Disclaimer: I do not, in anyway own the wonderful world of Harry Potter, or Charmed. I am just dabbling in the world they left for us.
Chapter 39
Magical Door.
Last Time:
Harry smiled "I think that you would be surprised to know that you are all standing, what used to be, the Chamber of Secrets."
"WHAT!" Ginny, Ron and Hermione yelled at the same time.
"As you can see I did some major renovations. It is no longer quite so evil looking." Harry said as he motioned around him.
"Why didn't you tell me the first time you brought me here?" Ginny asked sounding betrayed.
"Because had I told you that then you would have figured out that I was Flynn," Harry explained "And then there is the fact that I wanted you to feel safe and had you known where you were, you would have shut down on me."
"You didn't tell Ginny!" Hermione said sounding mortified.
"No, all he said was 'We are just a little more South than where we were' I just didn't know he meant it literally." Ginny answered as she began to have a good look around. It really looked different than when she was last here. In a way she was glad to the transformation that Harry had given it. Even if she was still a bit mad that he had neglected to tell her.
As she stood there looking around a thought found its way into her head and she was surprised that she or any of the others hadn't figured it out yet. "Harry is this?"
Harry nodded and said with a smile "Yes it is."
"And the two rooms?" Ginny asked.
"Really are just rooms, I have used them a couple of times."
"And so that makes the new one-"
"Yes." Harry answered.
"Would you two stop that," Hermione said "It makes you sound like the twins."
"Sorry Hermione, Harry was just confirming something for me." She said as she turning to face her friend with a smile.
"And that would be…" Ron said as headed off Hermione.
"That the room that you are now standing in is going to be the common area for the new DA to gather in and that door over there," Harry said pointing to the door behind Ron and Hermione "Leads to the room that we will all practice in."
Hermione and Ron just gaped at him and then turned to look at the door and then back to Harry. "Do you mind if we-" Ron began. But there was no need as Harry had expected this and said "Yea, go ahead."
Ron and Hermione led the way over to the new part of his Sanctuary, which he had only really finished the day before he was set to duel Ginny. "This is amazing Harry." Hermione said as she gazed around the room "Was this apart of the Chamber before?"
"Everything down here was really just one big open space, and only after doing some major research I was able to make what you see now." Harry answered as he too looked around his newest room.
It was large, maybe even larger than the sitting area and had magically-padded walls all the way around; so that any stray spells would be absorbed into them. The ground was still the same gray granite that had been here since the Slytherin Founder had created his Secret Chamber. Off to the side of the room there was a raised dias that looked like a dueling platform.
"Wow Harry you have really out-done yourself here." Hermione said as they closed the door to that room and moved to sit down around the fireplace.
"Thanks Mione, I'm glad you like it." He said with a smile.
"So when you said that you were just waiting for a few more things, what you meant was that you were just waiting until you had revealed yourself to Ginny." Ron said.
"Had I shown you lot earlier, Ginny would have figured out that I was Flynn." Harry replied as he looked at the girl in question who just smiled at him. To be honest, though, he was getting tired of repeating this.
"Well, as fun as this has been," Hermione started "I think that we need to head back up and get ready to go home tomorrow."
Two almost identical groans came from Ron and Ginny. The one from Ron was directed towards the prospect of having to pack, while Ginny's was more to her not wanting to leave her comfy spot on the couch wrapped in Harry's arms. "Hermione's right Gin, we need to go pack, as we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Harry said as he made to stand up.
Ginny gave an exaggerated sigh and also stood up, stretching out her legs. "Well, it was fun down here while it lasted," Ginny said "But I think that we are going to have to come back down here Harry, so that you can give me the "Grand Tour" of the place."
Harry smiled and hugged Ginny tightly while Ron stood up and said, "Ugh, Ginny I could really do without that image thanks."
"What you mean this." Then without any warning Ginny grabbed Harry's face and pulled him into a passionate kiss.
"Oi, Potter, get your hands off my sister." Ron exclaimed.
Harry and Ginny pulled apart laughing "Like I had any choice in being accosted, but if I did…" He trailed off with a seductive look at Ginny who just turned and smirked at her brother.
"Harry I was wondering, how are we supposed to get beck up there?" Hermione asked.
Gesturing them over to him Harry activated his special, personal portkey; that deposited them into the Room of Requirement. Hermione would not let them out of the room until she had an iron-clad promise from Harry to tell her how he had managed what he just did. With Harry's promise in hand as well as a quick explanation- "It says something in Hogwarts; A History, about the different forms of travel that one is able to do inside the School if I am not mistaken" -she opened the door leading out into the corridor, but they stopped short when they noticed they were not alone.
There standing in front of them, in all of his glory, was Albus Dumbledore and he was not alone. There standing around him, not unlike some sort of guard, were several of their Professors. "Harry what a pleasant surprise, I had not expected to find you four here." He said as the trademarked twinkle shown brightly in his eyes.
Harry rolled his eyes and it did not escape his notice that most, if not all, of the Professor's standing behind the Headmaster had done the same. "Then what's with the Guard?" Harry asked feigning curiosity.
The Headmaster looked behind him and then turned back to Harry; his eyes still twinkling. "The Professors and I were just patrolling the hallways. Never can be too careful nowadays can we?"
"No sir we can't, "Harry replied "Though I am curious as to whom you left down in the Great Hall to watch over the dance."
"I believe that Professor McCreedy is more than capable of handling it, don't you?" Dumbledore asked Harry.
"You know what sir you're right. I am sure that he is more than capable," Harry started "But now if you excuse us sir, we have to go and pack for the Holidays. I for one do not want to be left by the train because I was late in my packing."
"Too right you are Harry." Dumbledore said as he moved out of Harry and his friends' way. They began to walk down the corridor but did not get far before Dumbledore began to speak again.
"Ah, Harry," He started "I was wondering if you could take just a little bit more of your time and talk with me for a moment?"
Harry gave a sigh and turned to look at his friends and then moved his gaze to the Headmaster. "Sir, we really are tired and have a lot of packing to do, and if I am not mistaken, shouldn't you be patrolling the halls right now." Harry stated dryly.
"Now Harry, I was merely going to inquire as to why you had not put your name on the list of those staying behind over the break." Albus Dumbledore said with a false smile.
Harry glanced between his friends and the only one who made any movement was Hermione, and she had barely shaken her. Though she had not said anything out loud, this one movement spoke volumes. 'Don't do it' but it was too late for that as Harry was already in knee deep. "Well sir," He started "That is because I will not be staying behind this year. I actually have a place that I am wanted at and seeing as I have not yet had the chance to pack I need to be going."
Harry and his friends got about five more feet before anyone had said something. But just as they were about to round the corner that they heard a voice call out, "Harry, now I have been reasonable long enough, and it is my duty as Headmaster for this school to tell you that you must remain here for the Holidays so that you can be safe."
Harry just about lost it and spun around in time to see the Headmaster and his cohorts walking towards them. "Sir, I have been in more "Danger" here in my six years here than I was this past summer. So don't give me that dribble about it being safer here."
"I'm sorry Harry, but you have forced my hand." The Headmaster said as he raised his wand.
"RUN!" Harry yelled to his friends as he led the way.
Dumbledore sighed and calmly said "Please retrieve Mr. Potter, stun him if you must, but we need to keep him here."
None of them said a word as they ran away as fast as their legs could carry them. They made it down two more corridors before they were met with any opposition. "It is pointless to run Potter." Said a Professor that Harry didn't know; 'Muggle Studies maybe?'
"Yea Potter, you're trapped." Sure enough as he and the others looked behind them, they saw the Headmaster and the rest of his "friends".
"What are we going to do?" Hermione exclaimed as she fidgeted.
"We're trapped mate." Ron said.
"No we're not," Harry began but when he saw the looks on his friend's faces he said "Okay, so we are trapped, but that doesn't mean that I don't have a plan." And in one swift movement he threw his arms up, his palms exploding outwards, at both sets of Professors causing them to Freeze on the spot.
His friends just gaped at him; none of them knew what to say. If he had seen their looks of awe he paid them no attention as he began to call upon his power again. This time he brought up both arms with his palms, this time, palms facing towards the ceiling. Focusing with all of his might he reached into the deep parts of his magic and called forth two walls of the most brilliant white fire that any of them had ever seen. His friends then watched as he reached into his robes and pulled out what looked to be a rectangle made of wood.
Harry threw the small piece of wood onto the ground and then bent down, touched the piece of wood and said "Mischief". Hermione, Ginny and Ron were awed yet again as they watched as this tiny thing, took the form of a door; complete with a handle and all. As Harry stood up he waved his hand at the door, causing it to fly open with a 'Whoosh'.
"Jump in." Harry said as he held the door in place.
Ron shook his head and said "No way mate, the last time I jumped through a door in the ground I landed on a big pile of 'Devils Snare'. And to be quite honest I don't fancy doing that again any time soon."
"Ron the only difference this time is that there are no deadly vines waiting for you, or a mad-man with a spirit on the back of his head." Ron shook his head again and stepped back just a little.
"Look, Ron, it is dark on the other side of this door because all of the lights are out. Now if you really feel like it you can stay, just know that there is a Headmaster who is over there," He said as he gestured behind the wall of fire "That will delve into your mind to try and find the answers that I am not willing to give him."
Ron looked scared at the prospect of the Headmaster in his mind. "But you said that your spell would protect against that." He said feebly.
Harry nodded "You're right, but since he doesn't know that he will exhaust any resource he has. And if that means you become a member of the Long-Term-Spell-Damage Ward at St. Mungos…" he left the comment hanging in hope that Ron would see reason and jump through. He didn't.
"Harry, the Headmaster would never try and get away with something like that, much less do it." Hermione interrupted.
"Would this be the same Headmaster who just threatened a student with a wand; which is not the first time, and then proceed to have Professors chasing said student through the halls just to get him back?" Harry asked her, his face a mix of serious and irritation.
"Harry," Ginny began "Is it safe?"
Harry turned to Ginny and gave a rushed "Yes."
"Then I will see you all on the other side." And with that she stepped right up to the door and jumped straight through.
"Ginny!" Ron called as he fell through. He had tried to make a quick dash up to the still open door and catch his sister, but he had tripped and fallen through himself.
"Ron!" Hermione called out as she saw Ron fall through. She was going to say something when she turned back to Harry, but he cut her off.
"Hermione, it's your turn, go!"
"But Harry…" Hermione began.
"Look, Hermione, but I don't know how much longer the flames are going to last or how long the Professors are going to stay frozen. So if you could please go through." Harry said interrupting her again.
"But how…"
"Hermione I love you like a sister, but you if you do not jump through right this instant I will push you through myself." Harry said having already had enough of her stalling. He had no idea how the Professors had frozen, though he did have a theory; one thathe would have to test later.
Creating the two walls of fire he had known that he could do, he had been practicing for quite some time. But large creation like this drew on way to much of his energy; and he was already beginning to feel the affect it had on him. "Hermione, Go, NOW!" he yelled in one last attempt to get her through the door.
'I just know that I'm going to regret this' Hermione thought just before jumping through, screaming as she fell. Harry jumped in as soon as she had passed through, pulling the door shut behind him as he went. As soon as the magical door had shut and disappeared, the flames vanished and the Professors unfroze.
Albus Dumbledore just stood there for a moment confused; confused as to why he was now looking across the hall at the other team of Professor that had been summoned to help secure Harry. Then as if just realizing something he put a hand into his robes and pulled out a pocket watch and flipped it open. As he stood gazing at the watch the Muggle Studies Professor came up to him and said. "Sir, we can't find any trace of him. It's like he just vanished."
The Headmaster just stood there and shook his head. "Thank you, but if you and the others could go to the Great Hall and help Professor McCreedy with the clean-up of the dance that would be wonderful."
"I will make sure that it is done Headmaster." The man said leaving Dumbledore alone with his thoughts.
Dumbledore sighed again as the other Professors left. 'Their memories of tonight will have to be modified so that they will not remember my trying to subdue a student without cause' then turning back to his pocket watch and just gazed at it, watching as it flashed the same phrase over and over.
'Harry Potter has left Hogwarts, Harry Potter is safe'
----
Harry Potter had jumped through the door as soon as Hermione had made it through. Like Hermione and the others, Harry had jumped vertically through as well. But since the door had been laying on the ground he, like the others, had come through horizontally causing him to land on top of his friends at the foot of the stairs. Quickly standing up he made sure that the door was pulled shut so as not to allow anything else through. "Managed." Harry said as he touched the door, causing it to shrink back to its original size. As he was putting the door away he heard some noise from above and winced slightly, turning just in time to see a light go on in the hallway and a figure at the top of the stairs.
Ron, Hermione and Ginny's heads turned to see what Harry was looking at. A woman was walking down the stairs towards them. "Mom" Harry called with a smile.
"Well you're home early." Piper said as she continued down the stairs seeing his three friends lying in a dog pile just in front of him, "Is everything alright?"
"Just tired." He replied then promptly fell to the floor unconscious.
A/N: So Dumbledore knows when Harry is safe…imagine that. Oh well. I have the next chapter written and ready to go. I also want to apologize for the cliffhanger, but it was the best spot to end it at. I shall have the next one up as soon as I am able. Please be kind and push that review button. I am almost to 500 reviews. And yours could help me get there. So who will be the five hundredth to review. Let the race begin.
Mudbloodpotter.