Chapter Eleven
Dean was right, it wasn't hard for Harry to find Neville. He was clanking and clunking along the corridor headed towards Lupin's office, but at a very slow pace.
"Neville," Harry hurried up alongside and whispered.
"Oh, hi, Harry," a voice echoed from inside the helmet. The visor was down over his face and he was peering through a half inch slit in the face plate. "What you doin' Harry, why aren't you dressed? What do you think of my costume? I went to the library and did all the research. It's really authentic, although I had to have Professor McGonagall help me with the transfigur…"
"Neville," Harry gently tugged the boy to the side and behind a pillar. "You have to come with me and not ask questions just now."
"But, I'm supposed to go and see Professor Lupin," the tinny voice said.
"There are two Professor Lupin's," Harry said and glanced around the pillar. The hall was empty. "One is an assassin."
"A…an assassin!" Neville gasped, rattling in his armor. "But who do they want to…Oh!" his voice quieted and Harry could sense his fear.
"First thing we've got to do is get you out of that thing," Harry said, raising his wand.
Neville raised his arm in defense and squealed, "Harry do you think you should..."
"One…two...three, COMUTATUS MATADOR!" Neville's clothes changed into that of a Spanish Matador complete with a black mask covering the upper part of his head.
"Well, this is good," Neville said, looking down at his white shirt and tight-fitting pants, his black shoes and the red cape draped to the floor. A very shiny sword was strapped to his waist over the scarlet cummerbund.
Neville was still looking at himself when Harry pointed his wand at his own body and thought for a moment. "COMUTATUS MONK," he said as quietly as he could. Suddenly his own school clothes were transformed into that of a thirteenth century monk. He pulled the hood over his head, grabbed Neville's arm and headed back towards the main entrance.
Suddenly a door opened and Harry yanked Neville behind a tapestry. They heard footsteps and Harry held his breath as they came closer. The steps hesitated almost in front of them and then moved on. Harry peeked out the side of the heavy wall hanging and saw Lupin. It was not the first time in Harry's experience where someone was not who they were supposed to be. He remembered with a shiver watching Mad-Eye Moody change into Barty Crouch's son.
"Come on," Harry whispered, pulling Neville from their hiding place. They slowly followed Lupin's footsteps keeping out of his sight. Harry held his finger to his lips at Neville and got a nod for a response. The music from the Great Hall was now drifting up through the corridors.
Harry was thinking furiously about what his next move would be when he saw Jonas. They were at the top of the grand staircase near the front entrance when he looked down and saw the Senseve slip through the large front doors and move silently into the dark of the hallway. Harry listened and breathed lightly watching the man's outline as it passed out of sight.
"Harry," Neville whispered just behind him. "If we go into the Great Hall no one can find us. Everyone is costumed and masked."
Harry glanced over his shoulder. Neville, for once, was right. Even a Senseve could not find them with so many people around, he thought. And yet he knew they would have to be careful. Jonas had an acute sense of smell and might be able to detect him anyway.
He nodded back at Neville and they moved quietly down the stairs. At the entrance, Harry glanced both ways and pulled Neville in close. "Mix with the crowd, always have people around you. I'll stay near you." Harry said. "I've got to locate the imposter and then we have to leave. Do you understand?" Neville nodded. "And don't speak! Someone will recognize your voice," Harry warned.
They advanced into the Hall where people were dancing, the music was loud and people were shouting to have their conversations heard. Harry was searching the room. McGonagall sat in Dumbledore's seat at the head table while other teachers were either sitting or moving around.
Harry could recognize some people who were barely disguised; Draco Malfoy was dressed as a Russian Czar and a girl dressed as his Czarina was at his side. Michael Corner, an old boyfriend of Ginny Weasley's was a Sea Captain.
Harry walked with Neville at his side through the crowd of dancers and mingling people. Terry Boot acknowledged them, dressed as a Viking Warrior with full compliments of shield and horned hat and Mandy Brocklehurst from Ravenclaw stood at his side dressed as an Egyptian Queen.
Neville bumped into Padma Patil, the Ravenclaw girl he had talked about dating for three years, but had never had the courage to ask out. His face grew the shade of his red cape when she spoke to him. She was dressed as an Arabian Belly dancer and was slowly rotating her pelvis to show off the chain of gold coins around her waist. She played the part by draping her veils around Neville's neck and dancing close. Harry was momentarily distracted when he saw the red jewel in her navel. He salvaged the situation by yanking Neville almost off his feet and pulling him away.
"Harry!" he gasped. "She...she..."
Harry bent his head and jerked Neville down by his shirt front, to talk directly into his face. "Neville! Don't forget why we're here. We're supposed to be hiding. Now keep quiet and don't talk to anybody."
Neville nodded and pulled his twisted clothing back into shape. When Harry stood straight and glanced past the pair of Love Birds transfigured to have real feathers, he noticed three figures had entered the Hall. Snape was easily recognizable as he wore his normal black clothing and black traveling cape. Next to him stood two shorter people who looked like young men Harry's own age. Harry knew who they were, it was Hermione and Nadya dressed in men's clothing. Snape had the presence of mind to have them masked.
Harry watched as they moved through the crowd. He desperately wanted to go to them but knew he would either have to leave Neville's side, which could prove disastrous or wait to see if they would move closer.
Just minutes behind them, there was a rustling of soft clapping and cheers and Harry saw Dumbledore enter. He also had changed his clothing into that of a muggle Train Conductor. Harry took a moment to watch his entrance, thinking Dumbledore made a rather strange train conductor. He thought it might be the white beard, and then he focused.
He felt some relief at the arrival of both Snape and Dumbledore and was about to move closer to one of them when he caught sight of Jonas. The man stood in the entrance to the Hall and leaned against the door. Just beside him was Lupin. This Lupin was dressed as an Archer for the Ball. Harry knew he had to be the imposter. He decided if the real Lupin were present he would not show himself in order to have the advantage.
Neville was pulled into a dance by a ballerina in a pink tutu, leaving him all alone on the dance floor. Harry searched frantically for the first girl nearby and happened to grab Hermione, who had pushed through the crowd looking for him.
"Dance with me," he said gruffly. He looked over her head and saw Nadya being guided up near the head table by Snape who had a protective arm around her shoulders. He was looking back at the front entrance as well searching for Jonas. It would do to not keep track of him.
"No! Let go! Who are you?" she said struggling. "I'm looking for someone."
"It's me, Harry!" he said and pulled her into the crowded dancers so that he was inches from Neville.
"Harry!" she hugged him. "I am so glad to see you! Where is Neville?" She was dancing slowly and Harry felt his toes step on her's every other step. "Are you watching over him?"
"Sorry," he crunched another toe. "Yes I've got him in sight, He's the matador," Harry said quietly.
"Harry, you've got to get him out of here!" she whispered.
"I know!" he growled.
Harry continued to dance her in a direction in which he was able to watch the door. "Soon as it's clear, Hermione. Listen, Lupin is the imposter and I can't say for sure but I think Jonas is helping him. We're going out the back behind the teacher's table. Ooh, Ron just came in!"
Harry noticed Ron and Ginny walk through the door. Ron was dressed in a Fox hunter's breeches and carried a riding whip, Ginny a mermaid, taking tiny steps with her fish tail trailing behind her. "He's just come in and he's the fox hunter. Soon as I get Neville over by the table you create a distraction."
Hermione nodded and started to turn.
"Hermione…" Harry pulled her back. "Whatever happens, tell Nadya, I love her. And… I promised I would do this for saving her." He pulled her close and gave her a kiss on the lips that left her gasping. Several people nearby laughed. Harry gave her one last hug and said, "Give me two minutes." The band began to play a loud raucous tune and bodies began bouncing and banging into them as people danced.
Harry found Neville at his side and grabbed his arm. Laughing gaily he stumbled towards the table with him as if they were having a wonderful time and dancing along the way. "We're going out the back door," Harry whispered into the Matador's ear. "Pretend we're goofing off and then slip through that door. I'll be behind you." He was hiding Neville behind a large swan and checking the room.
They were getting closer and closer to the door and Harry saw Nadya and Snape moving across the front of the room in the same direction. Yes, just come closer, just for a minute, Harry thought. I just need you see you for a minute, Nadya.
They were about to meet. Nadya looked straight at him, Neville was closing in on the door and Harry was dancing with a nun. Harry heard a horrific shriek and turned to see Hagrid in a full Scottish kilt waltzing through the front entrance blowing a bagpipe. His rather horrific hairy knees were exposed to the world. The music stopped, the dancers stopped and everyone was either laughing or applauding. The noise was deafening.
Harry grabbed Neville and shoved him through the door, turned once to look at Nadya, pulled back his hood just enough so that she could see his face and then stepped through the door. He knew that for a second she had seen him, but had not recognized who it was and he felt his heart sink painfully.
"Come on, really fast now, Neville," Harry led the way through another door and they found themselves in the hall just outside the Great Hall. Harry took it at a run.
He made his way down to a very familiar classroom abandoned for years. It was his own secret and private room where he had previously met Nagini, Voldemort's snake and had released it from Voldemort's servitude.
From the room, Harry moved in the dark towards the door leading to a set of spiral staircases which then led to another empty balcony room, and then to a door to the outside of the castle, down stone steps and into the forest. Neville was clinging to Harry's cloak for dear life.
"I can't see a thing, Harry!" Neville whined. "Can we have a light?"
"No, Neville. I think Jonas is helping Lupin. He will be behind us shortly and he will find us. He's a Senseve." Harry was glancing back every other second and stopping to listen. Both of them were breathing heavily. "He may not even need a light to find us," Harry growled.
"Where are we going?" Neville asked, as they came to a stopping point.
"Out into the forest," Harry said. They were still in the stairwell and close to the exterior door. He was feeling mild relief. We're going to make it, he thought. "We have to go into the forest. Trust me."
"Oh no, Harry. We can't." Neville suddenly stopped cold and let go.
Harry was feeling panicked and almost pleading with him, "We have to Neville. It's our only chance. Jonas can track us by our smell alone. Maybe if we're in the woods it'll be harder. I have to get you to a safe place!"
'Taking me out of Hogwarts isn't safe, Harry." Neville was now trying to go in the opposite direction. They were halfway down the stairs.
"Don't you understand Neville," Harry's argued, "he's going to kill you. If he does, then he'll go towards the Source. He's got a map of Hogwarts and he can find it."
Neville said, LUMOS and lit his wand. It was a feeble light in the darkness of the well. There were no windows. The light lit the masked face and Neville pulled the mask off and stared at Harry. "You can't take me away from Hogwarts to protect me, Harry. Hogwarts' protects me."
The gray eyes were serious and Harry stopped his frantic vigilance to stare back. "Hogwarts is a living , breathing creature, Harry. Didn't you know? If you take me away, it will be the same as if an assassin kills me. Hogwarts protects me and guards the Source. Do you understand?" Neville searched for words, "It's like a gardener tending a garden; the castle is the garden and I'm the gardner."
Harry didn't understand and didn't have time to ask questions. He had a sense Neville was telling the truth; to leave was more dangerous then to stay. He knew the castle had strange magical properties and Neville probably knew more than he did about the Source and his duties as a Guardian.
"Ok, Neville," Harry said slowly, chewing nervously on his lip. "Give me a minute to think." Then he knew, "Ok. This is what we're going to do." He whispered frantic instructions and Neville said NOX. The light went out. They continued on down the stairs to the empty balcony room, out the door and raced down the stone steps.
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