Okay, here's chapter 10… Hey, I suddenly found the best expression to describe this fic. Sweetly mental. Yeah…
Hey, I know the title for this chapter sounds, what, from a faraway land? Anyways, it's Japanese and you'll see what it means in the next chapter, or maybe in this chapter if you get it. Especially if you speak Japanese…
Title: The Future is Waiting
Chapter 10: Anzen De Nai Momoku
"So, that's what happened, is it?" Ron said, rubbing his chin.
"That's really – weird, Harry…" said Hermione. Harry had just told them all that had happened when Harry left his bed the night before. He had told them everything that had happened, except the thing that happened last.
"I know… It's just – I can't think of a reason – "
"Ah, well… There are a lot of mysteries in life, Harry," Ron said in a voice uncannily like Professor Trelawney's. "Come on, Harry. It's like you haven't seen anything this weird."
"What? You-Know-Who's trying to get into his mind again? Showing drama now is he?" Hermione hissed. It was afternoon and they were sitting near the fire in the common room, waiting for dinner.
"Who else would plant things in Harry's – " Ron started, but halted just as suddenly from the look on Hermione's face. Both of them were still very carefully about the topic, especially when "plant things in Harry's mind" was an exceptionally delicate phrase. Harry felt a mighty pang of guilt. It was indeed because Voldemort had planted a vision in Harry's mind that he had led his friends into the Ministry of Magic, right into the Death Eaters' trap.
"Listen, Hermione. Can't you think of any explanation about this?" Harry asked.
"Well – no," said Hermione, taken aback by Harry's sudden plea for help.
"Can't you go look in the library or something?" said Harry.
"Wow, Harry! I never thought you'd turn to the library for some help!" said Hermione sarcastically. "Why don't you go there yourself? Take Ron with you."
"Hermione! You know the library better than we do! You'll get the answers in no time!" said Ron.
"Well, unfortunately for you, I am in no desire to go to the library any time soon – "
"But we have a homework on – "
"I've finished all my homeworks. You haven't. You can research in the library and at the same time accompany Harry searching for his answers. Right, Harry?" Hermione said in mock kindness.
"Whatever…" said Harry, and he slouched back on his wooden chair. They went to dinner with Ron and Hermione bickering as always, and Harry remaining silent.
But it was not Ron and Hermione's argument that kept him so. He was still thinking about those visions he had been seeing, and he still could find no proper explanation for it all.
After dinner, they went back to the common room and took their usual seats by the fire.
"Hogwarts Prefects and Bridgework Student Heads, please gather around!" came the voice of Simon Archer, a Student Head from Bridgework. "We shall have an emergency meeting! This is urgent, please! Approach quickly!"
Ron and Hermione gave him I-don't-want-to-but-I-have-to-go-there looks, so Harry smiled and just remained in his seat. Ron and Hermione joined the flock of students settling in the center of the room. When all of them had been seated, Harry noticed that two chairs remained unoccupied, and realized who were not there.
"Has anyone seen Head Ashworth?" Archer asked confusedly around the circle of Student Heads and Prefects. No one answered but some shook their heads. "Well then, we shall update her on our meeting later. And, does anyone know where Mr. Malfoy is?"
"He said he had some important business. But he's going to try and attend – he said," Lair said almost instantly. She was smiling broadly and looked really pleased with something, but Harry cannot guess what.
"I hope they do catch up – oh!" Archer looked up as a paper airplane flapped above his head. He snatched it from air and read through. After a few moments, he looked up again. "Head Ashworth says she is unavailable and will make sure she knows what the meeting has been about later. Well…" Archer said, tucking the paper away. "Now, on to the meeting."
Harry heard, but did not understand, the meeting. He had been wondering on the possibility of Rose and Malfoy being together, and the thought of their get together made Harry feel less comfortable. Draco Malfoy was just not the type of person he'd want his friends to hang out with, especially Rose, since Harry had long before proved that Malfoy would do everything to make Rose his.
Harry decided to stay and wait for Rose to return. So long after Ron and Hermione had went up to bed (their meeting finished past midnight), and the sixth years' common room emptied, Harry was to be found sitting by the fire, staring into nothingness.
Harry was already bored, but awake and alert. He was starting to think of getting up and searching for Rose when Dumbledore's head appeared in the fire.
"P – Professor Dumbledore?" said Harry, blinking his eyes.
"Harry," said Dumbledore, calm as ever. "I did not expect to see you here."
"I – I was waiting for – "
"I was wondering whether you've seen Rose, Harry," Dumbledore said.
"R – really?" said Harry, getting confused by the minute.
"Yes, Harry. Rose Ashworth."
"I – I've been waiting for her too. I haven't seen her since dinner, Professor."
"Since dinner, is it? But it's almost dawn," said Dumbledore, concern in his voice. "Do you have an idea where she might be?"
"Well, no. But I think she's with Malfoy," said Harry, confession his suspicion.
"Draco Malfoy?"
"Er, yeah…"
"Harry, may I ask you to find both of them?" Dumbledore asked.
"Er…"
"Harry, it is not against law to find a friend when you are worrying about him or her," said Dumbledore.
Sure, Rose was his friend and he was willing enough to find her. But Malfoy too?
"May I request that at this moment you forget the differences between Mr. Malfoy and yourself?" said Dumbledore.
"Okay," said Harry.
"Please hurry. There may well be danger…"
"Danger?" Harry said, startled.
"I have no time to explain, Harry. But soon enough you will find out. Now, please go and find them," Dumbledore said.
His head then disappeared and Harry got up. He had no idea where to go, but he had to find Rose. If this danger was regarding Voldemort, he was in danger too. But Harry understood why Dumbledore wanted Rose found; Rose was the only other person, aside from Harry, to survive Voldemort's curse. And if he, Voldemort, wanted Harry dead, Harry was pretty sure who Voldemort wanted to kill next.
Harry, made his way down another blank corridor, as they always were at Bridgework, to the Potions classroom. The corridor he was walking along, and all those he passed by were very dark, only slightly illuminated by the moonlight passing through the occasional windows. He had heard that Rose spends a lot of time there, though he had never remembered to ask why. He was hoping he'd find her there. He had no intention whatsoever of trying to find Malfoy. He certainly did not care about him. And he was sure that if the matter involved Voldemort, which was probably sure enough, Malfoy would be in no danger, for he and his family had always supported Voldemort. Voldemort would probably be pleased to see him, Harry thought to himself.
He had turned the corner of the corridor where the Potions room was located, and found, to his horror, Draco Malfoy and Rose Ashworth indeed together, sitting on the floor, leaning their backs against the wall, just next to the Potions door. They seemed to be talking quietly.
Harry did not know what to do for a moment. He stood frozen at the end of the corridor, silently staring at the pair farther along. Then, Malfoy noticed him.
"Potter?" Malfoy's voice echoed all around the hollow passageway.
"Yeah," said Harry nervously. He was sure anything Malfoy had to say was foul. "Yeah, it's me… What're you – what're you two doing here?"
"What's the matter? Concerned about us, aren't you?" said Malfoy. He got up, and helped Rose to her feet to. They both turned to Harry, but did not come any nearer.
"Harry? Is that you?" said Rose.
"Yeah… What're you doing here, Rose?" said Harry.
"We – we were – "
"I think it's none of your business, Potter, concerned as you are," Malfoy cut in.
"I'm concerned about Rose, not you. Shut your mouth, will you?"
"Concerned about her? Like I don't know what you want!" said Malfoy, his voice a little louder now.
"Oh yeah? What do I want then? Do I want her? Who brought Rose here in a desperate attempt to get her all alone? Did I, Malfoy?" Harry said, his voice louder as well.
"Are you accusing me of – "
"Yeah, I'm accusing you of every foul thing you could do and you know what? You're guilty – "
"Stop it, you two!" Rose suddenly yelled, cutting Harry. "What is the matter with you two? Can't you at least save that for another day? Fine, you hate each other, but do you have to act like this every single time you meet? Can't you just – just stare angrily at each other or something? Can't you even control your tempers?"
"Rose, it's not about temper – " Draco started.
"Staring angrily at him doesn't make the loathing lighter – " Harry also began.
"I don't care!" Rose yelled again. "The thing is – " she said in a threatening voice Harry had never heard before this. " – you always do your scuffle at the wrong time and place."
Both Harry and Malfoy fell silent.
"Library? First assignment in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"Oh…" Malfoy said, remembering.
"Oh… So you remember? You two are just so – so like airheads!"
"Rose, we don't – don't just argue in front of you. I mean, when we meet in other places – " Harry tried to explain.
"You argue too," Rose finished. "That's the thing," she said quietly. She remained silent for a few moments, then she spoke again in her normal tone. "Listen, this is not the time to talk about this. Harry you have to help us."
"Help you? What d'you – "
"Don't you notice? We can't move here? But if you really, really hate me, you can just go and not help us. I don't really want to be helped by you anyway," said Malfoy.
"Cut it I said," said Rose conversationally. "Harry, we've been stuck here for hours and we don't even know why. And it was not Draco's doing," she added.
"Well, I won't know how to get you out unless I know what's blocking your way… Wait, let me try and walk there okay?" Harry said, taking careful steps toward Rose and Malfoy.
When he was just two feet away, he hurried his steps and expected to collide with a glass wall of some sort, but he went right through, like nothing was blocking the way. Were Malfoy and Rose bluffing? Perhaps Malfoy had been able to persuade Rose to play a prank on him?
"What – How did you do that?" Malfoy said.
"Harry?" Rose said.
"I – I don't know. Are you sure something was blocking your way?" Harry said, turning to Rose and Malfoy.
"Yes, we're pretty sure," said Malfoy sarcastically.
"We couldn't get through, Harry. We tried everything," Rose said, almost pleadingly.
"But – how – why don't you try getting through it now?" Harry said. Malfoy violently slammed his shoulder against the unseen wall. He gave a low moan of pain and slowly slid down the invisible blockage. Rose hurried to his side and ushered him to sit properly.
"Harry, why don't you try to walk through it again? See if you can still get through," said Rose.
Harry walked cautiously again, and passed Malfoy, whose back was against the invisible wall. He had gone through it again.
"Harry?" Rose said, uncertainty in her voice now. If she did not understand what was happening, Harry had no better idea.
"Listen, I'm gonna get back there," Harry said, struck by a sudden idea. He walked back to Malfoy's front. "Hold my hand," he said.
"What?" said Rose.
"Hold my hand. Just – it's just a theory," said Harry. Rose got up, an expression of bewilderment on her face, and held Harry's hand. She was trembling slightly, Harry felt.
He walked past Malfoy again and pulled Rose closer to him. And Rose went past Malfoy too.
"You – you got through?" Harry said, his confusion at its highest rate that night.
"I guess so," said Rose slowly. She seemed to be deep in thought. When she finally spoke, she had her pleading voice again. "Harry, can you pull Draco through too?"
"Wh – him?" said Harry
"Yes. Can you just – pull him through like you did with me so we can all get out of here?"
"I can survive without him helping me, thank you – " Malfoy started again.
"And I don't wanna help someone whose pride's so – " Harry raised his voice, but Rose yelled yet again.
"Won't you ever stop?" she said, her voice louder than anyone's.
"Okay… I – I'll get him… But only because you say so… Not because I actually want to help him – "
"Okay, I get the point!" shouted Rose.
"Like I want your help," muttered Malfoy, but he took Harry's arm all the same and walked through to Rose.
"Are you both all right?" said Rose breathlessly.
"Yeah," said Harry.
"I guess so," said Malfoy.
"Let's go back, shall we?" Rose said.
She turned and walked to the end of the corridor, Harry and Malfoy right behind her. Just then, they heard a sudden swishing sound and a flash of red light shone from the right of the corridor they were approaching for a few moments, and then it disappeared.
"What was that?" Malfoy said.
"I don't know," said Rose in a hushed voice. She walked cautiously to the end of their corridor.
"Wait – Don't!" Harry yelled.
"Rose!" Malfoy shouted at the same time.
But Rose had already peered around the corner, trying to see through the black.
"There's – nothing here," she said, puzzled. Both Harry and Malfoy strode to her and saw for themselves that there was nothing in the place where the red light supposedly came from.
"L – let's go," Rose suddenly said, her voice shaking.
"What? Why?" said Harry. He wanted to investigate more about the peculiar light.
"This – this isn't right. We have to go – to our dormitories," said Rose.
"What's the matter? Why are you suddenly fearful?" Malfoy asked.
"Please, we have to go! We don't want to be here!" said Rose, her voice pleading once more. "Leave it to the authorities. They can figure this out. You don't have to – "
"What was that?" said Harry this time. A loud echoing bell had rung somewhere, and from what he has seen of the Bridgework castle, there were no bells anywhere.
Rose closed her eyes and quietly said, "We have to run…"
The three of them tore along the corridor, ignoring the bell growing louder. When they had reached the place where the stairs to the common room appeared, Rose took out her wand and made an incantation Harry had never heard of. It sounded like a Chinese spell.
Icy blue light appeared and formed a dome around the three of them. Moments after, more red light flashed around them. Rose raised her wand again and said "Pure blood," pointing her wand at the ceiling. The marble steps descended, and she started to climb. Malfoy said "Pure blood," and went after Rose. Harry said "Half blood," and climbed up too. When he had reached the top, the stairs disappeared, and the floor of the sixth years' common room became smooth again.
"I see you three have managed to come back safely," said Albus Dumbledore, sitting on Harry's favorite chair by the fire.