone and pulling out the magazine. She flicked through the pages to the one Crabbe and Goyle were reading.
"Hey, our magazine's gone!" Came a loud grunt from the corridor.
"Why are you two looking at me!" Came a bossy voice. "I'm Head Boy."
They turned back to the magazine. The headline glared up at them. 'What's happening to the Daily Prophet?'
The popular Wizard newspaper 'The Daily Prophet' seems in many cases to have lost its touch. Last year, the Daily Prophet had the latest headlines, mainly based on the subjects of Harry Potter, Dumbledore, or Hogwarts. And are currently missing our top subjects such as 'Lucius Malfoy goes under Trial after Potter names him as Death Eater'. When questioned, the daily Prophet manager refused to answer questions and only said they were under new management. However, it is true to say that all the newspapers still believe in Potter's insanity.
Harry groaned. "Who wrote this?" He asked gloomily.
Hermione's eyes widened. "I don't believe it!" She whispered. "Rita Skeeter!"