"You're joking."
It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.
"Seeker?" he said. "But first years never-you must be the youngest house player in about-"
"A century," saidHarry, shoveling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."
Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat there and gaped at Harry.
"I start training next week," said Harry."Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."
Fred and George now came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over.
"Well done," said George in a low voice."Wood told us. We're on the team too-Beaters"
"Well see you later, Harry,"
******************
That night...
Ron and Harry were laying on their beds. Harry lay awake much later listening to Dean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back from the hospital wing). Something was bothering him.
He thought back to the beginning of the year, when Dumbledore had said,"Also one of the corridors on the third floor is forbidden to all students. Anyone seen in that corridor will be severely punished by the head of your respective house. "
He got up, went over to Ron's bed, and shook him, waking him up.
"Brother, I want to tell you something. It's better if we talk in the common room." whispered Harry urgently.
"Sure," as Ron got up and headed towards the common room.
"What do you want to talk about," said Ron, yawning.
"Remember back on our first day when Dumbledore said,'Also one of the corridors on the third floor is forbidden to all students. Anyone seen in that corridor will be severely punished by the head of your respective house. Remember that?'"
Ron's eyes opened wide and said,"Yeah,"
"I wonder what's so forbidden about it. You want to help me find it now?"
"Yeah sure,"
And they head out of the Common Room. They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands, and crept in one of the hallways. They turned into a different hallway when a voice spoke to them,"What are you two doing outside the Common room?"
A small light came on from the wand and they saw it was Hermione, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown.
"You, go back to bed!" said Ron and Harry together.
"I have half a mind to teell your brother Percy about this,"
Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering. "Come on" said Ron to Harry and they began to walk away from Hermione.
Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.
"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves? I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for answering her questions."
"Go away,"
"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tommorow, you're so-"
But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facingan empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a nighttime visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.
"Now what am Igoing to do?" she said shrilly.
"That's your problem," said Ron."We've to go,"
They haven't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.
"I'm coming with you," she said.
"You are not."
"Did you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."
"Shut up, both of you," whispered Harry urgently,"I heard something."
It was sort of shuffling.
"Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron and Harry together.
It was Neville. He was crouched down. Neville looked up and said,"Glad you're here, so what's the password to the common room?"
"Never mind, Neville," said Hermione,"The Fat Lady's gone visit other people and so the passsword won't work for now.
"Alright, I'll follow you guys for now," said Neville, getting up. The four them them turned right and then Harry suddenly heard a voice. He motioned the others to stop and they listened.
"...Master, I can't do this,"
"Bring me it...relive me once again."
"What should I do?"
"Bring me the object I require,"
Shocked by what they had heard, they scrambled back into a different hallways where they met face to face with a blonde boy, flanked by 2 large cronies.
"Fancy seeing you on this side of the hallway, Potter." said Malfoy in a cold, drawling voice. "Should I...call a prefect and give you detention."
"Shut it Malfoy. What are you doing here," retorted Harry, angrily.
"It's none of your business." said Malfoy, a smile now creeping onto his face.
"Get out of my way, then, Malfoy."
"No. Come fight me,"
"No I won't. Get out of my way."
Malfoy leapt forward, grabbing Harry by the collar and tackled him to the ground. Harry kicked him in the stomach causing Malfoy to yelp in pain. His cronies tried to help him but were blocked by the others.
"Now, now boys. Let's not fight," said a calm silky voice. They froze and stood up. There stood about a dozen men in hooded cloaks, all of them wore masks. One of them stood forward. It was a tall man. He looked quite handsome. His brown hair was sleeked back, causing it to look shiny in the dark castle. His left eye was brown but the other eye was the one that made Harry shiver. A magical eye stood in its place, whirring in all directions independent of his other eye.
"Hello there, Harry Potter," whispered the man.
"Who are you?" asked Harry. The others, including Malfoy and his cronies, slowly stepped back, keeping their distance between the cloaked group and themselves.
"Forgive my manners," said the man, now both eyes were staring at him."My name is Gilles Rochefort,"
"Why are you here?" retorted Harry, a slimmer of malice in his voice.
"Ah, call us a scout party. My master does not wish to join in yet."
"Who's your master?"
"The one you brought to downfall."
Ron gasped,"Wait, Lord..I meant You-Know-Who? Isn't he dead?"
"Yes. Voldemort. He is very much alive," whispered Rochefort silkily.
"No, he isn't. I killed him when I was a baby."
"Luckily for you isn't it?" whispered Rochefort, his silkiness now gone. "Die!" Rochefort had his wand raised.
They heard footsteps down the hallway and both of Rochefort's eyes opened widely, and in a blink of an eye, he and his followers were gone.
