The Magic Box

Five: Cracking the Code

'So it only happened when you both touched the box at the same time?' Hermione clarified.

Harry nodded. They explained in great detail what happened from the storage room up to the letter. Hermione paid close attention taking in every detail, making acknowledging noises all the while like ahuh, oh, and of course a slight nod of the head. Ron on the other hand hadn't stopped laughing after he saw two inch high Harry and Draco.

'Ron really you're being very immature!' Hermione scowled.

'Oh come on Hermione you don't find mini Harry and Malfoy to be just a little bit funny?' Ron asked, whipping the tears from his eyes.

'We have more important things to worry about, like how to get them both out of the box,' Hermione reminded.

'You could just take us out of the box and do an enlargement charm,' Harry suggested. Draco and Hermione both sighed simultaneously.

'Things like this don't usually work that way Potter,' Draco informed.

'This is really powerful magic,' Hermione added 'I believe the only way to get both you and Malfoy out is to complete your purpose,'

'Can you at least try?' Harry begged. Hermione looked at him doubtful.

'It could hurt me Harry,' Hermione stressed.

'Yes but imagine how silly you would look if we went through a needlessly huge amount of work when there was a simple possibility the entire time?' Harry baited, and it worked.

Hermione reached toward the mini Harry, her hand visibly hit something and she pulled her hand away with a shriek.

'Wow,' Draco admired 'Did you see that? Ripples of magic across the top of the box where Granger's hand hit it,'

'Yeah,' Harry said 'That was pretty cool,'

'It must certainly was not!' Hermione exclaimed 'That hurt! I told you it wouldn't work Harry!'

'Better safe then sorry,' Harry shrugged and sat on the couch still looking up at Hermione and Ron.

'You know this is really going to do some serious damage to my neck,' Harry remarked.

'Oh stop complaining,' Hermione frowned 'Let's discuss theories shall we? We need to figure this out,'

'Oh no you don't!' Draco cut it 'I'm not leaving my fate in the hands of two bumbling Gryffindors. I demand you bring a seventh year from my house!'

'Who?' Ron asked highly amused 'Crabbe and Goyle? A lot of help they'd be,'

'Of course not Crabbe or Goyle Weasley how stupid do you think I am? Zabini! He'll probably have a few ideas,' Draco suggested. Hermione sighed but nodded.

'Alright Ron why don't you head down to the Slytherin dungeons and find Zabini,' she instructed.

'What, me?' he asked 'Why do I have to go down there?'

'Because I want discuss a few things with Harry and Malfoy, and if you're just going to sit there laughing you'll be no help anyway,' Hermione reasoned.

'Aww but Hermione, they won't listen to me. He'll probably just curse me for even addressing him,' Ron pouted.

'Don't pout Ron,' Hermione was beginning to sound a lot like Mrs Weasley.

'Actually he's probably right Granger,' Draco remarked and delighted to see Ron's face pale considerably. He laughed and Harry sent him a scornful look. 'Oh don't fret Weasley, if you just say that I'll owe him a favour he'll come running. It's always a good thing to have the gratitude of a Malfoy,'

'Fine,' Ron pouted and moved to the door 'but if I get cursed you're in big trouble,'

'If you say so,' Draco murmured and sat down beside Harry. Ron left and Hermione looked toward Harry.

'I suppose you want me to go tell Dumbledore we've found you then?' Hermione asked.

'NO!' Harry and Draco both yelled simultaneously.

'Are you mad?' Draco asked 'He'll almost certainly tell Snape, and I'll not have him know my location after what we did to his storage room, especially when we're two inches high and extremely vulnerable,'

'Yeah Hermione, I agree with Malfoy on this one. Face it, the box is the lesser evil here, we'll just have to figure it out for ourselves,' Harry added.

'Alright then,' Hermione said took out a parchment and quill, 'We'll just have to wait for Ron and Zabini,'

After about fifteen minutes of awkward silence, Draco thinking to himself, Hermione writing something on her parchment and Harry humming the tune of 'Beauty and the Beast', Ron entered the room with Zabini and a female figure that was hard to make out as she squealed and ran at the box with great speed.

'Drakie are you alright?' the girl asked. Draco groaned recognising the huge beady eyes starring down at him.

'I told you Parkinson, never bloody call me that!' Draco demanded.

'Holy shit,' Zabini said as he and Ron sat down around the box as if making a circle 'Draco, I thought you always said you were eight inches?'

'This isn't funny Zabini,' Draco warned. He didn't notice the strong blush that came to Harry's face.

'Too right it is!' Ron delighted in saying 'It's bloody brilliant. I reckon we should make copies of em and market em. Figurine sized Harry Potter's we'd make a fortune, travel size for convenience, have your own little boy wonder,'

'Ron you're a complete bloody idiot,' Harry remarked.

'I'm sure we could find a use for Malfoy's too. Hey I know we could market em to the ladies, come get your own Malfoy, buy em, take em home, enlarge em and have a merry time,' Ron grinned.

'I hope your not talking about whoring me out to the world Weasley!' Draco snapped.

'Leave my Drakie alone Weasley! He's been through a huge ordeal!' Pansy snapped, 'Being stuck in that tiny little box, with Pothead of all people. He must feel like he's in hell,'

'Oh yes,' Zabini said sarcastically 'I'm sure Draco's in pure agony having to spend all that time alone with Potter, sharing the same room, the same shower, the same bed,'

Hermione raised her eyebrows at Zabini's sarcastic tone. Draco sent Zabini a look of death.

'That's right Blaise, it's been horrible,' Draco spoke through clenched teeth.

'I'm sure,' Blaise said with a sly grin. Suddenly Pansy shocked everyone by suddenly bursting into a fit of tears.

'Poor Drakie, stupid Potter, stupid box,' she went on. 'I can't marry a midget!'

Draco groaned and looked at Zabini with desperation.

'Obliviate!' Zabini charmed, before throwing Parkinson from the room.

'You brought Parkinson are you insane Weasley?' Draco accused 'She's a bloody nutter! Thinks I'm going to marry her for fuck's sake!'

'Well she was with Zabini and she wouldn't let me talk with him alone,' Ron spoke defensively.

'So you're not going to marry Pansy then?' Harry asked suddenly. Draco looked at him a little shocked.

'No way in hell Potter,' he said 'I'd rather marry a blast ended skrewt than that prat,'

Was it Draco's imagination or did Harry just have a look of relief? Blaise came back in and resumed his seat.

'Well what have we figured out so far?' he asked.

'Well we obviously know that whatever happened to them, it happened because they both needed it,' Hermione stated, looking up from her parchment for the first time since Blaise entered the room.

'We needed this?' Harry asked dumbfounded.

'It's the Room of Requirement Harry,' Hermione explained 'It only gives you what you need. It obviously realised you needed to fulfil this purpose thing, so it offered you the box and here you are,'

'Yes but why would we both need this?' Draco asked 'Potter got the door to reveal itself so wouldn't it stand to reason that only Potter would need this?'

'Well that was what I thought but you said that it only pulled you both in when you were both touching the box and not when Harry first picked it up. Therefore you both must need this,' Hermione reasoned.

'Makes sense,' Blaise agreed 'So what would this purpose be that needs to be fulfilled?'

'That's just it,' Harry exclaimed 'We have no idea,'

'Well obviously you do because it's what you need,' Blaise said 'You just have to realise it,'

'He's right Harry,' Hermione nodded.

'Oh god we're doomed!' Draco said and put his head in his hands. 'The day Harry Potter realises what he wants or needs Voldermort will be performing Swan Lake in a tutu for the Queen of England,'

'Hey!' Harry exclaimed.

'Actually he's kind of right Harry,' Hermione mumbled.

'Hermione!'

'Let's just admit it. The only way we'll be able to figure out how to get this over with is to crack the code in this bloody letter,' Blaise realised.

'Okay,' Harry frowned 'Read it out again will you Malfoy,'

'Welcome to the Magic Box. The Magic Box is a creation to aid wizards and witches of the world, to serve their great purpose to achieve harmony of the soul. During your stay here you will be yata, yata, yata, there is no way to leave the magic box until your purpose has been fulfilled. Once you purpose is fulfilled you will be immediately transported from the box and return to your own dimension,' Draco read.

Hermione and Blaise just sat there thinking. Ron was studying the lines on his palm and Harry was anxiously awaiting Hermione's opinion.

'I think "harmony of the soul" probably has another meaning,' Draco suggested. Blaise nodded and Hermione hmmmmed.

'In Ancient Runes, in third year, I remember the Professor saying that Harmony of the Soul means to have no hidden burdens weighing down your cosmic balance. No secrets I guess,' Hermione suggested.

'You remember that from third year?' Draco asked surprised.

'Never underestimate Hermione's nerdness,' Ron remarked. Hermione smacked him one on the arm.

'I get it!' Blaise said. 'Your probably saying that Draco and Potter have to confess their secrets to each other,'

'Well yes I think so, tell one another the truth,'

Harry and Draco's mouths stood precariously near the floor.

'We have to what!' Draco demanded.

'Why would we have to do that?' Harry asked. Hermione shrugged but had a knowing look in her eyes.

'Maybe your soul feels there is something you should tell Malfoy, Harry,' Hermione hinted. Harry didn't pick up on it.

'Yeah Draco, anything you want to tell Potter?' Blaise smirked. Draco scowled at his soon to be ex friend.

'No!'

'Well then you'll just have to try,' Hermione said 'Start from the top and go from there,'

'You're saying I should tell Malfoy all of my secrets?' Harry asked.

'Well…yes,' Hermione shrugged. Then turned back to her bit of parchment.

'Are you insane? He's the son of a death eater!" Harry raved.

'I'm aware of that,' she said not looking up from her writing.

'You want me to tell him everything? The prophecy, Sirius, the Dursleys, Cho Chang, the Polyjuice Potion thing…everything?' Harry asked.

'Yes Harry,' Hermione sighed 'It's the only way,'

'Shit!'

'Don't worry Harry,' Ron said cheerfully 'Malfoy will have to tell you everything as well, Death Eater plans, sordid sexual experiences, killing his first innocent…'

'Don't be ridiculous I've never killed anyone Weasley, although if you're willing I'm up for the experience,' Draco smirked.

'Are you sure I should do this?' Harry asked still anxious 'I mean we don't even know that this will work,'

'It's highly likely,' Hermione said finally finished writing, 'I'm betting that this will be able to prove it,'

'What your doodles?' Ron asked.

'No Ronald! They're copies of the carvings on the box, I think they're some form of old language, I expect they'll tell of what the purpose of the box is and what Harry and Malfoy have to do to achieve theirs,' she theorized, she then stood up moved to the door, 'I'll head to the library and work on deciphering them right away,'

'I'll go with you,' Blaise said before standing and moving beside her 'I'm not bad at Ancient Runes myself, be there to make sure you don't mistranslate something, or miss something else,'

'Yes that's a good idea actually,' Hermione smiled 'Ron, you should come with us, just to find all the books we can on ancient languages, I've got a few ideas myself so it really shouldn't be that hard,'

Ron groaned, more work.

'This will give Harry and Malfoy privcy to begin their confessions,' Hermione smiled. She walked over to the box and picked up the lid.

'Good luck boys,' she said and closed the box.