Harry and Hermione meet Dumbledore in his office and get a not so lively pep talk on their mission.
b Chapter 4 /b : The Secret Outpost br /
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p After a very long afternoon of Harry comforting Hermione (which made him feel very uncomfortable) he was glad when he finally heard the clock strike twelve. All thoughts of Hermione's secret were lost and they instantly looked at each other in silence. Hermione broke the quietness by saying "It's time". /p br /
p Suddenly a thought hit Harry so hard as if a hornet had stung him on the forehead. This was most likely going to be his last minutes walking through Hogwarts as a student. This was a huge deal to Harry because Hogwarts had been his only home. Life with the Dursley's had been horrible and when Hagrid had arrived through the front door on the shack by the sea Harry could only wish that this giant was there to take him off to some magical place where he could make friends with people like him and learn to live a normal, undisturbed life. And his wish came true. But now it was all coming to and end and there would be no more Hogwarts. /p br /
p Harry floated back down to earth and suddenly remembered where they should be going right now. "We better hurry" he said as he got up out of the big chair in the common room and grabbed the handle of his suitcase. Hermione did the same thing but looked over her shoulder to check and see if anyone was watching them. After this she walked over to the portrait whole and climbed through, Harry behind her. When they got out and swung the portrait back into place the fat lady said rather rudely "What are you two doing out so late." "Business" replied Hermione and as they walked down the corridor they could hear the fat lady's voice trailing behind them "If you get caught by that awful ghost, peeves the whole school will know that you are up." /p br /
p Harry and Hermione acknowledged this and decided it would be best to use the marauder's map and the invisibility cloak. Once they were under the cloak Harry couldn't help noticing that this was the closest he had been to Hermione in a long time. They walked slowly and quietly, hoping that Dumbledore would still be waiting for them in his office by the time they got there. Finally they reached the statue of the gargoyle and they stripped of the invisibility cloak. "Acid Drops" Harry said loudly and clearly, the way McGonagall had done the night before. The gargoyle was suddenly brought to life and leaped out of it's perching position, landing on the cold stone floor beside the door it had revealed. Hermione opened the door and they both walked through. /p br /
p They saw Dumbledore seated at his desk with a quill in his hand writing on a piece of parchment. "Ahh, there you are. I was beginning to think that you were not going to show up." admitted the old wizard. "I was just writing to the minister of magic that you were going to be off to Cairo in a few minutes time. I assume that you are still going to follow through with this mission seeing that you're bags are pack and at your feet." He waved his wand and two chairs, from out of nowhere, landed in front of the desk. "Here, sit down." invited Dumbledore as if they were at a mere garden party eating biscuits. /p br /
p Harry and Hermione sat down in the chairs, exactly as they had the night before, with Harry on the left and Hermione on the right. Dumbledore began to speak again. "Before you head to Cairo I would like to inform you two that what youare dealing with is nothing like you're little adventures with the Sorcerer's Stone, the Chamber of Secrets, or the deparment of mysteries. What you are fighting against now is a magic more awesome and destructible then you can possibly imagine." Harry frowned at the fact that Dumbledore had basically called their adventures at the department of mysteries, the chamber of secrets and there scramble for the sorcerer's stone mere child's play. They had both risked their lives in each of those situations. Dumbledore carried on. "The reason why I say this is because earlier today I recovered infromation that the artifact Voldemort is looking for is the Lost Ark. You know, the Ark of the Covenent, where Moses placed the smashed stone tablets that read each of the ten commandments. The Ark of the covenent that was carried around Jericho three times before the trumpets were blown and the walls of the great city crumbled to pieces. The Ark of the Covenent that is said to give it's posseser invincible power to rule the world. If Voldemort retreives this before you do, his army will march across the face of the earth." Harry shivered as he imagined thousands of Dark Marks all over the world rising into the sky. "And also in the course of this missionyou may find you're dear friend Mr. Weasley. I should also tell you that Voldemort is not alone. He has gathered a army of many soliders to release this great war upon the earth. With him stands the powerful Sola Rom, leader of the Thugees who worship the evil Indian god Kali. I do not understand how to make this statement more clear to you. You must retrieve the Ark before they do. If you don't the world will become a slave to Voldemort's evil commands." Harry and Hermione took these words in very carefully. The thought that this could very well possibly be their last chance to outwit the Dark Lord had never occured to them. The only hard part would be finding the Ark before he did. Harry knew nothing about this Lost Ark but he was sure that Hermione could fill him in later. /p
p "Are you ready?" asked Dumbledore. After this encouraging Harry wasn't sure if he was ready or not but he cought himself saying yea anyway. After this Dumbledore waved his wand and a pot suddenly flew out form under his desk and landed on top of it "You shall travel by portkey as apparating can be to dangerous when traveling to a distant country." Harry agreed to this method of travel as he thought about one of is fingers left in this office and the rest of his body in Cairo. "When you get there you will be in a busy market street. Just ahead of you will be a small in called i Cafe Englend /i walk to the front door and say loudly and clearly i Lomas Emons /i . You should be let in and after that you will be at the secret outpost. Every day I would like a two page breif from each of you summarizing the going ons at the outpost. I think you will find you're life there comfortable and happy." i Cofortable and happy! /i Harry thought to himself. Was Dumbledore trying to cheer this conversation up after his mysterious rants about Death Eaters, the Lost Ark, and the new follower of Voldemort Sola Rom. "If you are both completely ready put one hand on the pot and you will be off." As Harry put his hand on the portkey he said to himself i Goodbye Hogwarts, goodbye Hagrid, goodby Ginny, Luna, Seamus, Dean, McGonagall and the rest of you /i . He couldn't believe it. They were really leaving. But then he remembered Hermione and how this might bring him much closer to her then ever. He smiled inside and put his hand all on the portkey. /p