Here's the next chapter. I am on Chapter 6 of volume 2, but have been hit with laziness again. I apologize in advance for the beginning of this chapter, but I needed them to figure it out. I hope I can be forgiven, and I promise you there won't be anything this bad again. Now, I have been up all night trying to shock my sleep schedule back to normal. Please review.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except Gnocx.
Chapter 7
The next morning I woke to an empty room. This was to be expected seeing as how today is the first day of the holiday break, and most of the school's students have gone home to their families. I quickly got dressed in my clothes that I normally wear under my coat, grabbed the book I had been reading the previous day, and then walked out of the room and towards the common room. Not surprisingly, the only other people in Gryffindor tower were the golden trio. I slowed my descent as I realized that they were talking.
"You really don't look well," Hermione said to Harry as she got close to his face.
"I'm fine," Harry grumbled irritably.
"Listen," she started after exchanging a look with Ron, "I know you are upset at what we heard yesterday, but you must not do anything foolish."
"Like what?" he asked, giving her a minor glare.
"Like going after Sirius Black, that's what," Ron snipped.
"Why would he want to go after Black?" I asked, deciding that that would be the best time to "conveniently" appear and interrupt them.
As expected, Hermione jumped and I saw Harry giving the slightest twitch. Ron was looking like a child who had just been caught with his hand in a cookie jar. I raise an eyebrow when a minute passes and I get no answer. Deciding to lift the obviously increasing tension I sigh and dismiss it.
"You know what," I said, "you wouldn't. Because I know that you know that Black is not worth dying for. Now if you excuse me I will be going to finish this book that I can't put down in a place where my company won't make things awkward."
Ron and Hermione suddenly found the floor the most interesting thing in the room, while Harry's gaze did not break from the roaring fire. I turn and make to walk out of the portrait hole. I even make it as far as stepping out onto the seventh floor corridor until I am stopped.
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," Harry called.
I turned to see Harry standing a few feet from the entrance looking at me with a conviction in his eyes. Ron and Hermione were behind him looking at him uncertainly. I walk back in after Sir Cadogan started complaining. I walked in and stopped a few feet from them.
"What does that mean?" I asked patiently.
"To be blunt," Harry said, "you are the man in the hood that has been roaming the castle fighting the Heartless."
Ron and Hermione both stared wide eyed at him, obviously not expecting that bold declaration. I just raise an eyebrow at him. I had been expecting them to call me out, so it comes as no surprise that he has.
"Do you realize how ridiculous you sound?" I inquired of him.
"Actually I don't," he replied, visibly getting irritated. "Whenever there are Heartless attacks you disappear, you have lied about where you are going when you leave, and you always try to change the subject when we talk about the Heartless or the bloke in the hood."
"You are proving my point," I told him calmly. "Everything you just mentioned is not concrete. It is luck that I am not there, I have not lied about where I have been and you have no way to prove I was, and I change the subject because you three get obsessed and obsession is never good."
"When I was saved by the hooded man yesterday, I asked if it was you. I wasn't told that it wasn't you," he said.
"Again, not concrete," I rebuked. "He didn't say it wasn't me, but obviously he is supposed to be secretive. Did you consider that maybe he made you think it was me to get you to quit looking?"
All three of them exchanged a look, but then Hermione stepped forward.
"But we know for sure it is Gnocx," she said timidly.
"How would you?" I asked.
In response, Harry pulls out a familiar piece of parchment. Realizing what I left as a loose end my eyes widened.
"When you left me on the staircase yesterday, I pulled out the map. I looked before you got to the fourth floor and the map had you labeled as the hooded man," he explained.
I let the reality of my careless mistake to settle before I walked over to the sofa. As I was walking I spoke.
"I was too focused on trying to get my face fixed and keeping my alibi of going out to view the grounds that I completely overlooked the map," I said as I let my coat manifest itself.
As it appeared Hermione gasped and the other two were startled. I sat down on the couch and pulled my hood down.
"Congratulations," I told them. "You caught me."
"Why wouldn't you tell us?" Ron asked.
"Why does the Wizarding world keep secret from the Muggles?" I asked in reply.
"I don't understand," Harry said as the three took a seat.
"Remember what I told you yesterday when you asked me what the Heartless were?" At his nod I continued. "There are rules, rules against people knowing about me or the Heartless. There are very few who do. Dumbledore is one of them."
"Wait a moment," Hermione said. "Why can't people know about the Heartless?"
I sigh and run my hand through my hair. After a moment of consideration I decide to disclose a basic idea.
"First off let me tell you that I am from another world," I told them.
At my confession Ron almost fell on the floor, Harry was wide eyed and Hermione looked quizzical.
"Impossible," Hermione said. "Other worlds? That's preposterous."
Completely expecting that, I looked over at her.
"Would I be right in saying that you felt the same about magic before you got your letter?" I questioned.
Hermione was at a loss for words. Harry and Ron were just looking at me with a renewed interest.
"I only told you that so I can explain that people shouldn't know about other worlds, it could lead to the natural order of things being messed with," I explained.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"Imagine what could happen if someone like Voldemort could do if he knew about the existence of other worlds." Ron and Hermione flinched as I said his name, while Harry's face dawned with realization. "You see what I mean? Now I implore you to not say a word to anyone and to understand why I can't tell you everything. The only thing I can tell you are that the Heartless are bad news and you need to stay away from them. The same applies to anyone other than me in a black coat like this one; even after I am gone."
"What do you mean?" they asked simultaneously before looking at each other.
I stuck my hand in a pocket and pull out the star shard.
"This is called a star shard," I said as I set it on the table in between us. "It is one of the few means to travel the worlds. It is completely random and can activate anytime to take me off this world. When it brought me here it literally dropped me in the Black Lake."
"So that's why Hagrid was weird around you the first night," Hermione said with recognition. "But why are you staying here. And who are the people who dress like you that we need to avoid."
"Basically there is a group called Organization XIII. They are not nice people, and I am essentially running from them. As for why I am here, Dumbledore offered me sanctuary until the time came for me to leave and in exchange I keep the Heartless at bay and keep Sirius Black away from you if he happens to show up here," I told them.
I deliberately left out my apprehensions on the whole situation because I don't want to make other people question what I, myself am not even sure about.
"I see," Harry said.
"Alright," I declared as I dismissed my coat. "Now it's your turn guys."
Some of the apprehensions they had toward me had thankfully evaporated. They proceeded to tell me that while they were in Hogsmeade yesterday, they heard a group of teachers and Madame Rosmerta talking about the night Harry's parents was killed. Apparently Sirius Black had been best friends with James Potter. They were so close that he and Harry's mother, Lily, made Sirius their secret-keeper. Sirius then turned in their location to Voldemort, who then had chosen to go to their house and murder James, and Lily, and attempt to kill Harry. Obviously we all know how that turned out. Also Black was confronted again by an old friend of his and James, Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew had tried to duel him but was blown away, along with thirteen muggles with a single curse. The only thing left of him was a finger. I sat there while I was told all of this and when they finished I addressed them.
"So, you two are afraid that Harry will want to go after Black in order to obtain retribution for his parents," I elaborated. "I think they are right; you need to stay put."
"How would you all feel if you were forced to hear your mother's screams while she was trying to protect you and hear the sounds of her dying? Then you find out that one of her close friends was the one that led her killer to her. What would you do?"
"Are you saying you want to kill him?" Ron asked.
"Don't be silly," Hermione said nervously. "You don't want to kill anyone… Do you?"
Harry said nothing. He looked away and got a distant look in his eyes.
"Malfoy knows," he said. Then he turned to the other two. "Remember what he said to me in potions? 'If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself… I'd want revenge.'"
"So, you'll take Malfoy's advice and not ours?" Ron said furiously. "He just wants you to go get yourself killed so he won't have to play you in quidditch."
I looked at Ron with a deadpan expression.
"Yes," I said to him. "It is all about quidditch and not about his family worshipping Voldemort."
"Will you stop saying his name?" Ron yelled.
Hermione ignored him and tried to reason with Harry.
"Harry," she started, "if you do this, you will be playing right into Black's hands. Your mum and dad wouldn't want that for you. They wouldn't want you to go looking for Black!"
"I'll never know what they wanted!" Harry retaliated. "That's because, thanks to Black, I've never spoken to them."
There was a silence that followed his outburst. When no one decided to speak again after a minute, Ron decided to change the subject.
"Look, it's the holidays," Ron submitted. "Why don't we all go see Hagrid?"
"We can't," Hermione protested. "Harry isn't allowed to leave the castle."
Harry, before Hermione had even begun to speak, stood up.
"Yeah," he replied to Ron. "We should go and see how he is doing. That and I can ask him why he never told me about my parents and Sirius Black."
Realizing his mistake, Ron tried to rectify it by offering to play chess or Gobstones, whatever that was.
"No," Harry insisted, "let's go visit Hagrid."
Apparently the matter was settled as they went up to the dormitories to grab their cloaks. I was in my coat with my hood down when they came back, and we headed out the portrait hole and down to the entrance hall. We made our way slowly across the grounds and toward Hagrid's hut. When we arrived, Harry made to knock on his door, but stopped when we heard what seemed to be loud moans coming from the other side. Getting over the apprehension, Harry put his ear to the door.
"Is that… Fang?" Harry asked us, resulting in Ron and Hermione putting their ears to the door as well.
"Think we should get someone?" Ron asked in an anxious tone.
"Hagrid!" Harry called while banging on his door. "Hagrid are you there?"
We got heavy footsteps in reply. A moment later Hagrid opened the door. He was not a pretty sight. His eyes were red and puffy with tears coating his face from his eyes to his vest. He then proceeded to fling himself onto Harry's neck, which is an awkward sight seeing as how the man is literally twice Harry's size. Seeing our friend about to collapse under the half giant's weight, Ron, Hermione, and I grabbed him on the shoulders or under the arms and dragged him back into the hut. We got him to his table, where he collapsed into his chair and continued to sob uncontrollably.
"Hagrid, what is it?" an aghast Hermione inquired.
"Read the letter," Hagrid managed to get out between sobs.
Harry grabbed an official looking envelope off of the table and read the contents aloud. It was a letter from the board of governors that said Hagrid wasn't to blame for the Malfoy incident, but there would still be a hearing as Buckbeak has been deemed a danger.
"Oh," Ron said dejectedly. "But you said Buckbeak is a good hippogriff. I bet he'll get off."
"Yeh don' know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures," Hagrid wailed. "They've got it in fer interestin' creatures!"
A sudden bang drew our attention to the corner of his cabin where Buckbeak was chained up and chomping on something bloody.
"I couldn' leave him out in the snow!" Hagrid choked. "All alone, on Christmas!"
The trio looked at each other and tried to think of something to say that was supportive.
"You'll need to come up with the best defense you can Hagrid," I told him.
"It won't matter," he insisted. "All the members of the committee are scared of Lucius Malfoy. They are in his pocket. If I lose this case Buckbeak'll-" He finished with a slitting movement along his neck to signify decapitation.
The trio then went into overdrive in giving Hagrid reassurance that eventually seemed to make it through to him. Ron offered to make a cup of tea, explaining that that is what his mother does when someone is upset. While Hermione told Hagrid she would research previous cases for precedent in setting up his defense, and Harry assured him that he could call the three of them in as witnesses.
Hagrid finally calmed down and started to complain about the dementors and how he has to walk by them every time he goes to the Three Broomsticks to get a drink. He compared it to being in Azkaban. I had no idea he had been there, and when I looked over to the trio, I saw that they weren't surprised. I decided to ask about it later.
The visit to Hagrid's, while depressing, yielded the response desired by Ron and Hermione. Harry had not forgotten about Black, but he has lost his thoughts of revenge for the time being. After making sure Hagrid was going to be okay, we all went back to the castle. We spent the rest of the day and all of the next going to the library and searching through a copious amount of books, searching for anything we could use for the case.
Christmas morning arrived, and surprisingly I was not the first one to wake up. Ron decided that it would be a good idea to come in and wake me up.
"Wake up Gnocx, it's Christmas!" he yelled from the doorway. "Im going to get Harry out of bed. Come into our dorm and we'll open presents. Bring yours."
I listened to him and got out of bed. I looked and, surprisingly, there was a small package wrapped on the end of my bed. I picked it up and went out of the room, down the stairs, and into the third year boy's dorm to see Ron pelting Harry with his pillow. I sat down on one of the beds while Harry gathered himself and Ron began to tear into his wrapped gifts.
"Another sweater from Mum… maroon again… see if you got one too." Ron told Harry.
Indeed Harry did get a sweater. It was scarlet with a lion on it. She also sent him a dozen home-baked mince pies, Christmas cake, and a box of nut brittle.
While he was opening those, I decided to open my present. I carefully took off the wrapping paper and revealed a small black notebook. It was obviously a muggle item as it was made with paper and not parchment. There was a space in the binding where a black pen was tucked in. I opened the notebook to the first page and a slip of paper fell out. Ron and Harry watched me as I picked the paper off of my lap and read it aloud.
Traveling the worlds is an arduous task, but exceedingly rewarding. I thought you might like something to chronicle your travels. Save the friends and memories you make in this book. Good luck in your journey, and I hope you find what you're looking for.
Sincerely,
A friend
P.S. The book is spelled to increase its length once you fill it. The pen is also spelled to never run out of ink. I thought it would be convenient.
"Who do you think sent it?" Harry asked.
"Well seeing as how the only ones who know other than you are Dumbledore, McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape. I have a pretty good idea," I stated.
"Wait," Ron interrupted. "Snape knows?"
"Yes, and he doesn't care for me much," I said.
Harry had just moved all of his gifts to the side and saw something long and thin wrapped underneath them.
"What's that?" Ron asked as Harry picked it up and began to unwrap it.
Harry ripped the paper open and they both gasped at the brand new broomstick that was in Harry's lap. I recognized it as the new Firebolt that Harry had been enamored with during our stay at The Leaky Cauldron. Immediately I grew wary. As far as I knew none of Harry's living relatives were rich or cared enough to buy him something this expensive.
"I don't believe it," Ron said as he and Harry marveled at it. "Who sent it?"
"Look and see if there is a card," I told them.
In response, Ron ripped the paper to shreds trying to find anything.
"Nothing!" he exclaimed. "Who would spend this much on you?"
"I'm sure it wasn't the Dursleys," Harry said.
"Maybe it was Dumbledore," Ron said in reply. "He sent you the invisibility cloak anonymously."
I filed away the information that Harry possessed an invisibility cloak for future use.
"That was my dad's though," Harry reasoned. "He was just giving me my inheritance. There is no way he would spend hundreds of galleons on me. It screams favoritism. Malfoy would have a field day with that."
"Speaking of," Ron said with a growing grin. "Imagine the look on his face when he sees you with that."
Harry smirked at that.
"What about Lupin?" Ron guessed.
"Lupin?" the scar headed teen replied.
"Same concept Ron, it would be seen as favoritism. Besides, have you seen his clothes?" I asked him.
"What are you three talking about?" Hermione said as she finally entered the room holding Crookshanks in her arms.
"Don't bring that thing in here!" Ron shouted as he grabbed Scabbers and placed him in his shirt pocket.
Hermione's jaw dropped as she looked at the Firebolt and placed Crookshanks on the bed I was sitting on.
"Who sent you that Harry?" Hermione gasped.
"No idea, there was no card or anything," Harry replied.
Unsurprisingly to me, Hermione got a bothered look on her face. Her face fell and she bit her lip.
"What's wrong with you?" Ron sighed.
"Don't you three find this odd?" she asked. "This is supposed to be a really good broom, isn't it?"
"It's the best broom out there Hermione." Harry confirmed.
"So it must have been expensive," she concluded. "Who would send something like that to Harry, and not even say they did?"
"Who cares," Ron exclaimed. "Listen, Harry, can I have a go on it?"
"Wait," Hermione and I said at the same time.
We looked at each other and Hermione continued.
"I don't think anyone should ride that broom yet," she said shrilly.
Harry and Ron glared at her and I was about to say my piece when I saw Crookshanks prepare to lunge out of the corner of my eye. I had enough time to grab him by the back of the next before he reached his target, Ron.
"Get him out of here!" he bellowed as I handed the squirming feline to Hermione.
Ron had jumped when Crookshanks started hissing when I grabbed him. He accidentally kicked Harry's trunk and the pocket sneakoscope that was hidden In Harry's trunk started going off.
"I forgot about that," Harry said picking it up out of the trunk.
Crookshanks started to hiss at the object in Harry's hand and Hermione had finally taken him out at Ron's insistence. Once she left the sneakoscope stopped whizzing and I turned my attention to Ron as he cradled his rat that had tried jumping out of his pocket. Needless to say the rodent did not look well.
"He's not looking good, is he?" Harry said.
"He'd be fine if that monster would leave him alone," Ron said angrily.
The Christmas spirit seemed to have disappeared that morning. Hermione locked her cat in her dorm room and her and Ron refused to speak to each other. Harry gave up on getting them to talk and settled on examining his Firebolt. I had set myself by the fire and made an effort to finish the book I had been reading. I don't know what it is about The Count of Monte Cristo, but I couldn't put it down. During my voyage into the mind of Edmond Dantes, I found myself contemplating the even more vexing situation that was Crookshank's seeming obsession and utter hatred for Ron's rat that seems to run deeper than a predator and prey relationship. For my nonexistence, I can't think of an explanation. I feel as though there is a piece of information right under my nose and it is what connects everything.
I am pulled out of my musing as we all head down to the Great Hall for lunch. We arrived to see the house tables had been moved against the wall and there was a lone, circular table in the middle of the hall. The table had thirteen chairs around it and I found myself with an expected rush of déjà vu. Dumbledore, Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall were sitting around the table and Filch was also there. The other seats belong to a Slytherin fifth year and two nervous looking first years.
Dumbledore wished us a Merry Christmas and we took our seats. Before we began to eat, the door to the Entrance Hall burst open to reveal Professor Trelawney, in all her green, beetle like, glory. She told us how she had seen in the beyond that she would be joining us for lunch. She also spouted off some nonsense about 13 people eating together and the first one to leave is the first to die. She made the 14th, so she decided to "save us from doom" Hermione rolled her eyes as Trelawney sat down. Trelawney inquired the whereabouts of Lupin to which the headmaster replied that he had taken ill again.
After two hours of stuffing our faces, Harry and Ron stood to leave.
"Coming, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"No," she muttered quickly. "I'd like a word with Professor McGonagall."
Already knowing what she wanted to do, I stood up and patted her on the shoulder. I turned and put a hand on Ron and Harry's backs as I pushed them out of the hall. We made our way to Gryffindor tower and had a drunken Sir Cadogan open the doorway. Ron and Harry went to immediately admiring his broom as I grabbed a chair and went at my book with a serious interest in finishing before the inevitable maelstrom arrived.
Sure enough, after a few minutes of reading, Hermione came through the portrait hole with McGonagall on her tail.
"So that's it is it?" the Transfiguration teacher said as she approached them. "Miss Granger just informed me that you received a broomstick Potter.
She snatched the broom up and started inspecting it.
"There was no note or identification of the sender?" she asked.
"No," Harry reluctantly replied.
"I see…" McGonagall whispered. "Well, I'm afraid that I am going to have to take this Mr. Potter."
"What!" Harry and Ron shouted. "Why?"
"It will have to be checked for jinxes," McGonagall replied firmly. "I'm no expert but Madame Hooch and Professor Flitwick will just strip it down and make sure there are no problems. It should only take a couple of weeks."
With that said, she took her leave, broom in hand. Ron then rounded on Hermione.
"Why did you go to McGonagall?" Ron yelled.
Hermione threw the book she was hiding behind aside and stood. I was watching this all over my book.
"Because I thought- and McGonagall agreed- that that broom could have been sent by Sirius Black!"
Once again I hope I can be forgiven. Just three chapters to go and Volume One will be finished, and I beleve that with this new chapter I will come to about 40,000 words. I find that exciting. See you next week.
