Hi everyone. I'd really like to try and get this posted before THBP comes out (how many people are going to be visiting FanFic THAT week, huh?), but I don't think it's possible. Never mind...
To remind you of the story so far:
Witch Weekly reveals that Aunt Petunia dated Sirius when Lily brought him and James home for the holidays. Sirius gave Petunia the Scribe's Crystal (a kind of magnifying glass that translates any writing into the language of the reader), which she gives to Harry when her secret is revealed. As they prepare to return to Hogwarts, the sixth-years are instructed to travel by Portkey rather than the Hogwart's Express. Snape is not present at the beginning of term, but no explaination is given as to why. When Ron has to go to the Hospital Wing because of an injured nose, (and ends up having to wear a Rhinocoral shield on it) he and Harry discover Snape, heavily bandaged and unconcious. Fred and George reveal that Snape at last got the DADA job, but due to his 'indisposition', Professor Flight (a Siren) has stepped in. The new Potions Master is Professor Polykett. Colin Creevey has been acting strange...
THE CAT IN THE MAP
Colin Creevy was found wandering in the grounds again two nights later.
"Someone keeps playing a trick on me," he said.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting at the common room table. Hermione was doing Ancient Runes homework, Harry and Ron were coming to the end of a game of wizard chess.
Colin and Ginny were sitting in the armchairs nearby and Harry couldn't help overhearing their conversation.
"Madam Pomfrey gave me some Sirenity Drops..."
"Sirenity Drops?" said Ginny.
"Yes, they stop me hearing Professor Flight when she sings at night time," said Colin. "Professor Flitwick has charmed the lake so no one in the castle can hear her, but I can because I've got muggle blood AND mum and dad are both musical - makes my ears more sensitive to the singing apparently. Anyway, someone's been swopping my Sirenity Drops for Assid Drops, so my ears turn into donkeys ears."
"George said they'd done well out of Hogwarts students," whispered Ron out of the corner of his mouth.
"So that's why we needed to use a Portkey instead of the Hogwarts Express," whispered Hermione.
"Sorry, you've lost me," said Harry.
"The first year students couldn't come across the lake in boats as usual because no one knew how many would be affected by the Siren and jump in. They had to use the carriages meant for us."
Harry and Ron looked at each other. Ron shrugged and moved his knight.
"Checkmate," he said, leaning back in triumph with his hands behind his head.
Harry looked down at Hermione's homework.
"Hermione, you've been on that ages," he said.
"I'm glad I didn't take Ancient Runes," said Ron, also peering at Hermione's work. "Looks really complicated."
"Oh, no. It's fun. It's really tough this year though. This particular page is very hard to translate."
The word 'translate' jogged something in Harry's brain.
"Hermione," said Harry. "Stay there, I might be able to help you."
He hurried upstairs to his trunk and took out the velvet box Aunt Petunia had given him. It was underneath Mrs. Weasley's copy of 'Witch Weekly'. Harry paused as he picked up the magazine. He hadn't looked at it yet and he wasn't sure if he wanted to. Most of it would be exaggerated or full-blown lies. In fact, he didn't want to think about Aunt Petunia and Sirius, however it was presented. Even now, the very thought made him feel queezy. He tucked the magazine down the side of the trunk and took the velvet box down to the common room.
"Try this," he said, handing her the box.
Hermione frowned as she removed the Scribe's Crystal.
"What is it?"
"Look at the runes with it," said Harry and laughed at the look of astonishment on Hermione's face as she did.
"Oh, wow! This is fantastic. But...well...Harry? Don't you think it's cheating?"
Ron made a sort of scoffing noise.
"No," said Harry quickly, before Ron could say anything. "You've been working on that translation for hours. This is an aid, for when you get stuck. Keep it for a while. I'm not using it."
"It's beautiful, thank you. Where did you get it?"
"Oh...um...well, it belonged to Sirius." Harry couldn't bear to open up the inevitable discussion that would begin if he mentioned Aunt Petunia's name as well.
"Of course," said Hermione. "I should have guessed - with the snake handles and all."
"Snake handles?"
"Yes. Hadn't you noticed? Look. Two silver snakes, both shaped like the letter 'S'. Like the ones at Grim...you know." She held the Crystal towards him.
Now Harry looked closely, he could see quite clearly the two snakes. He wondered how he could have missed them. He also wondered why snakes seemed to feature so heavily in his life.
"Fancy another game?" Ron asked Harry.
"Haven't you two got Defence Against the Dark Arts homework?" said Hermione, looking up from her book.
"Done it!" they both said proudly.
"Hmmmm," Hermione narrowed her eyes. "This new efficiency at homework wouldn't have anything to do with Professor Flight being related to Veela, would it?"
It was getting late. Gradually the common room emptied.
Harry was concentrating on his next move. He was not as good as Ron at wizard chess and liked to study the board for any sly moves Ron might have made.
Ron, who usually ended up very bored waiting for Harry to move, had taken to amusing himself by spying on people using the Marauders map.
"Moaning Murtle's whizzing around the washstand," he said.
Harry didn't reply. He was concentrating on the chess pieces. Hermione gave a short hum in response.
"Colin Creevy's safely tucked up in bed."
"Uh hu," said Hermione from deep within her book.
"Malfoy's on the move. What's he up to in the corridors at this time of night? Hey! What the..."
Ron had been rocking on the back legs of his chair. He let the chair fall forward with a bang, making Harry and Hermione jump.
"There are two Malfoys on this map! Look!" He turned the map towards Harry and pointed. "There's a Malfoy in the Slytherin common room and a Malfoy on the sixth floor staircase. See?"
Hermione peered at the moving dot.
"It can't be!" she said, shocked. "He's in Azkaban!"
"The map doesn't lie, Hermione," Harry reminded her. "That dot on the staircase is definitely Lucius Malfoy."
Harry fetched the invisibility cloak. It was now impossible for all three of them to fit underneath. Hermione volunteered to stay behind in the common room and go to Professor McGonnegal if Harry and Ron were not back within thirty minutes.
Ron and Harry stumbled off in the direction of Lucius Malfoy, keeping a check on his whereabouts by stopping every so often underneath one of the lit torches along the corridors and checking the Maurauders Map. They met no one except one of the fifth year prefects, presumably returning from the newly appointed bathroom on the third floor. Other than that, the corridors were empty.
As quickly as they could they made their way towards the location of the dot. Everything was so quiet, they almost jumped out of their skin when one of the staircases below them decided to move with a heavy echoing moan.
"Right," whispered Harry, rolling up the map and taking out his wand. "According to the map, he's on this floor. Take it easy and..."
"Look out!" hissed Ron suddenly and bundled Harry into the nearest doorway so that Harry was facing the door and the map was crushed to his chest. "I saw a shadow moving."
"I can't see," Harry hissed back.
"Shhhhh!"
They stood in silence, holding their breath and straining their ears for the least little sound. Then Ron sighed.
"It's OK. It was only Mrs. Norris. She's just walked across the top of the corridor. Come on, where to now?"
Harry uncrumpled the map and opened it out under a torch.
"Where's he gone?" asked Ron.
There were just two dots moving in the area. Madam Pomfrey and the one that Ron had watched crossing the top of their corridor.
"Ron! It wasn't Mrs. Norris. Look!"
Harry pointed to the dot. The label was clearly marked 'Lucius Malfoy'.
They watched in silence as the dot moved steadily down the staircases towards the Slytherin Common Room.
Realising they had used a good chunk of thirty minutes, they made their way back to Hermione as quickly as they dared.
"That must be how he escaped from Azkaban," said Harry. "The same as Sirius did. Lucius Malfoy is an animagus!"
Ron grabbed Harry's arm.
"Remember that cage Malfoy had next to him, the night we used the Portkeys to get us to Hogsmeade?" he said. "The one Pansy Parkinson was clucking at? I bet that was him! I bet it was Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy's dad is also his cat!"
"What IS that on your nose, Weasley?" Malfoy drawled the next day at breakfast. "You know I'll support any attempt to hide your ugly face, but that looks ridiculous. Or are you practising to be a Siren when you grow up?"
Ron, who had been bearing up quite well to wearing the Rhinocoral, had opened his mouth to answer when Harry spoke.
"How's your cat, Malfoy?"
"Cat?" said Malfoy, looking at Harry as if Harry were a piece of dirt on his shoe. "What cat? I haven't got a cat."
"I'VE got a cat." Pansy Parkinson slithered up to Malfoy and linked arms with him. "Draco gave him to me. He's a pedigree. Not like SOME I could mention." She looked down her nose at Hermione as she said this and Harry had a horrible feeling she wasn't referring to Crookshanks. "I've called him Lucius, after Draco's dad. He has special magical powers - pure white cats do."
"Oh, are you SURE he's pure white?" asked Hermione, sweetly. "No dark marks on him anywhere?"
"Mrs Norris? Mrs. Norris!" exclaimed Harry as they made their way up the stairs. "How can you mistake a pure white cat for Mrs. Norris?"
"I dunno. It was dark - she was a long way off..." said Ron.
"But pure white cats are practically luminous!"
"OK, OK. I made a mistake. Sorreeeey. It doesn't change the fact that the cat could be JUST a cat. If Pansy's named it Lucius, then it would have that label attached on the Maurauders Map, wouldn't it?"
"That's just it," Harry reminded him. "Pansy said she'd called the cat 'Lucius', not 'Lucius Malfoy'."
Professor Flitwick had them practising Whispering Charms which enabled you to whisper to someone across a crowded room and only they would hear you. Judging by the gawfs and splutters that filled the classroom, half the class were taking the opportunity to repeat rude jokes.
After lunch it was down to the dungeon for Potions.
"Oh no! Not Incewort Sap again," groaned Ron. "The man's a maniac!"
Everyone in the class took a step back from the tables when the time came for adding the sap. They held the phials at arms length as they dripped the purple liquid into their cauldrons.
The explosion, though less violent than the previous, had enough force to blow parchments off the tables. People scrabbled to pick them up, grateful they still had fingers to do so.
Ron's parchment seemed to have picked up a particularly strong jet stream and glided across the floor and into the store room. He chased after it and came back a few moments later with a puzzled look on his face.
"Ron!"
Ron had been sitting in the common room, absent-mindedly tapping a small green bottle onto the table for the past five minutes or so, and Hermione had finally flipped.
He looked up at her, but Harry could tell by the look on his face, that he was totally unaware of how annoying the tapping had been. Ron held the bottle towards them.
"This is something," he said, indicating the bottle. "I've seen this bottle somewhere and I can't remember..."
"You found it on the floor in the Potions store room," Hermione reminded him.
"I know that! I mean somewhere else. This was on the floor..."
Hermione raised her eyes to heaven and bent over her homework again, just as Crookshanks leapt onto her lap.
"Oh, tch. Crookshanks!" She put down her quill and began stroking the cat. Ron stared at her.
"That's it!" said Ron. "I know where I've seen this before. I saw an identical bottle hanging round Malfoy's neck."
"He wears a tie. How could you see anything around his neck?" said Harry.
"Not Malfoy the prat, Malfoy the CAT! It had one just like it hanging from its collar."
Hermione looked worried.
"I don't like this..." she said.
"AND I've just remembered something else," Ron went on. "When I stood up after picking this up from the floor, there were phials on the shelf level with my head. They were full of white hairs. D'you think they could have been cat's hairs?"
Hermione shut her homework books briskley and put them back in her bag.
"I'm going to Professor McGonnagal."
"Wait! If you tell her, you'll have to explain about the Maurauders Map," said Ron, shocked.
"OH, RON! Does it matter? Things are getting too dangerous now. Why else do you think Professor Flight is singing at night? Voldermort isn't a 'perhaps' anymore, he's BACK, and we know what Malfoy is..."
"Ok, Ok. We'll sacrifice the map..."
Professor McGonagall stared at the map in astonishment.
"I've heard of such things," she said, "but I've never actually seen one."
"Professor, if you look..." Harry began, but Professor McGonagall continued to study the map closely.
"The existence of this map certainly solves a lot of unanswered questions," she said. "Both past and present."
Harry felt the urgency of the situation was not communicating itself to Professor McGonagall. Once again he opened his mouth to speak, but Professor McGonagall got in first.
"How did you aquire this little gem, Mr. Potter?"
Harry and Ron looked at each other in horror. Harry had expected this question at some point, but he hadn't worked out an answer. Fred and George had left the school and were now beyond the recriminations of Professor McGonagall, but even so, Harry was reluctant to tell her that the twins had actually stolen the map from Filch's filing cabinet. He looked at Hermione for help.
Hermione immediately pulled herself up to her full height and put on her determined face.
"Professor," she said in the authoritative voice Harry and Ron knew so well. "You notice there are two Malfoys in the Slytherin Common Room."
Professor McGonagall's eyes moved to where Hermione was pointing. Her question forgotten.
She bent over and peered at the map.
"Hmmmm," she said after watching the map for what seemed like an age. "Lucius Malfoy certainly isn't a registered animagus but that, of course, doesn't mean he isn't one - as we all know." She gave them all a meaningful look over the top of her square spectacles.
"Aren't there tests you can do on the cat?" asked Ron - a little too eagerly, Harry thought.
Professor McGonagall smiled.
"I think I'd prefer to have a little more proof before going down that path, Mr. Weasley." She looked back down at the map, watching the dots moving around the Slytherin Common Room. Then Harry saw her raise her eyebrows, and he too looked down at the map.
Pansy Parkinson appeared to be carrying Lucius Malfoy. She walked across to the Common Room door and set him outside, where he trotted along on his own until he reached the Potions classroom. Professor Polykett could be seen there and as Lucius Malfoy approached the door, Professor Polykett moved towards it and the two dots met. They stopped together briefly before Lucius moved off in the direction of the main staircase.
"Hmmmm. I think this may call for further investigation," said Professor McGonagall. She watched the map intently for a few moments more, her eyes following Malfoy's dot as it moved further up and across the castle. Harry could see she was doing some rapid thinking.
"Yes," she said, decisively, and rolled up the map. "I have my suspicions as to where Mr. Malfoy is headed.
"Mr. Potter, please go and fetch Professor Dumbledore and ask him to join me. If my assumptions are correct, I expect you to find me in or near the Hospital Wing - but take this," she handed Harry the rolled up map, "as a precautionary measure."
Harry took the map from her, surprised and grateful to have it back in his possession.
Professor McGonagall turned to Ron and Hermione.
"Miss Granger; Mr. Weasley; please go and find Hagrid. Inform him that we may be in need of a large cat box."
Harry couldn't imagine Dumbledore ever being lost for words, but he was certainly momentarily stunned when Harry told him that Professor McGonagall had gone in pursuit of what might be Lucius Malfoy disguised as a cat. He stared at Harry, his mouth slightly open, and for a second Harry wondered if Dumbledore had heard him clearly. Then, with a swiftness that made Harry jump, Dumbledore left his chair and went out of the door, saying,
"Come, Harry. She may be in urgent need of help."
Dumbledore moved so fast along the corridors, he seemed to glide along and Harry had to trot to keep up with him.
"Professor McGonagall said to go to the Hospital Wing," panted Harry, knowing there was no chance of checking the map while they were moving at this speed.
"Yes. That would make sense. I only hope we're not too late."
Impossibly, Dumbledore increased his speed. Corridors and staircases went by in a blur. Harry could hardly remember passing through most of them.
Eventually they came to the Hospital Wing and only then did Dumbledore slow down. He approached the double doors to the main ward and pushed them both open.
Harry followed Dumbledore through the doors but had to stop quickly. Dumbledore had gone very still - his left arm held out to warn Harry not to go any further.
Madam Pomfrey was standing to the right of the door. She had one hand at her throat, the other covering her mouth. She was staring towards the centre of the ward at a point hidden from Harry's view by the long sleeve on Dumbledore's robes. She looked very frightened.
To the left Harry could see two patients, both girls, sitting up in bed looking in the same direction and just as scared.
Everything was still. Harry knew something dramatic was happening, even without looking at Madam Pomfrey's face. The very air seemed alive with some kind of electrical charge as if a lightning storm was about to begin.
Slowly, Dumbledore lowered his arm, allowing Harry to see what the others could see.
A pure white cat stood in the middle of the ward. Its back arched, its tail waving violently. Harry could see sharp white teeth as the cat opened its mouth to spit and hiss. High on its hind leg was a large patch of fresh blood.
The injury caused the cat to limp slightly as it circled a second cat - a tabby with distinctive square markings around the eyes.
For every step the white cat took to the right, the tabby took one to the left. Harry could hear very low growling, but whether it came from the tabby or the white or both, he couldn't tell.
Then the white cat stopped and without warning, sprang at the tabby, giving a piercing shriek as it did.
The tabby reacted with lightning reflexes and met the white cat's attack with a leap of its own and a slashing of claws.
The noise was painful to the ears. A seething mass of fur and claws rolled and spat its way across the ward, skidding through pools of blood, their cries getting louder and higher as they swiped and bit each other.
The white cat did a quick somersault, landed on its feet and instantly lunged at the tabby's head. Harry winced as its teeth closed on the tabby's ear, sending blood flooding over the side of its head and over the white cat's mouth.
With a yowl of pain and fury, the tabby lashed out and caught the white's right eye, slashing across it with its claws. The blow continued down to the pink nose which exploded into a mess of red.
The two cats sprang apart, still growling and spitting at each other. Harry could see part of the tabby's ear swinging from the side of its head as blood continued to flow from the wound. The white cat's right eye was now tightly closed and already puffed up. Most of its fur was now sticky and red.
Undaunted, the white cat once again began squaring up to the tabby. The tabby stood quite still, watching its opponent closely and preparing itself for another attack.
Dumbledore moved swiftly and silently around the room. He patted Madam Pomfrey's arm as he passed her, but never took his eyes off the cats.
When he reached a point in the room that gave him a completely clear path to the centre, he stopped, lifted his wand and pointed it towards the cats.
"Lucius," he said. His voice was steady and calm but rang with such command that Harry flinched. "If you have the power to untransfigure, I recommend you do so immediately."
The white cat stopped in its tracks and backed away a little. Its uninjured eye flickered briefly towards Dumbledore, as if weighing up the situation.
Harry was convinced he was about to see Lucius Malfoy appear where the cat stood.
Instead, the white cat suddenly crouched low and with an ear-piercing yowl sprang once again at the tabby.
Before anyone knew what was happening, a bright orange flash issued from Dumbledore's wand.
The white cat froze in mid-air surrounded by a dazzling, pulsating orange light. The cat remained suspended for two seconds before falling heavily to the floor.
Harry didn't know whether Lucius Malfoy was unconscious - or dead.
Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey rushed forward as Professor McGonagall unfurled.
Dumbledore was just in time to catch her as she staggered sideways, her legs collapsing from underneath her.
Together, he and Madam Pomfrey carried her over to a bed and propped her up with pillows as Madam Pomfrey began inspecting the injured ear.
Harry heard the doors behind him open and turned to see Hermione, Ron and Hagrid enter the ward. They stopped dead at the sight before them. Harry could see their minds racing as they looked from the white cat on the floor to the injured Professor McGonagall.
"Hagrid, your patient is over there," said Dumbledore looking up and nodding towards the white cat. "Please be good enough to inspect his wounds. We need to ensure he is then sent directly back to Azkaban."
Dumbledore's attention returned to Professor McGonagall. He sat on the edge of her bed and took her hand in his. Madam Pomfrey was attempting to clean the injured ear. Harry could see Professor McGonagall's jaw clench in an effort not to cry out with pain. Dumbledore gently placed his other hand over hers, watching her with great concern.
"'e's in a bad way, Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid, inspecting the cat. "The leg'll heal all right, but the eye..." Hagrid shook his head. "Reckon he'll be lucky to keep it. 'E's taken a proper thrashing." Hagrid lifted the cat and placed it gently inside the cat box.
Harry felt a deepening respect for Professor McGonagall and noticed Ron also looking at her, thoroughly impressed.
"Hagrid, would you please ask..." Dumbledore paused. Harry guessed that with his two main supporting teachers now out of action, Dumbledore was casting his mind around for the next suitable candidate. "...Professor Flitwick to send word to the Ministry. Also, someone from St. Mungo's should be in attendance when Mr. Malfoy returns to his natural form."
"Right-o, Professor Dumbledore, sir." Hagrid stepped towards the bed and placed a green collar and bottle on top of the covers. He then took the cat box, and with a thin smile at Harry, Ron and Hermione, left the ward.
Professor McGonagall gave a stifled cry and they turned just in time to see Madam Pomfrey catch a lump of red flesh in a bowl. One of the girls across the ward gave a small scream.
Hermione quickly grabbed a set of screens and pulled them around Professor McGonagall's bed, having the presence of mind to enclose Harry and Ron on the correct side.
"It will take a few days," said Madam Pomfrey. "But I can have your ear looking more or less normal again. I just want to bandage the wound and treat the bites and scratches... er... Headmaster... would you mind...?"
They realised it was time to leave. Dumbledore made to stand, but Professor McGonagall held on to his hand.
"He's not a true animagus, Albus," she said. The words came out laboured, each one costing her a lot of effort. "It's a charm. Only temporary abilities..."
"Minerva, that can wait," said Dumbledore gently. "Your rest is far more important..."
"No. This IS important, Albus. Lucius Malfoy has been administering a potion to Severus. Some kind of poison that's keeping him near death..."
Madam Pomfrey gasped.
"Headmaster, I have never seen that cat before and I would certainly NEVER have let it wander into the ward. I can't see how he would have had the opportunity to go near Professor Snape, let alone poison him."
"And yet," said Dumbledore, picking up the green collar and bottle that Hagrid had placed on the end of the bed. "It might explain why Severus has not been responding to treatment."