Chapter eleven is here. This chapter will be a prelude to an awesome next chapter, which is already formed in my head. Hope you like this chapter. Things are going to get really exciting as more things get revealed in the follow chapters. Read and Review.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

DUNGBOMBS AND A POLTERGEIST

"Harry," said Lupin as he saw the note written by R.A.B. "You do know this R.A.B., right?"

"Yes," said Harry as he stood by the empty trunk, the room glittering with light from the many torches that hang on the walls. "He owned the locket. I found it in Grimmauld Place."

"But who is this person?"

"I think its Sirius' brother. Back then, I remembered Sirius telling me about his family tree when the Order was still in Grimmauld Place. He said that his brother's name was Regulus Black. But what doesn't make sense is why he would steal the locket and try to get rid of Voldemort if he was a Death Eater before."

"Regulus, you say… Well, I guess this is enough stress for all of us tonight. You three can go now, seeing as we don't have a Boggart to work with," said Lupin, now ready for bed.

Lupin gave Hermione the bottle with Harry's scarred flesh and the black locket, both of which she kept in her bag, and waved goodbye. The three of them trooped out of the classroom and into the Grand Staircase.

"So, what happened back there?" asked Hermione as the three of them stepped on the revolving staircases. "I mean, why has Regulus struck again?"

"I don't know," answered Ron as he held on the banisters. The many people contained in the portraits that lined the staircase stared at them. "I think he doesn't like people killing Voldemort," finished Ron.

"But that wouldn't make any sense," said Harry. "He stole the locket from the cave before. He tried to prevent Voldemort from finding and protecting the Horcrux. He obviously wants Voldemort dead, too. Why then would he try and stop us from destroying Voldemort?"

"Well, that's not true," said Hermione smartly. "The note didn't say that he didn't want to kill Voldemort. He wrote that he didn't want us to destroy the Horcruxes by using a Boggart."

"You know what to do in order to be sure of things?" said Harry after he has squeezed his brain of any possible explanation on why R.A.B. got rid of the Boggart. "Asking Regulus himself."

"Well, that's gonna be easy" said Ron in a sarcastic way as the three of them finally arrived at the Gryffindor Common Room. "Just send him an owl and ask him nicely. Yes. That'll make him cough up answers."

Hermione then suddenly froze. She had an idea; her wide eyes told Harry and Ron that a plan was in her head. She then bolted back towards the Grand Staircase, eager to go back downstairs again. Harry and Ron followed her with puzzlement in their minds as they ran down the staircase, their legs flying through the many steps.

"Hermione wait!" called Harry as he and Ron went after Hermione, who was a flight of stairs ahead of them. "Where are you going?"

"Just follow me," hollered Hermione in return, her voice echoing through the big walls of the Grand Staircase. "I'll explain later when we get there!"

Harry and Ron stopped asking questions and concentrated on running down flight after flight of stairs. The portraits were making annoyed sounds since they were getting ready to sleep. At last, Harry and Ron reached the ground floor, though Hermione was still ahead of them, now reaching the Entrance Hall. The run continued, passing through the cavernous Entrance Hall and out of the castle itself, towards the open grass outside. The night air rustled through their robes and hair as they ran through the mowed grass. They finally reached the Owlery and Hermione, thankfully, stopped running.

"So, what's up?" asked Ron breathlessly as owls of every color soared above them, ready to hunt for the night.

"Well, I had the idea when you mentioned about sending an owl," said Hermione to Ron. "I mean you know how when you send an owl, you just write the name of the person you want to send a letter to and the owl just looks for that person? Well that's the idea. We send something to Regulus and we track the owl we used. The owl will lead us straight to him."

"That's brilliant, Hermione," said Harry, his face shadowed by the many owl resting posts. "But how exactly do we track an owl? We can't even fly."

"Well, we can use Peeves. I mean we just have to lure him into following our orders," answered Hermione. "I mean, he can fly and be invisible. And I know just how to let him help us. Now, Harry, get Hedwig down here."

Harry called out Hedwig's name and surely, after a few seconds, a beautiful snowy owl came fluttering down from the upper rafters of the Owlery.

"Get a piece of paper, Harry," said Hermione. "Tie it around Hedwig's leg so she gets to send something to Regulus. It doesn't matter if there's nothing written in the paper, just as long as Hedwig gets to send something to Regulus."

Harry then tied the paper around Hedwig's leg and patted her head.

"Now, Harry, let her fly to the Common Room window. After that, we go upstairs."

Harry did was he was told as he went on asking the snowy owl to fly towards the Common Room window. And then, the three of them ran back inside the castle and up the Grand Staircase. Once they reached the portrait hole, they said the password and quickly clambered into the Common Room.

No one was in the room for it was really late that night. Harry went passed the comfy scarlet couches and headed towards the window where Hedwig was hovering over outside. Harry then opened the window and let Hedwig in, perching on his shoulder. Ron was by the fireplace, tending on the dying fire to at least give them warmth. Hermione then came to them, carrying a sack of Dungbombs.

"So, you guys ready?" asked Hermione as he hauled over the sack of Dungbombs.

"Yeah, but why do you have Dungbombs?" asked Ron as he successfully produced a crackling fire in the fireplace.

"Well, ever since we became Prefects, Ron, I've been confiscating Dungbombs from other students. I also found a lot hidden in the library shelves since I always frequent there. Actually, I think that I have most, if not all, of the Dungbombs in the school. I know Peeves loves these Dungbombs and I know that he's not too happy with how rarely he finds Dungbombs to play with around campus, so…"

Harry cut in before Hermione could even finish what she was saying. "So, you're saying," said Harry. "…that we let Peeves track Hedwig in exchange for the sack of Dungbombs!"

"Exactly," said Hermione with a sparkle in her eyes. "Let's go."

They went out of the Common Room, still with Hedwig on Harry's shoulder, and went by the Grand Staircase. Once there, Hermione got one Dungbomb from the sack and threw it on the floor. The grotesque odor started to spread out, assaulting their noses. Suddenly, Peeves came out of one of the lower corridors and zoomed up to the source of the smell.

"Oohh. Dungbombs!" exclaimed Peeves. "It's been so long since I've smelled their amazing foul smell."

"Peeves!" called out Hermione as Peeves came near the sack of Dungbombs five feet from them.

"What? Ickly Seventh Years?" answered Peeves, still mesmerized by the smell of dung.

"I have an entire sack of Dungbombs for you!" said Hermione enticingly

"Really! I want that! I want that!" answered the poltergeist.

"Well, you can have all of the Dungbombs in the sack but only if you do me a favor."

Peeves fell silent. "What?" he finally asked.

"We want you to track this owl," said Hermione, pointing to Hedwig perched on Harry's left shoulder. "Be invisible and follow her. Once she arrives at her destination, report back where she went, okay? And then I'll give you the whole sack of Dungbombs."

Peeves fell silent again, thinking if he was to do what Hermione was asking him to do. He disliked following humans around but his yearning for Dungbombs was also strong. Thinking that he had nothing to lose and a whole sack of Dungbombs to gain, he finally agreed. With that, Harry told Hedwig to send the blank note to Regulus, and Peeves zoomed behind Hedwig out of the windows, towards the dark night sky.

Three days passed and now, the seventh years came out with their cauldrons full of matured Wizidium Potions for Slughorn's class. The mildew-filled Dungeon was again, the place for the Gryffindors this morning as they placed a specimen of their potions in labeled flasks and submitted them to Slughorn.

"Ahh, now, we shall test if your Wizidium Potions have been concocted well," said Horace Slughorn. "See this?" asked Slughorn as he raised a bottle with something inside.

"This," continued Slughorn. "This bottle contains dead flesh from a human. I bought it from Knockturn alley days ago and with this piece of decaying flesh, we shall see if your potions work. I shall be pouring drops of your potions into this piece of flesh and see if a reaction takes place. Since Inferi are active dead people, the dead flesh will be a good enough representation of the Inferi."

Slughorn then started to pick out a flask from the pile submitted by the Gryffindors and uncorked it. He then poured a few drops of the potion on the dead flesh. Some potions caused the meat to bleed, while some did absolutely nothing. Hermione's though, caused the flesh to set on fire and become ashes.

"Full points to Ms. Granger, for her excellent work. That's what's supposed to happen. In case of an attack, you all know who to look for to ward of the wretched Inferi—Ms. Granger. Now let's see Harry's potion," said Slughorn.

Now, the professor used Harry's potion, which caused the meat to steam and soften, turning into a sludgy brown substance.

"Well, good enough," said Slughorn as he returned the corks on the many open flasks. "Now, class dismissed. We will be starting a new potion next meeting so prepare for that."

The class dispersed as the students went to their next classes. Just as Harry, Hermione, and Ron emerged out of the Dungeons and into the Entrance Hall, they saw Peeves zooming about. Hermione finally called upon the poltergeist.

"So, you found out where Hedwig went to send the letter to Regulus?" asked Hermione excitedly to Peeves while holding her backpack.

"Yes! Yes!" said Peeves. "Now where are my Dungbombs?"

"Tell me where this place is!" said Hermione, eager to know the whereabouts of Regulus Black, the man who calls himself in his note as R.A.B.

END OF CHAPTER ELEVEN