The Phantom of Hogwarts

Wow everyone! You guys rock my socks! Your reviews really inspire me to give this fic my all. I only hope that you all will satisfied with the end results. Thanks again!

Disclaimer- Still without a high school education. Still without any kind of ownership of these people, places, and things.

Chapter Three

The fiasco of the flying food had sent Hogwarts students talking of nothing else throughout the first week of term. Everywhere Hermione went, there was a group of students deep in conversation, trying to decipher the mystery that not even Professor Dumbledore could explain. Some believed it was a prank pulled by the teachers, but the older students believed it to be a much stronger force, possibly a student on the Dark Side. The first years were the most carefree of all. Their first night at Hogwarts had been quite the show, and they were eager to see what other surprises the castle held.

Harry and Ron didn't know what to make of it. As the three of them discussed on the way to Transfiguration one day, it could be the Slytherins, possibly avenging their leader, Malfoy. It could also be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, who was a timid man by the name of Professor Brown. He was quiet and somewhat shy, but also a world traveler and an excellent teacher. For once, he seemed to be perfectly normal, unlike the Death Eater Moody and poor Professor Lupin. The food could've been a way to welcome himself to the school. Their other suspicion was that it was the house-elves in the kitchen, who may want a little revenge for not being paid like Dobby was. That suspicion was shot, however, because they knew perfectly well Dumbledore would gladly pay the house-elves if they would just ask.

Only Anthony Goldstein seemed to think that this whole affair was really something to joke about.

"I would've taken on that food." He said pompously to his fellow Ravenclaws one day. "Did you see the way I handled that flying meat loaf? It didn't stand a chance against me. If course, with all of the weight training I did over the summer, I would think that all of that food would've turned the other way if I had even flexed my muscle." He particularly added that part whenever Hermione was walking by. Every time she heard it, she felt like vomiting.

It was only Hermione that knew the real source of the flying food. She didn't believe that anyone would believe her if she had ever told them what she had seen. After all, a phantom at Hogwarts? Who in their right mind would believe that? If Hermione didn't feel that burning desire still on her lips, she was sure she wouldn't believe it either. Instead, she decided to keep this information private. The Phantom would probably never return any way, and she wouldn't have to risk looking like an idiot.

"I still think we should do some form of a stake out." Said Ron as they neared McGonagall's classroom. "We could hide out under the invisibility cloak, and see if the culprit shows up."

Hermione shook her head. "First off, where are we going to start looking? We have no idea what even made all of that food come alive. Second, there's only one invisibility cloak and three of us. I dunno if you've notice, Ron, but we're no longer eleven years old. We won't fit."

"Hermione's got a point." Admitted Harry. "But I still think we should try and do something about this."

"You guys are looking far too much into this. The whole thing's been blown way out of proportion. I bet you Dumbledore set the whole thing up to start of the year with a bang!"

Harry and Ron stopped and looked at each other for a minute. "You might be right." Said Harry.

"Unless she's just trying to cover this up because she was the one who really did it!" exclaimed Ron jumping in front of them and pointing a finger in Hermione's face. His lips curled into a joking smile. There was a slap and a yelp of pain, and Harry and Hermione arrived just in time for Transfiguration. Ron appeared moments later, late and with a red mark on his cheek. Professor McGonagall had no choice but to give him a detention with Hagrid, cleaning out the rooster's coop.

The first Quidditch match of the season was coming up, Gryfindor versus Slytherin. With Draco gone, the Gryfindors were already celebrating, knowing that Slytherin didn't stand a chance any more. Jokes flew around the school about how Harry could catch the snitch with both arms tied behind his back. He'd simply catch it like he did in his first year.

The Slytherins were furious. Rivalries had sky rocketed between Gryfindor and Slytherins houses. Every Gryfindor the Slytherins saw, they made some sort of attempt to sabotage them. Though most of their attempts failed, Dennis Creevey was found stuck in a large bowl of green pudding, Slytherin color of course. Detentions were handed out left and right. Every night, Argus Flich, the caretaker, had at least five students in his care for detention.

The Phantom knew of the tension between the two houses. In fact, he was looking forward to this match much more so than anyone else. He laughed to himself as he stared out the window over-looking the Quidditch pitch. This was a perfectly good chance to really kick off his revenge and help his former teammates.

It was a Friday afternoon, and the air was thick with tension. The match was tomorrow. Everyone was on tender hooks, waiting to see what would really happen that day. Both Harry and Ron were feeling confident in their win, but still they practiced with the Gryfindor team all afternoon. It was a warm pleasant evening when Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who had been outside watching and enjoying the fresh air and reading a book, finished putting the supplies away and headed back to the castle for some dinner.

"We're gonna kick their arses tomorrow!" shouted Ron excitedly as they opened the doors to the Entrance Hall.

"There's no way we can loose." Agreed Harry, whose sprits had lifted greatly since Quidditch had begun. Hermione also knew that Ginny had been giving him some extra "loving" lately. Random snogging in deserted corridors helped to keep an insane man sane.

Hermione was ready to watch a good Quidditch match. Though she was no player and certainly not a huge fan, it was always fun to watch and cheer her team on. It would also be a bittersweet sight, to watch the Slytherins get beaten so badly. Hermione smiled at the mere thought of it.

As the three entered the Entrance Hall, they were met with surprise. Students were running every which way to get to the Grand Staircase. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked dumbstruck as people passed them and shoved them out of the way. Murmurs of "The second floor corridor, did you see it?" and "Right where that whole Chamber of Secrets mess took place."

"What happened?" asked Hermione trying to stop a passing student. They didn't answer.

"Let's go see what happened." Said Harry leading the way through the crowd. He maneuvered them through the throngs of people, and finally, they made it to the second floor corridor.

Several yards from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, there was a large crowd of both students and staff. Each one's eyes bulging and staring disbelieving at what lay in front of them. On the wall, there was an enormous drawing, in blood, of a skull and crossbones. Blood was dripping down from the skull's eyes making him give off the impression that it was really watching them.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally fought through the crowd of people to make their way to the front where Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil were standing. Both were shaking.

"Harry…" said Lavender holding out her hand. She was a holding a pale envelope with Harry's name written on the front. On the back was a wax seal in the shape of a skull and crossbones. Ron paled and Hermione gasped as Harry broke open the seal and took out a letter. The writing looked as if it were blood. It read:

Dear Mr. Potter,

It has come to my attention that a certain Quidditch match between the houses Gryfindor and Slytherin is to be played tomorrow. I am here to tell you that if do not loose this Quidditch match, a disaster will occur, and nothing you do will stop it. You have been warned.

My Sincerest Regards,

The Phantom of Hogwarts

Harry looked down at the letter in disbelief. No one had ever threatened him like this before. Who was this "Phantom of Hogwarts", and what right did he have to order him around?

"Who left this?" demanded Harry glaring at the lot of students and teachers. No one moved.

"Harry," Hermione said gently, "no one knows who put this here. It was found this afternoon while we were out at the Quidditch pitch." Harry stomped off in the direction of Gryfindor Tower looking angry enough to murder any passing person.

"Something's going on here." Said Ron as he and Hermione followed Harry. "And I suggest we find out what because there's no way Harry's loosing the match on purpose."

The three went to bed early that evening and got up extra early the next morning to examine the blood on the wall. The corridor was silent as the three made their way to the bloodsoaked wall. The skull and crossbones was there, left untouched. Dumbledore had tried every charm he knew, but it stayed, a permanent mark on the wall.

"Is it really blood?" asked Ron gulping. Hermione carefully swiped her index finger through the liquid.

"Yep. It's definitely blood all right. It has that smell about it."

"But whose blood is it?" asked Harry aloud. They thought for a moment.

"It easily could've been a chicken or a rooster." Said Hermione.

"No, couldn't be." Said Ron shaking his head. "I spent my detention last night in that coop, and every chicken or rooster returned safe and sound. Lousy pidgins…."

Suddenly, there were quick footsteps behind them. Flich was rushing behind them, his usual scowl in place. "What are you three doing here again?" he asked leering at him with his bright eyes. They looked at one another. Hermione finally stepped forward.

"Sir, it is my duty as Head Girl to investigate this… this…" Harry mouthed a word to her. "Audacity! The letter left was addressed to Harry Potter so I'm showing him exactly where it was left and how it was found." Ron grinned at her while Harry kept a straight face, but Flich, knowing no way to get them in trouble, merely scoffed and left muttering something about finding his dear cat, Mrs. Norris.

"Nice save, Hermione." Said Ron clamping her on the back.

"That was some pretty slick lying." Said Harry.

After glancing around a little more, the trio finally made there way to the Great Hall for some well-deserved breakfast. They sat down and helped themselves to pumpkin juice and pancakes. The rest of the team was already there, awaiting instructions from their captain, Harry.

"Are we actually going to loose on purpose?" asked Ginny, who was a Chaser on the team. Harry stood up and slammed his glass on the table. The team shuttered, but Ro, Ginny, and Hermione were unaffected having seen him loose his temper so often.

"No, we're not!" he shouted. "Who cares if someone leaves a 'threatening' message on a wall. I'm not scared of it, and neither should you all be!"

"But what about the 'disaster'?" asked one of the Beaters.

"I don't care about the disaster! It's all a bluff! Those stupid Slytherins are trying to avenge their dear Malfoy by tricking us into backing out! We're gonna play as hard as we've ever played before!"

The Gryfindor table was silent. No one said a word; they only stared up at Harry as if they'd never seen him before. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, however, looked at each other and rolled their eyes. However much they loved Harry, he tended to get a little over-emotional at times whenever he was threatened. He was a good person at heart though; just trying to make his way through the difficult burdens that life had given him.

"This match, ladies and gentlemen, is now going on its third hour, and the score is still tied, fifty to fifty; there's still no sign of the Snitch."

The new commentator at the Quidditch matches was none other than terry Boot himself, and he was absolutely right. The Slytherins were playing superbly, giving the Gryfindors a nasty shock. So far, two players on each team had to be replaced due to several well-aimed Bludgers. Neither Harry nor the new Seeker for Slytherin had seen the Snitch the whole three hours. Harry was ready to call a quick time-out.

He signaled to Madame Hooch, who blew her whistle, and the Gryfindor team touched down in a huddle.

"What's up, Captain?" asked one of the Chasers.

"Yeah, are we playing badly?" asked Ginny.

"No, no, not at all. We need a plan though. We've been tied for the last two hours. I want you Chasers launching all you've got against the Slytherins. Beaters, every Bludger should be aimed at one of their Chasers. We've got to win this no matter what!" There was a passion in Harry's eyes that no one had seen in ages, and all at once, they knew this match would either make or break him.

"C'mon guys!" said Ron. "Let's kick those Slytherin arseholes!" The team cheered and mounted their brooms once more. The match resumed, and the Gryfindors gave it all they could.

Harry flew high above the pitch and scanned the air for any sign of the Snitch. Nothing so far. He looked around for the Slytherin Seeker, and saw him doing back-flips on his broom to impress the girls in the crowd. Harry could not help but feel grateful that this guy was the new Seeker instead of Malfoy. At least he kept his eye out for the Snitch instead of trying to woo the crowd.

As Harry rolled his eyes, something gold caught his eye. The Snitch! Adrenaline rushed through him as he dived for the Snitch, which was hovering just above the Hufflepuff Stands. The crowd gasped and all eyes were set to Harry as he muttered to his Firebolt to go faster and faster. The Slytherin Seeker nearly fell off his broom in surprise.

Ten feet, nine feet, eight feet…

Sweat covered Harry's forehead as he drew closer and closer to the Snitch.

Seven feet, six feet, five feet…

The rest of the game stopped; all eyes focused sorely on Harry as he zoomed past the Hufflepuffs.

Four feet, three feet, two feet…

Please don't make the Phantom mad, thought Hermione.

One foot…

"HE'S GOT IT! HARRY POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH AND EARNED HIS TEAM THOSE NEEDED ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY POINTS, MAKING THEM THE WINNERS OF THE MATCH!" Terry yelled as loud as he could into the microphone, but not many heard him. Every house, with the exception of the Slytherins, was cheering too loudly for Terry to be heard. The Gryfindors rushed down onto the pitch to boost Harry up onto their shoulders in a victory march. Even Hermione, who was somewhat reluctant and worried, smiled and joined in with her screaming housemates.

It was dinner time and students poured into the school talking excitedly about the match. The Gryfindor Quidditch teammates were treated like gods that night. Harry, Ron, and Ginny barely had a free moment. People from other houses ran to congratulate them. With all this commotion, it was easy to forget the bloodstained threat on the wall.

Just as Hermione was about to turn in for the night, a loud piercing scream was heard from outside the Great Hall. The hall became silent as they listened again. Another scream was heard. The Heads and prefects tried their best to keep the younger students under control, but soon gave up. Everyone got to his or her feet as quickly as possible, Harry, Ron, and Hermione leading in the front while Anthony tried to shove his way next to Hermione.

"Where's it coming from?" asked Harry looking from side to side as they headed up the Grand Staircase.

"We should probably check the second floor first." Said Ron. Harry and Hermione nodded as they and over half of the student population sprinted up the stairs and hurled down the second floor corridor and down to the end of it.

A timid second year Ravenclaw was pressed against the far wall, eyes wide with terror. Her finger was pointed across from her on the other wall. Everyone turned to see, and they were met with the greatest shock Hogwarts had ever seen.

Another message was written in blood right below the skull and crossbones.

You deceived me, and now you, Harry Potter, and all those you know and love, will pay.

Below the message, there was a shaggy figure lying on the floor in a pool of its own blood. It was Mrs. Norris, Argus Flich's beloved cat. She was dead.

A/N: Well I hope that was a little more morbid for you. The Phantom's really not kidding. Thanks so much for reading everyone! I don't mind if you flame because guess what?

The guy I liked for soooo long asked me out!

If any of you have read "My Dream Came True", that fic was dedicated to him, and I got my second chance! I haven't stopped smiling since Tuesday afternoon!

Anyway, please review, and thanks if you do!

Running Amuck,

RonFan