Disclaimer: Not JK Rowling… don't own Harry Potter or his world. (Only in my little psychotic world!)

Chapter Nine. Ward of the Castle

The first meeting for Dumbledore's Army was a diaster. Harry had no idea why Zacharias Smith bothered turning up to the meeting if all he was going to do was complain and whinge.

Even though Harry had pointed out that it would take time to learn the wandless art, Zacharias had managed to sow discord amongst the group. Poor Harry was certain he did not have the teaching capabilities or aura of Salazar and was depressed by the time he dismissed the DA.

As custom demanded Harry left the room last; Hermione and Ron waited for him by the door. Dragging his feet along wearily Harry didn't say a word to his two best friends as they made their way to the dormitories.

"It wasn't that bad," Ron said consolingly as they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Harry raised his head and nodded feebly. "Flying Ferrets." The portrait swung upon and the three friends scrambled into the Gryffindor common room.
Hermione smiled and added almost shyly, "I think I may have nearly gotten it, Harry."
"Knew you would 'mione," Harry murmured trying to muster some cheeriness.
"We need to practice accessing our power…" Hermione continued helpfully, "I am sure that will help."
"I know," Harry muttered, "Thanks 'mione… I'm knackered… going straight to bed…"
"Night."

Harry stumbled up the stairs into the dark room. He pulled of his clothes and fumbled into his PJs and then into bed.

Harry lay in the semi darkness staring blankly up at the ceiling every so often blinking. Now that he was comfortable in his four poster bed he found he could not sleep.

'One sheep…two sheep… three…sheep……..forty-five sheep…'

When he got to two hundred and thirty seven sheep, Harry decided that it was time to give up counting. It wasn't working.

Ron eventually came stumbling into the room and crashed around the room changing. Groaning Harry turned on his belly and wrapped his duck down pillow over his head. That was when Ron fell asleep and started to snore… loudly.

Following a few more minutes, that seemed more like a few more hours, of tossing and turning sleeplessly Harry decided to remedy his wakefulness with a little midnight stroll.

Rolling out of bed with a soft moan, Harry half crawled to his trunk at the foot of his bed and opened the lid which creaked open loudly. Harry winced but fortunately Ron continued contentedly to snore.

Harry searched his trunk with record speed and found his invisibility cloak and the map. Grinning he pulled on his father's cloak and tip toed out of the boys' dorms, down the stairs and out of the Gryffindor common room.

It was only when Harry was halfway down the corridor he noticed that his feet were bare. Shrugging this away as only a minor inconvenience he sighed and continued his stroll.

Harry's small bony fingers were around the amulet Salazar Slytherin had given him. He had not noticed his new habit of touching the cool metal, stroking and waiting for something to happen. It had been giving him a sense of mysterious comfort.

It was only when the amulet grew warm that Harry became aware he was clucking it tightly in his fist. It steadily grew warmer and warmer until Harry saw in his mind's eye the same two way mirror…

His feet turned around and Harry found himself walking in the direction of the mirror as if all along that was where he intended to wander off to.

Before he knew it he was standing in front of the mirror. Looking about him Harry slid the mirror open and squeezed through a small gap. "Lumos" If at all possible the tunnel seemed dirtier and muckier than what he recalled. Remembering what Fred and George Weasley had told him previously about the tunnel being caved in Harry hoped that he could still get to the room.

Like he had seen the man do in his vision Harry pressed his hands up against the wall and started to walk, straining his eyes to see what was up ahead. It wasn't long until he had seen were the tunnel had collapsed. Cursing his bad luck Harry went to have a look at the rubble to see if there was anyway of getting past it.

The tunnel was full of debris and rock from floor to ceiling… there was nothing Harry could do.

Turning away in utter despair Harry noticed a small light coming from the wall. He stepped up to it and realising what he was seeing slapped his forehead! It was the little room. He could make it there after all.

Harry played with the catch for what seemed liked ages. Finally it clicked and the doorway became clear. Harry stepped inside and was greeting into a room full of lit torches and mountains and mountains of scrolls, parchments, quills and inks.

Somehow it seemed like a sacrilege to enter the room; Harry looked about nervously and twisted his hands. Then with a small bark of laughter at his stupidity Harry further stepped into the room and up to the pedestal he had seen in his vision.

He was meant to be here. He was meant to see this scroll. Of these two facts Harry was certain.

Harry leant over slowly and peered down at the scroll still nervous being in the eerie room. Then very quickly Harry snatched up the scroll and put it under this pyjama top.

Relived that he had actually done it Harry looked around the room… 'Torches?' he thought dully, his eyes widened in horror as he understood the implications, 'Lit torches…who else knows of this place?'

Harry backed out of the room; fumbled with the catch so the door would close then practically sprinted through the tunnel. He was grateful for the mirror at the end for if he had no waited before jumping through, he would have come face to face with Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts. Even though Filch could not see him, Harry held his breath as Mrs. Norris sniffed the base of the mirror quizzically. He could almost see her little cat brain working… She sat and meowed loudly. Harry thought his heart was going to fall out of his chest and into his toes. Surely if anyone knew about of the little room in the tunnel, Filch did.

Filch looked at his loyal assistant blankly. "Come on, Mrs. Norris…" he snarling murmured in his low drawl… "We have the rest of the castle to patrol."
Mrs. Norris looked up at her master as if she understood, then got onto all fours and stalked away with her tail pointed in the air; only to glance back at the mirror once.

Harry sighed in relief and waited for Filch and Mrs. Norris to be well and truly out of sight before he even dared to open the mirror and slip through. He readjusted his invisibility cloak and walked as fast as he could to the Gryffindor common room.

Harry reached his common room without any more problems and almost ran up the stairs to the dormitories. Pulling about his curtains around his bed, Harry then searched for the scroll in his top and put it down on his bed covers.

The scroll itself was very old. The parchment was yellow from age, the ribbon was moth eaten and it was covered in a thick carpet of dust.

Harry picked up the scroll gingerly and shook the scroll violently to rid it of the thick layer of dust. Sneezing as clouds of dust descended upon him, Harry turned his head slightly. Ron was still snoring.

Harry waited for the dust to die down and then opened the scroll carefully, a page of medieval writing and illustrations in red, blue and yellows inks were all over the page.

"Lumos." Harry held his wand above the parchment and squinting began to read.

'Thirteen wards have been placed around the castle of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Powerful magicks guard the schools grounds and those inside from the wiles of the outside world.

Those who bare ill will towards the school or the apprentices, may not venture past the wards without certain persons being notified of not only their presence but of their intent.

Wards also harbour other interesting and fatal defence mechanisms, and are extremely dangerous to the unexperienced spellweaver (one who casts said spell) that they may not be written under serval sections of wizarding law.'

Harry glanced up, half expecting an excited squeal from Hermione although she was not in the room to read the parchment. Serval plans were already spinning around his mind. Seeing there was another scrawled note on the bottom Harry continued to read the postscript.

'Harry, Use this information well. I trust you will find the map inclosed useful. G.G.'

Harry turned to the next piece of parchment which revealed a beautiful map of Hogwarts. Harry let his eyes wander in pleasure before looking at the wards which were clearly labelled.

Frowning Harry realised how close the wards were to the castle…