Chapter 25 Voldemort's Play Date.
"What do we do?" Hermione asked clamping her fingers around Harry's hand
"Well we need to keep him from getting at particular memories and you are about to get a crash course in occlumency. Come on" he answered pulling her to the 7th floor of hi s mind castle where the prophecy was being kept.
Hermione tried to keep track of where they were going but he lead them through many hallways, doors and passageways that she soon gave up. 'So that was right, left at the dog painting, right at the fork left, left through the troll tapestry, right …no left? Ahh forget it'
Soon the pair were outside a plain wooden door marked 'MWD' panting she leaned against a nearby wall trying to catch her breath while Harry was standing in front of looking as if he had only taken a stroll. "H…How come you…not out of…breath?" she gasped leaning over slightly.
"Simple, there's nothing to be out of breath about." He shrugged
"What do you mean nothing to be out of breath about? Or did you not notice the thing trying to get in."
"Like I said it's simple, where are you right now?"
"Standing in front of you obviously."
"No your not, you are sitting in the room of requirement, your conscious mind is only here."
"So its all an illusion? None of this is real?"
"Yes and no. This is an illusion, I have set up to help you understand occlumency better, but Voldemort is real. Now I want you to stay here, and if Voldemort gets close to this floor or you here me say 'Padfoot' I need you to get out of my mind and get Dumbledore. Just concentrate on being in your own mind sitting in the room of requirement. You should be able to watch what happens from here." Harry said as part of the opposite wall turned in to a misty screen similar to the exhibito spell. He turned and gave her a grin before sprinting off down his mind castle to face Voldemort.
"Harry!" she frantically hissed but he did not hear her or the whispered plea "be careful". Turning her attention to the 'screen' she watched on silently as Voldemort continued to work on the gates, as Harry was waiting patiently in the entrance hall.
"Now I'm gonna let him in so you can see what happens when someone gets in your mind of course the actual process is to get them out as quickly as possible but I feel like a bit of fun" he said out loud.
"Honestly" Hermione growled at the fact he was putting himself in danger, a snakelike voice captured her attention and her gaze returned to the screen.
"Ahh Harry, I see you have improved in shielding your mind, most impressive. Tell me who was your tutor?" Voldemort hissed softly as if trying to lull his 'prey' in to a false confidence.
"I am most sorry but I am unfortunately not able to divulge that information Tom." Harry grinned as if this was all a big game.
"DO NOT CALL ME THAT BOY!"
"Or what? You'll curse me? In case you hadn't noticed Tommy I'm in charge here."
"What are you doing Harry" Hermione groaned to herself .
"HOW DARE YOU" Voldemort snarled reaching for his wand, "No one calls me that except the old fool but he'll regret it soon enough" he finished smirking gleefully.
"No point going for your wand, I make the rules here. Oh before I forget Ahem… Welcome MR Tom Marvolo Riddle to the mind of Harry James Potter, feel free to browse around but please do not ignore any warning you receive the consequences would be most dire. I hope you enjoy your stay, I will let you know when your time is up." Harry gave a small bow and disappeared as Voldemort thrust forward his yew and phoenix feather wand shouting "Avada" before his wand emitted a small squeak and turned in to a rubber mouse. Growling in frustration he stalked towards the list of floor contents that Hermione had read earlier, smirking and muttering about the insolence of youth he turned to go up towards the 7th Floor, as stepped foot on to the first step, misty words appeared in front of him.
'Enter stranger but take heed,
of what awaits the sin of greed
for those who take knowledge they have yet to earn
will pay most dearly in their turn.
So if you seek within our walls
A knowledge that upon you has yet to fall
Intruder you have been warned beware
Of finding jokes and dangerous things upon the stair'
"Cute Potter" he said striding forward ignoring the poetic warning in fact it was completely out of his mind as he ascended the second floor. That is where the fun began.
Back on the 7th Floor Harry appeared next to Hermione and for his playfulness with Voldemort earlier got a screaming Hermione worthy of Mrs. Weasly's howlers and a sore cheek.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER WHAT ON EARTH WERE YOU THINKING? WERE YOU EVEN THINKING? HOW COULD YOU BAIT HIM? INCASE YOU'VE FORGOTTEN THAT MAN…NO THAT THING IS A MURDERER AND YOU GO AND ACT ALL SMARMY TO HIS FACE. WHAT IF HE WOULD OF CURSED YOU? YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR WORSE KILLED WHAT WOULD YOU THINK THEN? WHAT WOULD MRS WEASLEY DO, WHAT WOULD WE ALL DO? What would I do?"
"Mione, I'm sorry, I should of explained that I control everything here except a person's free will obviously, that includes magic so I was in no danger." He said rubbing his cheek.
"Well you could of let me know"
"I know I should of but lets watch his progress." He answered gesturing to the screen.
Halfway up the stairs Voldemort's legs began to sink through the step, as struggled to free himself he only managed to sink deeper and deeper, until only his chalk white head was visible, he somehow managed to process the thought that he should relax. Doing so he slowly began to rise out of the trap and continued on his way muttering about juvenile pranks.
As he was not watching where he was going he found himself outside a door marked 'friends'. 'Perfect lets see who his friends are.' The former head boy thought to himself, pushing the door open he waltzed in before the foul stench invaded his nostrils. Covering his flat nose he peered around the room and came face to well knee, with a massive troll. Ducking under the club that was aimed at his head he rolled towards the door pulling it shut before sprinting away from the room soon he decided to move more cautiously checking round corners and testing steps by walking u pa few then jumping back down. Slowly he arrived on the 7th floor, just in time to see Harry push something (Hermione) into a nearby room before entering and closing the door leaving it slightly ajar. As he passed the room Harry crept out.
"Finally the prophecy shall be mine" Voldemort cackled.
"Sorry not this time Tommy boy it's time for you to go" Harry stated and waved as Voldemort went crashing through the nearest window and out of Harry's mind.
Turning to Hermione he said, "Come on its time to go concentrate on being in your own mind, I'll see you soon."
Outside in the real world two teenagers shot up out of bed breathing hard,
"Well its about time! Do you know that I had to sit there and do potions work on my own!"
"Ron" the bed ridden pair groaned as they focused on the grinning red head before lying back down.
"So you two ok? What happened?" he asked seriously, "Come on spill?"
"That's precisely what I would like to know Mr Weasley." Professor Dumbledore said from the hospital wing doorway, "Mr Weasley came running into my office saying that you where both laying on the floor shaking so please as he so eloquently put it spill"
Grinning at each other they began to explain what happened.
A/N So that s another chapter, I haven't posted any review responses because I ran out of time I hope you enjoyed this, I know some of you didn't like the castle mind thing but it was the only way I could explain it TTFN