Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers and its various publishers own Harry Potter. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Thanks to all the people who reviewed! Notes to reviewers are at the end of the chapter.
Chapter 28
Schemes and Dreams
Monday morning came around too soon. An overnight storm had brought a thick layer of powdery snow so Harry decided not to run. It had been ages since he'd had a lie in. He tried rolling over and pulling the covers over his head, but he couldn't go back to sleep.
He kept turning things over in his mind. Last night there had been no one to talk to. When he tried to mirror call Ginny, she was still busy with her study group, and he wasn't sure how Ron and Hermione would take the news about Malfoy's escape, so it was a relief they weren't around. After tossing and turning in bed for a while longer, he decided to simply give up and go to breakfast.
The other Gryffindor sixth years were still sleeping. Loud snoring noises were coming from Dean's closed bed curtains. Ron and Seamus were also breathing audibly. Neville, whose skin had faded to a slightly unnatural pink, was snarled up with his bedclothes.
Harry walked quickly through the quiet tower, stepping through the portrait hole without disturbing anyone. Outside in the corridor, a flash of fire heralded Aurora's arrival. Perhaps she was curious why they weren't running today. He gave her a treat and patted her head. While he whispered to her about the snowstorm keeping them from running, he added regretfully that it would prevent him from visiting Hagrid. Trilling a brief note, the beautiful phoenix Apparated the two of them to the doorstep of Hagrid's hut.
Although he hadn't intended for them to go there, he couldn't help but smile. She meant well.
"Thanks, Hagrid's gonna be thrilled." Although Harry had told him about his phoenix, he had yet to introduce them.
He knocked on the door of the hut, anticipating a warm greeting, but there was no answer. It began to snow again, this time in thick, heavy flakes. Disappointed, Harry began to walk back up the rapidly disappearing path to the castle with Aurora on his shoulder. He stopped when he heard a distant bark. It was difficult to see through the soft white flakes, but he thought he saw Fang emerge from the forest and bound toward him with Hagrid striding along behind him.
Apparently, Harry was easily identified despite the snow because, as he approached, Hagrid shouted, "Wait there, 'arry?" When he was close enough to see, he stared, mesmerized by the red and gold bird on Harry's shoulder.
Stomping his feet on the step to get the snow off his shoes, Harry suddenly wondered if he was intruding. Hagrid hadn't even invited them inside. Harry laughed to cover his discomfort and tried to explain. "I just whispered that I wished I could see you and she whisked us here…er…sorry if you're busy. We'll just be going."
Startled out of his reverie, Hagrid said, "Where're me manners. Come along in, now. Take a moment to warm up and have a cuppa. Why…yer not even dressed for the weather!"
Wearing his Hogwarts uniform, without a cloak, Harry was relieved to get inside the warm hut. It had been ages since he and Hagrid had a quiet talk. They settled in near the fire with their tea and conversed, mostly about their Magical Creatures class. Aurora stayed close to Harry as he settled into his chair -- perhaps because of the odd looking salamander-like creature in the cage next to it. But when Hagrid offered Aurora some ginger roots, she took them and perched on a rafter above them, next to the hodge-podge of empty cages that Hagrid had stored there.
Sitting down on the sofa, Hagrid dropped his hand down to gently rub Fang's head. Then, with a puzzled look on his face, Hagrid shoved his huge hand under the sofa cushion beneath him and pulled out something that looked suspiciously like a bone. He gave it to Fang, who began to gnaw on it hungrily, and said, "Ah…you've got a right fine pet there, 'arry."
"I'm not sure she's exactly a pet. She does just as she pleases." Despite that, he did feel a bond with the phoenix. He'd even come to rely on her presence in some ways. Yet Harry couldn't help wondering why Fawkes took directions from Dumbledore while Aurora had such a will of her own.
"A phoenix can be a tricky pet," Hagrid said, looking up at the bird with admiration. "But there's none more loyal. She'd lay down her life for yeh. That's sure. And she probably knows more 'bout what you're thinking than she lets on. They're very observant. Wait 'til yeh get ter know each other better."
As if she knew they were talking about her, the phoenix flew down and nudged Harry's hand. While he ruffled her head feathers fondly, she disappeared.
A little taken aback, Harry picked up his rather large mug of tea and took a sip. "See what I mean? I'm never going to get used to that. Oh…she's wonderful, don't misunderstand me. She's amazing and beautiful. I just wonder what Dumbledore does to…to communicate with Fawkes."
"Are yeh worried 'bout where she goes?" Hagrid asked.
Harry answered with a small smile, "Oh, I know where she goes…It's warm and green and she has a nest high in the trees. She's taken me there plenty of times…I just wonder why she takes off like that."
"Maybe she jus' don't like snow," Hagrid said, walking over to the hearth, as a cold wind rattled the frosty windows.
Watching Hagrid move the fire screen and stoke the blaze, Harry felt very relaxed. "Er…I know she makes me safe. It's just that maybe if she weren't so…unpredictable, the Headmaster would trust me more. I don't need to be locked up in the castle. I could help."
One thing seemed clear to Harry. If the Headmaster trusted him, he would have taken him up on his offer to pursue Snape. After all, he'd made the offer despite his own feelings of distrust toward the Potions Master. Dumbledore must know that.
Hagrid put another log on the fire and said, "It's no use yer makin' plans while you're s'posed to be a student. Yer day will come, but 'til then, you best do whatever Dumbledore tells you. He's…"
Interrupting him, Harry said, "What about Malfoy? He's supposed to be a student and yet he took the Dark Mark."
The half-giant shuddered at the mention of the Mark. "When a wizard goes Dark, no one can stop 'em. Best leave that business ter the Headmaster. He's only tryin' ter look out for yeh."
Then he shrugged and changed the subject. "Now that I think of it, I saw some dwarf juniper growin' down by that mossy spring in the forest." He took a long drink of his tea.
Wondering why that would be important, Harry waited patiently for Hagrid to keep going. When he didn't say anything more, Harry said, "That's nice."
Hagrid fingered a hole in his sleeve. "Nice! I should think yeh'd be happy…weren't yeh just moanin' 'bout looking for green wood fairies for the MacMillan boy. They like dwarf berries in the winter…course yeh already knew that."
Although the fairies were important, they could wait. Harry sensed there was something Hagrid wasn't telling him. "What else did you see in the woods this morning, Hagrid? What happened to your sleeve?" It looked like something had burned through.
"Oh…fire flies…as big as 'yer fist. They're breedin' now. Been pesterin' the Thestrals."
One of them obviously objected to Hagrid's presence in the woods.
"Fire flies…in a snowstorm?" Harry asked.
"Probably came to Hogwarts with them dragons." Hagrid gulped down the rest of his tea and stood up. "Well, best be off. I'm thinkin' of settin' up traps. Somethin's been stealin' food from the Thestrals." Laughing shortly, he said, "A course it's probably best not to bother Dumbledore with the Thestral's problems just now. He's that worried — what with no one hearin' from Professor Snape."
Of course, Harry pounced on that, practically spitting out his tea. "No one's heard from Snape?"
"Er…Maybe I shoudn' a said that. I thought yeh'd already know…Dumbledore jus' said that they haven't been able to contact him. Seemed real worried."
Hagrid's words made him wonder. If Snape were in some kind of trouble, Harry had an idea how he could help. Not that Snape ever helped him. It might not even work, but he could try. And it might go a long way to gaining Dumbledore's trust.
Harry must have looked worried because Hagrid tried to reassure him. "Don' be worryin' 'bout this, too, 'arry. The Order'll find Professor Snape all right."
Offering to help him with the traps later, Harry took off toward the school. He climbed to the owlery with a quill and some parchment borrowed from Hagrid. While it took some coaxing, he eventually convinced Hedwig to take a message for him. Now he'd have to hurry back to Gryffindor to collect his books before class.
When he arrived in the common room, he found a crowd gathered around the notice board. Battling his way through the throng of students, Harry reached Ginny's side. "What's so interesting?" he asked, gratefully catching a whiff of her shampoo as the group jostled to make room for him.
Ginny smiled a greeting and linked her arm through his. Tacked up on the notice board in the common room, alongside the lost and found notices and the Quidditch practice schedule, was an official looking notice announcing that all Hogsmeade trips were canceled until further notice.
Colin Creevey said, "I guess that's their way of saying stay in the castle and be good."
Harry, who'd felt cooped up all winter, silently agreed. Colin wasn't alone in voicing his displeasure. There were several grumblings and groans throughout the crowd despite the recent attack in the village.
Sighing, Ginny said, "Hopefully, it won't be forever."
Pulling her arm, Harry led her away from the crush of the crowd and whispered, "There's more to this. Malfoy's disappeared along with Snape."
Ginny gasped and said, "Wait until Hermione finds out. She'll go spare."
"And you think Ron will be cheerful?" Leading her over to the window, he pleaded with her. "Stay with me while I tell them."
While Ginny made a face that said she wasn't looking forward to that conversation any more than he, she didn't argue. With Harry's hands holding hers to his chest and his eyes pleading so intently, she wasn't difficult to convince. Actually, she looked like she might kiss him right there in the middle of the crowded common room. After a moment, she broke away, muttering about waking Hermione.
Seamus walked down the stairs as she walked off, nodding knowingly at the sight of Harry and Ginny looking so intense so early in the morning.
"So things are finally heating up with you and Ron's sister." Seamus winked at Harry. "Sure…and it's a secret that's safe with me. You wouldn't want to be speaking of it with Ron around. He might not take too kindly to his little sister…you know…"
Interrupting this rather appalling speech from Seamus, Harry said, "Er…I think you've got the wrong idea."
But Seamus' reaction was to give him another wink, then say rather loudly, "Ah…good morning, Ron." Taking off in the direction of Lavender and the portrait hole, Seamus gave Harry one last knowing smile.
Looking clueless as he stood at the bottom of the stairs, Ron asked, "What's with him?"
Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes to indicate that Seamus was just being weird. "He's got some wrong ideas. But I'm glad you're up, Ron. I have something to tell you, but we have to wait for Hermione."
Not too happy about waiting, Ron said, "Couldn't you tell us while we eat breakfast?" As if to punctuate his plaintive question, his stomach rumbled.
Arriving with Hermione in tow, Ginny said, "Your stomach, honestly, Ron. Some things are more important…and…" She dropped her voice to a whisper and continued, "We can't talk about this around everyone."
Slipping underneath Ron's arm so he'd have it draped over her shoulder, Hermione asked quietly, "Is this about Malfoy?"
Harry smiled at her. "Can't get anything past you. Yes…it seems that Malfoy has fled the castle with Snape chasing after him," Harry answered quickly.
Hermione began to breathe heavily. Then she exploded with righteous indignation. "How? I don't see how Dumbledore could have let this happen! I mean…a teenage wizard, without a wand! He couldn't just vanish from a locked dungeon by himself." Her lips drew into a tight line like she had more to say, but was trying to control herself.
Eyes narrowed, Ron asked, "How do we know Snape's chasing him? Maybe he helped him escape?"
In a quiet but agitated voice, Harry said, "I really don't think so…Snape was trying to take Malfoy's side, but he was also helping Dumbledore." He tried to keep his voice low although the common room was nearly cleared out by now. Most people had left for breakfast before their argument got underway.
Still red faced and indignant, Hermione hissed, "Malfoy'd need help from someone who could get past the wards. It couldn't have been a student. You know it as well as I do, Harry."
Ron nodded and pulled her closer, squeezing her arm to comfort her.
Looking from one friend to the other, Harry said, "I agree with you…it's just…I don't see what we can do about this. I offered to go after them. Dumbledore didn't like that plan."
It was hard to see his best friends so upset. Ginny worked her hand into his. He clasped it gratefully.
Forgetting where they were, Ron said heatedly, "Since when are you content to just do what Dumbledore wants? Malfoy could have killed Hermione! He could have killed you! He tried to hand my sister over to You Know Who! Thanks to Dumbledore, Malfoy could show up again…anytime…anywhere. How can you be so calm?"
Yet Harry wasn't calm; he'd been fighting against the anger rising inside him ever since being in the dungeon with Malfoy. Everything seemed out of control. He knew the façade of composure that he struggled to maintain would crumble if he let go the way his friends were doing. In a deadly quiet voice, he said, "I'm as upset as you are…it's just, I'm not sure venting my anger will be helpful right now."
They all fell silent as a couple of first years walked by. When the younger students had gone, Harry continued, "Aren't you the one that always says we should trust Dumbledore, Hermione?" He felt a little hypocritical, knowing that the Headmaster would probably not approve of the letter he'd just sent, and he was sure that his friends wouldn't.
Realizing they weren't convinced, Harry shrugged and looked at Ginny for ideas.
Delivering him for the moment, Ginny said, "We can't figure this out now or we'll all be late to class…and Harry can't be late or he'll have to give himself detention."
Harry ignored Hermione and Ron's protests and let himself be pulled away, thinking maybe his day was looking up. A few moments alone with his girlfriend seemed like a great plan, but she quickly abandoned him on the other side of the portrait hole, calling out that she'd see him later as she rushed off to her Muggle Studies class.
Feeling a little let down by her abrupt departure, Harry ate a hurried breakfast alone. The fast-paced Defense classes took all of his attention throughout the morning, and cleaning up after class made Harry late to lunch. He mirror called Ginny to apologize, but found that she'd eaten early so her study group could meet with Professor McGonagall.
As he walked toward the Gryffindor table, Harry was relieved to see Ron and Hermione sitting across from each other, until he saw the grim look on their faces.
Ron grumbled a welcome, but Hermione started in on him as soon as he'd taken a seat. "I just don't see how we can sit by and let this happen!" She slapped the table with her palm. "He must have had help getting out! At the very least someone must have smuggled in a wand. You've worked on the castle wards, Harry. Could a student get through them?" She continued in this vein for several minutes.
When she finally stopped to draw breath, Harry said, "You're right…about everything. I agree with you, Hermione."
It really bothered Harry to see her so upset. He tried to find words to reassure her. "And you want to feel like you're doing something. I know because I feel the same way. Except we're not in charge. Dumbledore is. If we get in the middle of what he's doing, we'll makes things worse." He rationalized that one little letter didn't really constitute meddling.
Hermione examined Harry's face closely, her eyes boring into his.
"You aren't taking Legilimency lessons, are you?" Harry asked her suspiciously, then gave out a short, nervous laugh.
Ignoring his attempt at humor, she said slowly, "I see your point. We don't want to get in the way of the Order." She seemed to come to some sort of conclusion as she spoke. "So…we should plan carefully. We wouldn't want to go stumbling into some sort of a trap at Malfoy Manor."
"Malfoy Manor?" Harry repeated, hoping he hadn't heard her right.
Waving her hand in front of her like she was wiping away her words, Hermione frowned. "I'm just thinking out loud, Harry."
"Sh…" Ron said, narrowing his eyes as he watched Hermione.
Ron looked pale and unhappy. Harry hadn't seen him like this since they'd found the cure for Hermione. He'd watched his two best friends become closer than ever through that ordeal. Helping himself to some soup, Harry wondered briefly if Ron agreed with Hermione or if he was just worried because she was so upset.
Finally Hermione broke her silence. First she looked at Ron, then Harry, then she said, "All right…I know it wouldn't be smart to chase after him — especially when we don't know what the Order is doing." She shook her head sadly. "But what else can we do? As long as he's out there, he'll try to hurt one of us again. He will. I just know it."
Harry couldn't believe this was the same girl who'd tried to talk him out of going to the Department of Mysteries last spring. Trying to reason with her, Harry said, "We don't have any idea what will happen next. We should just wait and see how things go. Snape could bring him back tomorrow."
Incredulous, Ron finally spoke. "I can't believe you'd even think that's possible. Snape's gone back to his own kind."
Harry couldn't really blame Ron for thinking that way. It was certainly his first conclusion, but now that he'd thought it over, Harry was sure it wasn't true. Snape had been cooperating with Dumbledore down in the dungeon. He'd definitely spiked Malfoy's tea. Harry was convinced that helping Snape might actually lead to recapturing Malfoy without any more people being hurt.
Still, Harry knew talking about Snape wasn't going to make Hermione feel safer or dissuade her from the wild scheme she was concocting. He watched as she swirled her chicken noodle soup without eating. Then she surprised him.
"This is what our lives are going to be like." She spoke without anger, quietly, with the confidence of someone who had thought her words through completely. "We aren't going to graduate and lead safe, comfortable little lives."
Harry noticed Ron blushing. It began with his ears and spread over his face. But he listened carefully, without interrupting. Of course, Harry had never led a safe, comfortable life, but he knew what she meant. He wanted that, too -- someday.
Putting her napkin on the table like she was finished with lunch, Hermione continued to explain. "I mean, I've always dreamed we'd live our lives like my parents — only with magic. But it's not going to be like that. We'll always be fighting this war because there'll always be someone — whether it's Voldemort or Draco -- out there who could take our lives away."
Ron laid his hand palm up on the table in front of her and said, "We won't be fighting alone."
"And we'll win," Harry said, resolutely. He patted her shoulder to comfort her.
She reached forward and took Ron's hand for a moment. Then she put her napkin back in her lap and picked up her spoon. Lifting a bit of soup toward her mouth before swallowing, she said, "Not that I'm giving up on recapturing Draco ourselves."
At these words, Harry groaned inwardly, but his attention was drawn to a group of fifth years at the entrance to the Great Hall. Ginny was among them, toting an extra bag of books and looking slightly tousled.
Colin, Allison and her other study group friends kept walking, as she plunked down heavily next to Harry. Oblivious to the strained faces around her she said, "McGonagall has got to be stopped! She assigned us five feet of parchment on Invertebrate Transfiguration and told us there would be a review test at the end of the week. Then she called our study group into her office to give us an extra assignment. "
Glad of the distraction, Harry sympathized with her. Pouring her a glass of juice, he said, "The O.W.L.'s are really tough. You need to pace yourself."
She took the goblet gratefully and continued. "I'm not the only one beginning to feel the pressure." Leaning closer and grinning, she said. "Colin's worried his hair is thinning from too much stress."
Ron and Hermione were too distracted by their own quiet conversation to listen properly. They just heard Colin's name and looked in his direction. Harry threw his head back and laughed, looking down the table to where Colin was sitting.
Ginny said reprovingly, "Don't everybody look…he'll know I'm talking about him."
She began to load a plate with Rhubarb Crumble. Floating over with her usual serenity, Luna sat down on the other side of Ginny. Everyone smiled a greeting to her, but she didn't speak for a moment.
When Harry was about to pay attention to his lunch again, Luna finally asked, "Has anyone seen Neville?"
Without looking up from his food, Ron shook his head.
Harry shrugged and answered, "Not since before breakfast." He had a vivid picture in his mind of Neville sprawled out on his bed. "Maybe he slept in," Harry suggested as he brought a forkful of chicken toward his mouth.
Gazing around as if she might see Neville materialize out of thin air, Luna seemed confused. "Someone was in the Greenhouse this morning. I thought it might've been him."
While Ginny and Luna began to discuss McGonagall's latest project, Hedwig glided toward Harry. She landed in front of him gracefully and formally extended her message bearing leg.
Ignoring the letter, Harry held out his juice for her to drink and petted her soft, white head. He murmured softly to her and finally removed the letter. Hedwig took off almost immediately, making Harry wonder if she was truly over meeting Aurora. Anyway, she'd taken the letter for him this morning, and apparently had waited for a reply.
Tuning back into the table conversation, Harry wasn't surprised to hear Hermione discussing more plans for recapturing Draco while Ron listened patiently.
Pushing her plate away, Ginny looked at the letter that Harry was still holding in his hand. "Who's it from?" she asked.
"Seems to be from Remus." He held it out for her to see, but he didn't have time to explain. Lunchtime was almost over. Harry looked at the faculty table and noticed that Dumbledore was missing. Reluctantly, Harry excused himself, and went to look for him.
The Headmaster was in his office, looking out the window across the grounds. When Harry knocked, he called to him to enter, but he made no further greeting as the teenager came in. Not particularly wanting to intrude on the venerable Professor's reverie, Harry silently joined him at the window.
Outside, Harry could see Fawkes stretching his wings across the snow covered hills surrounding the castle. The day was still overcast. Mists hung low over the forest, like steam rising. The skies looked forbidding.
Without acknowledging Harry, Dumbledore broke the silence. "I remember when Fawkes first came to me. It made me feel…indestructible. Nevertheless life has taught me that we are all mortal."
Harry took the Professor's words as a warning. "I know what you're getting at…and I will be careful, but you know as well as I do -- I'll have to fight eventually."
Dumbledore turned his attention to the young man in front of him. "Is that what brought you here?"
Handing him the letter he received at lunch, Harry said, "No…I just received this note from Remus. Only I know it's not from him. He's at Wolfhaven…I charmed it." Harry mustered his courage; he knew his gesture could be taken as a help or a hindrance. "Only Sn…Professor Snape could read it properly."
"Of course. Very clever, Harry." Dumbledore held the parchment out toward Harry expectantly.
Dutifully pulling his wand and uttering an incantation, Harry watched the words on the page transform.
Mr. P-----:
Please relay this message to the proper authorities. Your assumptions about my current pursuits are quite correct. However, I do not require any assistance. Normal channels are being watched.
Your "help" is not necessary. In the future, a less conspicuous form of communication would be appreciated.
Prof. S-----
Dumbledore mused calmly, "Alas, we can't take Professor Snape at his word here. For all we know, this could have been written under duress. He is most likely in great need of some assistance." Peering over the half-moon glasses on the end of his nose, Dumbledore said, "I know you meant well, Harry…but there's a reason we generally don't send owls to our operatives…"
Reddening, Harry said, "I know, sir…I didn't really think it through. I just…" He didn't know what to say. Of course, he realized now that a large, snowy white owl might not have been the best choice of messenger. He was lucky the Headmaster wasn't furious with him.
Shaking his head as he examined the letter closely, Dumbledore said, "You wanted to help…and I must admit to some surprise. And this is his handwriting…unmistakably."
Harry had to admit the writing was distinctive.
The Headmaster gave Harry a long, appraising look. "I will also say that I am pleased to have this response from Professor Snape. Although I was certain he was only following the established procedure, we haven't heard from him through the normal channels and it's had me a bit worried. But I must insist that you let the Order handle this -- "
Interrupting him, Harry said, "I know…I'm sorry. I hope…." He broke off there, not wanting to make things worse by explaining things fully.
"All the same, Harry. I want your promise not to pursue Professor Snape or Mr. Malfoy. No more owls. Leave this to the Order."
Seeing that the Headmaster looked very serious, Harry agreed, but he decided to keep quiet about his other purpose in sending the letter and, of course, Hermione's plan to raid Malfoy Manor. No reason to make Dumbledore more worried than he already was. And after all, both would probably come to nothing.
Harry made his way to Greenhouse Three just in time for class. N.E.W.T. level Herbology was a large group so he had to stand near the door. The class was gathered around a small Cracklegum tree in the center of the room where Madam Sprout, wearing protective gear, was preparing to harvest some sap.
Harry was surprised that Terry Boot was assisting, since Madam Sprout usually chose Neville. Everyone seemed pretty excited as Harry looked around at his classmates. Crabbe and Goyle stood near the tree, looking nervous.
The class gave a shout as Madam Sprout poked the tree with a spigot and the viscous liquid emitted a short spray before beginning to flow into the carefully charmed rubber drum. The sap looked an awful lot like maple syrup except it snapped and crackled with little jolts of electricity.
Class let out early, and Harry beat a path to the castle door, trying to get out of the bitter wind that was blowing snow in his face. The school poltergeist appeared out of nowhere as Harry climbed the stairs to Gryffindor. Peeves' pointy hat was askew as he hovered over the students and sprayed them with a watering can, singing some silly song about a rabbit and a garden.
Conjuring an umbrella as he passed underneath, Harry hurried past, hoping to find Ginny in the library before his fencing lesson.
Harry never made it to the library. On his way up the stairs, he met his fencing instructor coming down, and they decided to begin sparring early. Rhys didn't seem in the mood for much conversation. In fact, he looked tired and drawn, but it didn't affect his fencing. He came at Harry with everything he had. Harry was grateful for the long, exhausting session. It meant he didn't have to think about anything but the blade in Rhys' hand.
By the time Harry had eaten a lonely dinner and climbed the stairs, his feet felt heavy. The common room was busy, full of students hard at work. If he'd wanted a spot to study, he should have arrived much earlier. He knew Ginny was probably busy with her study group in the library, but he was surprised that Ron and Hermione weren't around.
Since there was no place for him to spread out his books, Harry retreated upstairs. Outside the door to the sixth year's dorm, he found Hermione and most of his roommates standing in a nervous group. They were all talking at once.
Turning his attention to Harry, Seamus warned, "Don't go in there…it's haunted."
Hermione threw her hands up in exasperation and said, "Of course it's haunted, Seamus. This is Hogwarts. The ghosts have the run of the place. But there haven't been any new ghosts for decades…there must be another explanation."
"I still say it's a boggart," Ron said, grimacing and folding his arms over his chest as if that should be the last word. As the group had quieted down, Harry could hear a distinct moaning noise coming from behind the dormitory door.
Pulling his wand, Dean said, "Wands ready!"
"Wait!" Hermione said. "If it's a boggart, who here is afraid of a mummy?"
Dean put his hand on the doorknob and began to turn it. "Well…I'm scared of it so maybe it's me."
Harry must have looked puzzled because she explained, "When Seamus went in there earlier, he was chased out by a figure wrapped in white bandages."
Shivering slightly, Seamus added, "And moaning like a banshee!"
Wondering if Seamus' boggart figure had shifted from a banshee to a mummy in recent years, Harry pulled his wand and joined Dean by the door. With a nod, Dean pushed the door open. As expected, the group was greeted by a figure, wrapped in white and moaning. Dean yelled, "Riddikulus!" But it had no effect.
Ron stepped forward with his wand and waited expectantly for the mummy to change into a spider. All the boggarts he'd ever met had morphed into giant spiders. This one just stood still and moaned.
"Oh…move over," Hermione said, exasperated.
As she stepped closer to the mummy, Ron said, "Careful!"
But she didn't pay any attention, instead she reached a hand out and put it on the mummy's shoulder. "Neville?" she called. "Is that you?"
While his words were muffled by the sheet surrounding his head, everyone could understand Neville's nod.
Someone made the lamps brighter as she began to unwind the fabric surrounding his head, but it was a losing battle. The moment she pulled a piece loose, it somehow wound around some other part of him. In the brighter light, they could see that the "mummy" was covered head to toe in sheets and towels.
Harry stepped forward, and said, "Stand back, Hermione…and cover your eyes for a moment." She complied quickly. Harry pointed his wand at Neville and uttered a spell to rip off his sheets. Just as Harry had expected, Neville's pajamas came off with the sheets so he handed him the closest thing, the school robe he'd been wearing.
Seamus let out a low whistle and said, "Whoa…you'll have to teach me that one, Harry. That spell has…possibilities."
Ignoring what Seamus was implying and Ron's face, which was fighting between distrust and confusion, Harry said, "You can look now, Hermione."
She rushed to Neville's side. His hair was wild and disheveled, and he was inhaling large gulps of air. While the important parts were covered, he was still struggling with the twisted sleeves of Harry's school robe.
"Oh, you poor thing," she said. "How long have you been like this?"
Neville let out a long sigh. "I woke up all bunched up in the sheets and blankets…and everyone'd already left. And someone left a stack of towels on the chair by the door. Then I couldn't get out of the room because my hands were too covered with fabric to be any use…and…and no one could hear me shout…I guess."
None of them blamed Neville for being upset. He must have been trapped in sheets and such since before breakfast. The question still remained, though, of exactly how he'd provoked the bedclothes into attacking him.
Dean and Seamus seemed a bit embarrassed as they muttered how sorry they were. Then they went about the business of setting out parchment and books on their desks, presumably preparing to study.
Making himself comfortable on his bed, Ron said, "Sorry, Neville. If we hadn't been so busy today, someone would have been up here long before this."
Harry pulled an empty chair into the middle of the room so Neville could sit down. "Everyone's been wondering where you were. Sprout harvested the Cracklegum sap in Herbology this afternoon. I should have come to check on you. Sorry."
Fighting the sleeve of Harry's robe which was clinging and twisting around him like plastic wrap, Neville groaned and said, "I was afraid of that."
"And…have you any idea why this is happening?" Hermione asked. "Did someone curse you?"
Glancing sideways at Harry, Neville shook his head and explained, "Madam Pomfrey's neutralizing potion must have worn off sometime in the night because I couldn't get the stupid sheets off of me when I woke up."
Flipping her brown hair behind her shoulders, Hermione pulled a chair up next to Neville like she was ready to grill him for answers. "But neutralizing potion is mostly used to counteract the effects of plants. Did you get into something poisonous?"
Before Neville could answer, Harry said, "I think we better get you back to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey probably has more of that potion."
As Neville stood up unsteadily, a pillowcase from Ron's bed flew toward him and wrapped itself around his face and neck. He pulled it off and it immediately twisted around his arm. Ignoring it, Neville said, "Maybe we could swing by the kitchens on the way. I'm starving."
"Does this have anything to do with you and Luna turning purple?" Hermione asked, her eyes narrowing on him as she reached over and tugged on the pillowcase. Every attempt to remove it resulted in it wrapping around him somewhere else.
Before Neville could answer, Seamus shouted, "Maybe his sheets are hexed or something. The curse of the bed linens! Careful when you go to bed tonight, Ron. It looks like yours could be next." He looked around the room, grinning as though he'd made a fine joke.
Dean laughed with him.
Annoyed at Seamus' suggestion, Ron nonetheless stared at his bed as though it might turn on him at any moment.
Hermione continued to try to remove Ron's pillowcase until Neville shouted, "Stop!" crossing his arms in frustration. "It's not helping, Hermione. Just leave it. And you don't have to worry about your bedclothes, Ron. All right? I've been cursed…but it was the tangleberries."
Rolling her eyes, Hermione said, "Strictly speaking, you cannot be cursed by berries or any other plant for that matter --" She stopped as she caught the look Ron was giving her.
Harry patted the white cotton on Neville's arm to reassure him. "We'll get you some help."
"What are tangleberries?" Ron asked, taking Neville's other side protectively.
Hermione sighed in frustration, but she let Neville explain.
"Luna and I've been working on an experiment…grafting a tangleberry bush to a holly tree so we could see if we could grow some tanglewood. It was supposed to be for you, Harry." Neville went on to describe how the berries had exploded during the grafting process. He'd jumped in front of Luna as the berries began to quiver and shake, only to be showered with purple juice when they finally burst.
Without seeing Neville's facial expression, Harry could tell that his friend was sincere. He was touched that Neville and Luna had gone to so much trouble in an effort to help him-- not to mention the pain and suffering when the experiment had gone wrong. The only time he ever remembered speaking to Neville about the tanglewood was on the train last Christmas. Of course, Harry thought about it every day. He still carried the book with him.
Suddenly remembering Draco Malfoy's taunts about thinking everything revolved around himself, Harry said, "You shouldn't waste your time on me."
"I…I just wanted to help," Neville said, sounding hurt. "Things always come down to you, Harry. When you showed me the tanglewood tree in your book, I knew they didn't exist. But…Luna and I thought…we might be able to simulate something with the same properties."
Feeling even worse at the thought that he'd made Neville think he was ungrateful, Harry said, "I really appreciate it…but we still need to find some of that potion for you." Holding Neville's arm, Harry asked, "Can you walk all right?"
"I don't know. Things just cling and curl around me."
"And what's this stuff Madam Pomfrey gave you?" Ron asked as they walked through the common room. Flanked by Harry and Ron, with Hermione walking behind, no one seemed to notice that Neville was slightly underdressed.
Sighing heavily, Neville answered, "She gave me a bottle of potion that was supposed to last for days, but I finished it off last night…I know it's hard to tell, but I wanted to get rid of the purple splotches all over my face before class. The potion seemed to help." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "I didn't want Luna to see me like that."
Very matter-of-factly, Hermione said, "Oh…Luna wouldn't mind."
Despite the bright pink skin tone Neville was still sporting, Ron nodded and announced emphatically, "The purple is completely gone."
Harry also tried to sound positive. "That's sorted then. We'll go get some food for you while Madam Pomfrey figures out what to do."
On the other side of the portrait hole, Hermione left for her prefect rounds. As they escorted Neville down the stairs to the infirmary, Harry exacted a promise from Neville to show him the tangleberry bush experiment the next day.
When Ron and Harry returned to Gryffindor, the common room wasn't as crowded. They settled in near the fire to get their school work done despite the fact that a group of second years were playing Exploding Snap nearby. One of them kept blowing large, unbreakable bubbles with his gum.
They worked in silence. Harry finished an essay, then stretched out on the sofa to read a book about tracking charms that he'd borrowed from Moody.
Crookshanks brushed past Ron legs, then jumped up and settled in next to Harry.
Ron didn't talk much, although he sighed frequently while he was writing. Finally, he said, out of the blue, "Do you reckon she really expects us to go haul Malfoy back here?"
Not sure what to say, Harry shifted his gaze to the fire. "Maybe," he said cautiously, thinking about his promise to Dumbledore.
Sighing heavily, Ron said, "You know…she made me check Crabbe and Goyle's left forearms before class this morning?"
Harry couldn't help it. The thought of Ron sneaking up on the lumbering Slytherins was too much for him. He fought it for a moment, then he gave in and laughed.
Smiling himself, Ron explained how Hermione cast a trip hex, while he cast a spell to push up their sleeves. "Then Hermione made a big show of helping them collect their things — like she wasn't the reason they were scattered all over the floor in the first place."
Harry stopped laughing as he remembered his conversation with Hermione. From what little he'd seen of her that day, she seemed determined to go after Malfoy. He couldn't let her go alone, but if Harry went against his promise to Dumbledore and chased after Malfoy with Hermione, he'd never trust him again.
After a long silence, Harry finally said, "We'll have to help her if it comes down to it."
"I don't care about Malfoy…I mean, I'm angry, but…I just want her to be safe," Ron said. Then he shrugged, and let the conversation fade away. Harry's thoughts drifted to Ginny. He hadn't seen much of her today and he missed her. Of course, since it was after curfew, she was now across the room with the Gryffindor contingent of her study group, but still...
As Harry's mind wandered, Ron stood up and said, "Think I'll catch up with Hermione on her prefect rounds."
Harry nodded absent mindedly in response and tried to turn his attention back to reading. The words were dancing on the page in front of him while his thoughts wandered to the Burrow last summer. How simple life had been for him there -- no intrigues, no mysteries. He'd spent his days racing around on a broom or swimming in the pond, with Ginny and Ron for company.
He watched her now, slumped over her books. Colin appeared to be answering questions. Her head was propped up with her hand, her long red hair falling in a curtain as she leaned over an open book. Then an image came unbidden into his mind…Ginny stretched out on a low branch over the pond, dangling her hand into the water. She'd been telling him a funny story, but he'd forgotten what that was. But the sight of her, relaxed and cheerful, lingered in his mind as he stared unseeing at his book. And the feeling he had then, of being happy and at his ease, came flooding back.
He couldn't imagine having enough nerve to tell her how much those days at the Burrow meant to him, but he hazarded another look over at her study group. She looked tired as she listened to Colin. She stirred in her seat and stretched then she picked up a parchment and began to speak. Colin said something that made her smile.
Harry looked away, wishing he could hear what they were saying. He tried to refocus on his book, but it was difficult.
The last of the exploding snap players had left the common room long before, the remnants of their blue Droobles bubbles floating to the ceiling and staying there. The fire burned lower, and Harry dozed on the sofa, but Ginny's study group persevered.
As the grandfather clock struck midnight, Ginny noticed that the common room had cleared out. Colin continued to speak, but she was getting too tired to listen. Allison was slumped over her books, snoring softly, with a piece of parchment stuck to her face. And Harry…she could see his mismatched sock-covered feet sticking off the end of the sofa, but she couldn't tell if he was awake or asleep.
Even though they'd only been meeting for a month, spending so much time with her study group was wearing thin. She was somewhat immune to Luna's constant stream of wild notions, but Colin fussed with his hair whenever he thought no one was looking, and Allison asked the same questions over and over. It was beginning to annoy her.
She wished she hadn't sworn off pranking yesterday. In her heart she knew she'd feel better if she could turn Colin's hair purple when he wasn't looking and maybe make Allison's voice sound like a duck whenever she repeated herself. Of course, she couldn't do that to her study companions, but a girl could dream. She smiled at the thought.
On the other side of the study table, Colin bent closer to the parchment in his hands, squinting in concentration. He blinked rapidly, as though willing his eyes to focus.
"Shouldn't you be off to bed by now, Colin?" She dropped her voice although no one was around to overhear them. "I mean…I thought you needed your beauty sleep," she said, looking meaningfully at his hair.
"Right," Colin muttered, hastily gathering his books. "I…we'll have to pick this up again tomorrow. Forgive me?"
"Don't give it another thought. Sleep is important…" Ginny shook Allison, who woke up a start. When they'd all disappeared up their respective stairs, Ginny walked over to find Harry stretched out with his book floating in the air above him.
Without looking up from his reading, he said, "So you finally got them to leave."
Harry looked melted into the sofa. His expression seemed a little smug, so Ginny said, "I'm turning in, too, Harry. Good night, then."
When she turned to leave, Harry let the hovering book fall to the floor and sat up, "Wait…is that any way to say good night?"
She glanced over her shoulder at him, and slowed her steps. He hurried after her. She stopped when she felt his hands on her shoulders.
"I've wanted to see you all day," he said, his voice so close to her ear that she could feel his breath.
Shrugging slightly, but not pulling away, Ginny said, "Oh, Harry. We saw each other today."
She knew what he meant. Seeing each other in passing wasn't the same, but while she wanted to be with Harry, she wanted to be a healer someday, too. And that wasn't going to happen unless she studied hard.
"Not alone…" He whispered.
"It takes a lot of O.W.L.'s to become a healer." She leaned into his hands. His gentle touch sent a tingle down her spine.
Beginning to massage her shoulders and neck, Harry said softly, "You're going to be the best, but…stay up for a while."
Ginny gave into the feeling of his hands gently rubbing her neck and shoulders, thinking that Harry was making a fine start at healing her aching muscles. She dropped her head forward and gave a murmur of appreciation.
With that small noise of encouragement, he pulled Ginny around to face him. His bright green eyes loomed large as he pressed his forehead to hers, and said, "I really hate the O.W.L.'s," before kissing her slowly.
Ginny laughed softly and let him pull her over to the sofa. With a wave of his hand, Harry revived the fire in the hearth and sat down with his arm settled over her shoulder. She felt his face brush against her hair, then he said, "Want some cocoa or something?"
Once he'd conjured cocoa with marshmallows, they talked, mostly about her day. She told him what Professor Flitwick had said about her becoming a healer, even though she knew she'd told him about it before. He listened anyway, only interrupting her to ask a few questions. She finished her drink and leaned against his chest, reveling in his scent.
Snuggling against him felt nice and cozy, but Ginny suddenly wasn't all that tired. They had the common room to themselves for the moment, but her brother and Hermione could be back any time. She slipped out from under his arm and turned to face him, taking a moment to drink in the sight of him. Leaning forward, she kissed him and let all the remaining tension of her day dissolve as she molded herself against him.
He sank back into the sofa, taking her along with him. She felt his fingers wind into the hair at the nape of her neck. For a while, she lost her mind as a feeling of warmth and well being washed over her.
Just as she was wondering vaguely how her hair had become loose, the portrait hole opened. Ginny froze when she heard Ron's voice speaking between kissing noises.
"I don't know, Hermione…someone could have been…up there…Maybe we should go back and have another look around…Can't have anyone…snogging after curfew."
Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny could see Ron kissing Hermione as they walked one step at a time into the common room. In a moment they would notice they weren't alone. She silently willed Harry to do something.
Harry must have been thinking along the same lines because, without moving a muscle, he cast the Disillusionment spell, making them blend in with their surroundings.
Ginny's lips stilled near Harry's throat as she felt the cold from the spell slip down her spine. Now she just hoped that the others didn't decide to sit down on the sofa. They were in for a surprise if they did.
Hermione broke off their kiss and answered with a giggle, "Don't be silly, Ron…we're the only one's snogging."
Ron's head was bent toward her neck as Hermione kept talking. "Of course, if anyone's really on the astronomy tower at this hour, they're simply freezing themselves. I mean…it's overcast. Not a star --"
Ron cut off the rest of their conversation with a goodnight kiss.
Sighing in relief as Ron and Hermione disappeared up their respective stairways, Harry released them both from the chameleon spell. "Why is life so complicated?" he asked, running a hand through his impossibly ruffled hair as he sat up.
Standing up and straightening her clothes, Ginny grinned, "Ah…someday, we'll look back at moments like these and laugh. At least that's what Mum says."
Harry tucked a strand of her long red hair behind her ear. "What else does your Mum tell you?" he asked.
"Let's not talk about Mum any more," she said, tilting her head up to kiss him soundly.
"You brought her up," Harry said, pulling back and taking her hand.
Ginny followed him to the bottom of the stairs where they said goodnight.
Harry watched until she was out of sight, wondering how she did it, changed a tired, irritating, frustrating day into a pleasant memory. He'd file it away, like that image of her at the Burrow, so he'd have something to hold on to when things got bad.
To Be Continued…
A/N: Notes to reviewers. Thanks!
Lord Dreadnault: Thanks for your review. I'm trying to speed up!
El Shabang: Thanks. The Malfoys seem really dysfunctional in canon so I could see either Lucius or Narcissa involving Draco with the Death Eaters. They might see it as giving their son a chance to grasp power. Yes, there will be more references to Merlin in this story. Thanks for reviewing!
Lady of the Dragons 2: Draco's character in canon could still go either way although I think JKR has said somewhere that she won't redeem him. We'll just have to wait and see. Also, there is more to discover about the place Aurora takes Harry. As for Harry and Dumbledore, they are both trying, in their own way. Thanks for reviewing!
Cobalt 45: You saw right through me on that one! Neville and Luna were trying to make some tanglewood, but suffered some unpleasant side effects. Thanks for writing!
eyes of sky: Thanks for your review! Wales is lovely, the sort of place that stirs the imagination. And, you're right, Harry does need to start listening to Dumbledore…
athenakitty: First they'll have to catch Draco before they can decide what to do with him. Thanks for writing!
Deathzealot: Thanks for your kind words! I'll try to write faster.
Lourdes1: You're very intuitive! September and the first part of October were truly life's-not-fair months. Thanks so much for understanding. And I am trying to improve, so thanks for your encouraging words.
Talons: We haven't seen the last of the Myrddin storyline. Thanks for writing a review!SillyGillie: Thanks for all your nice comments. Hogwarts does need Harry. Thanks for your review!
K Felton: Thanks for reviewing!
Cynthia 1850: I loved your suggestion that Draco might have kidnapped Snape. Thanks for writing!
KandiG85: Yes, I am. Thanks for noticing!
Harrie: Thanks for your review! Sorry for the wait, I'm trying to write faster. Sadly, I've witnessed the pout thing working on my own brother, more than once. And he never seems to mind…
Harry/Ginnyfan4ever: Thanks for saying you like my writing style. I like yours, too. Sorry to be slow. It can't be helped. The update time was cut in half for this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!
rosepetal13: Thanks for saying that about Dumbledore's dialogue. You've got Luna figured out. She and Neville haven't finished experimenting. Thanks for writing a review!
Lady of Masbolle: Thanks for reviewing! I'm looking forward to the sea-fort story. And I've been expecting those jellybeans for the last few days…
gopha-gurl: Yes…more fluff. Thanks for asking and thanks for your review!
Illuvatar: You're right. Sorry.
GryffRayHuffSlythendor: I hope this chapter made the case that Harry's motivation for offering to find Snape is his desire to gain Dumbledore's trust. I'll keep trying. Thanks for reviewing!
Maxennce: Draco's actions were really over the line.
Sarah: :-)
Retrieve the Melon: You're very kind. Thanks for writing a review!
MsMissProngs: Glad you liked the chapter. Thanks for reviewing!
Silver Warrior: Thanks for writing! Draco does present an interesting dilemma.
cariluv: Thanks for your review!
Nutty AL: I do have a ways to go, but I see the light at the end of the storyboard. I'm almost caught up on everything. This chapter was faster. Thanks for reviewing!
Ima Quidditch Fan: Thanks for your reviews! The story has its ups and downs. Hope you still like it.
Hary9970: J Thanks for your nice comments!
Torien: It's nice of you to say that. I write pretty fast, it's revising that slows me down. Thanks for reviewing!
jjqc101: Thanks for writing! It wasn't quite as long this time. Maybe there's a spy, maybe there isn't. At least you know Hermione thinks there's someone who can't be trusted.
Fern: Thanks for your kind review!
Lily and James Potter: Good luck with your story. And thanks for reviewing!
Harry Foureyes: That's a pretty interesting theory about Rhys. I loved reading it. You've put a lot of thought into it, and I appreciate that. Rhys does have a larger part in a future plot line. That's all I'll say. In canon, Snape is unfailingly loyal to Dumbledore. So I figure he must have some redeeming qualities even if he never shows them to Harry.
Low-Ki: Thanks for you nice comments. Some days I find it hard to remember that in character thing, too. Thanks for writing a review!
A/N: Want to tell me what you think? Please review!