CHAPTER 14 - HOW ODD


Hermione carried the flute down to the empty room on the 4th floor and Ron and Harry followed. Hermione conjured a stool out of thin air and placed the flute on top of it. they all stood around it then Ron spoke
"Its my turn, Hermione you did it last time."
"Ok, just be careful." Hermione replied and kissed him on the cheek
Harry and Hermione stood back and Ron rolled up his sleeves and drew his wand
"Remember the incantation is Genitus Districtus Phasmatis." Hermione whispered. She reached down and took a hold of Harry's hand. Harry was as nervous as she was.
"Genitus Districtus Phasmatis." Ron cried
A black smokey figure in the shape of a tall thin person rose out of the end of the flute and exploded, showering the room in dust.
"Ron? Are you alright?" Hermione cried
"I'm, um, iim fine." Ron said sounding confused
"There has to be a catch. This can't be it." Harry added
"Ill play the flute and see what happens." Ron told Harry and Hermione as he picked up the flute and began playing. Harry was again filled with happiness and love. He saw Ginny walking down the aisle as Fleur's bridesmaid. This image was replaced with Ron and Hermione coming into the kitchen the morning after they found Hufflepuff's cup. Ron stopped playing, but they all had smiles on their faces.
"Nothings wrong with it." Hermione said, sounding stumped
Harry thought for a moment and then it occurred to him
"I think that because this flute is filled with happiness and love Voldemort's soul couldn't live inside it and manifest its evil. I'm guessing Voldemort didn't have enough time to truly investigate the flutes powers, and if he played it, he wouldn't have any happy thoughts so he didn't know what it did. And because of that, the flute helped destroy this horocrux by it self."
"That makes sense. I was wondering why it was so easy to get to and now destroy, but if what you say is true, then it explains everything." Hermione said in awe
"Lets go put this with the cup and tell Ginny what happened." Ron said and they went into Sirius old room in the attic and opened Sirius trunk, wrapped the flute in a pillow case and placed it next to the cup (which was wrapped in a bed sheet), under the photo album. Harry let Ron tell Ginny what had happened as he was the one who destroyed this horocrux. Harry sunk into Sirius bed and his mind began racing
'What was Scrimgeour doing there and why?' he thought
He came up with nothing and once Ron had finished speaking to Ginny he and Hermione disappeared saying something about something. Harry picked up the mirror and saw Ginny's beautiful face with her big brown eyes looking at him. He felt as though the flute had just been playing so he locked the attic door and engaged in an intimate conversation with her.

It had been 2 days since they had destroyed the Ravenclaw horocrux and Hermione's Felix Felicis was coming along nicely. That night Harry suddenly woke up in a pool of his own sweat. He had been dreaming about his what he saw with Voldemort and the man with the weedy voice. He had also been dreaming about Scrimgeour behind the painting. Harry put his glasses on and saw Hermione shaking Ron.
"Hermione, stop it, wazz a matter?" Ron said sleepily
"I've figured it out!" Hermione said excitedly
"That's nice that you told us, good night." Ron said as he lay back down
"Ron! Wake up, I know why Scrimgeour was behind the painting."
Harry was wide awake now and Ron sat up. Hermione was glad they were finally paying attention
"Well, Harry said that in his vision not long ago that someone was under a curse and been feed a weakening potion, well I think it's Scrimgeour. Malfoy is controlling Scrimgeour because he knows his way around Hogwarts and Snape is making the potion to weaken him. Voldemort wants the flute back. I'm thinking that when Voldemort was in school he found the flute and made the horocrux and hid it, possibly in his last year. When he came back to ask Dumbledore for the Defence job he wanted to find the flute and test its TRUE magical qualities, and now with Dumbledore, well, gone, its easier for Voldemort to get someone inside the castle to retrieve it for him. I think he's using Malfoy and Snape to do it as a test of their loyalties."
Ron stared at Hermione with his mouth open, but Harry was thinking
"It all makes sense. Voldemort WOULD want to test Malfoy, yea." He said aloud
"We need to talk to McGonagall about it, and it would be nice to tell Dumbledore's portrait about finding Ravenclaw's flute." Hermione said matter-of-factly
"Ok, ill send McGonagall a patronus first thing in the morning, it would be rude to wake her now." Harry said as Ron yawned
"What are you doing up any way Her Her Hermione?" Ron asked yawning again
"I had to add some more things to the Felix. Well I'm off to bed now, good night." Hermione said as she kissed Ron good night.

In the morning Harry sent a Patronus to McGonagall asking if they could meet her at the Hogwarts gates at noon. Shortly after sending his patronus, he saw a silver cat burst into the room. McGonagall's patronus leapt up on the table and looked Harry in the eye. The thought 'That will be fine' burst into his head. The cat nodded then left again.
"McGonagall says noon is fine." Harry told Ron and Hermione
They were in an empty room on the 1st floor. They had decided to use this room for magical practice. No one used this room and it was large enough for what they wanted. Today they were teaching themselves a defensive spell which made the opponent blind for roughly 5 seconds, 10 if your spell was strong enough. Hermione had mastered the spell in half an hour and made Ron go blind for 15 seconds. Ron and Harry were still having problems and could only make it work for a few seconds. Noon quickly came and the 3 of them apperated to the Hogwarts gates. McGonagall was waiting for them. She unlocked the gates and let them in before greeting them.
"Good afternoon." She said
"Good afternoon." They replied
"Could we please go up to your office?" Harry asked
McGonagall looked at him curiously for a second then said "Yes."
They walked in silence and McGonagall gave the stone gargoyles the password ('Pickled Pig') and they were led up to her office by the moving staircase. Her office already had 3 wooden chairs set up for them. McGonagall took her place behind the desk, sat down and motioned for them to sit down. They did and McGonagall looked at them.
"We have reason to believe that Scrimgeour is been kept under the Imperius curse and been feed a weakening potion." Harry said very fast
"And why do you think this?" McGonagall said, but still looked surprised
"Well about a week before Christmas I fell asleep in the middle of the day and I had a dream, well vision. It hasn't happened since in my 5th year after the Ministry thing. Voldemort has been using Occlumency against me. Anyway, in this vision Voldemort was talking to a man with a weedy voice. The man said that the young master was controlling the curse but the one who is cursed has been resisting it and the faithful servant made a potion to weaken the one been cursed. A couple of days ago Scrimgeour was in a room we were in, in Hogwarts. This room had something that Dumbledore wanted me to find. Scrimgeour went to where it should have been, but we had got it shortly before hand. Scrimgeour cursed when he realised it wasn't there and then left." Harry informed her
McGonagall said nothing for a short while, but Dumbledore spoke up
"Minerva, while you fully process what Harry has just told you I would like to speak to Harry, Miss Granger and Mr Weasley privately."
McGonagall nodded her head and walked out of the room. Dumbledore did not say anything until he heard the stone gargoyles slide closed again.
"Which horocrux did you find at Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked
"Ravenclaw made a flute and hid it behind the huge painting on the 6th floor. This one was easy to destroy because the flute leaked happiness. When it was played it made you relive your happiest moments." Harry said
"Well done, that is impressive. How did you find out about the flute?" Dumbledore asked
"The Grey Lady ghost is Ravenclaw's sister, Finola."
"Ahh, I have spoken to her many times but have never asked her about her lineage. Although I had my suspicions whether or not she was after rereading 'Hogwarts, a History'."
"We have also destroyed the horocrux inside the cup."
"What repercussions were there?"
"Well, Voldemort's soul flew down Hermione's open mouth and became one with her and tried to kill us, but Ron made the final blow and destroyed it. Hermione was unconscious for a couple of weeks but fine." Harry explained. Ron shuffled his feet and looked down and Hermione went a slight shade of pink.
"I see. Yes, love does prevail." Dumbledore said with a grin and nodded towards Ron and Hermione causing them to both go a deeper shade of red
"Now Harry, on to a more serious topic. You still have to destroy Nagini and find the true locket. When you have found the locket I would like you to come back and see me because I have been thinking of a way in which would help you along your way in the final battle. Miss Granger, what potions are you brewing?"
"Felix Felicis, but nothing else sir." She said quietly
"Excellent, may I also suggest a strengthening potion?"
"Of course sir. I will start the minute we get back."

Professor McGonagall walked back into the room still looking shocked and now slightly flustered
"OK Potter, I believe your theory about Scrimgeour. He has been acting rather strangely lately and I shall deal with him tonight with members of the Order. Thank you very much for letting me know. Hagrid will let you out, Good day."
"See you Professor." Harry, Ron and Hermione said and nodded towards Dumbledore who waved them good bye. They then made there way down to Hagrids hut for a lunch of Rock Cakes and Tea and a good conversation about nothing in particular.