Chapter – 5
The Chamber of Awakening
The ever pale face of Dumbledore greeted them in his office.
"Ah! Finally, you have come! What took you so long?"
"Well, we were having a scrumptious breakfast, sir!" Said Hermione smiling
"And, it was the best we've had in months." Added Harry, a smile beaming on his face too.
"Well! It seems that we are back in shape! I am glad, so, about your schedule for today…"
"What will we be training today, sir?" Asked Harry with a touch of anxiousness.
"Yes, about that… We won't be training today."
"WHAT?" Both their voices echoed.
"Well, as the successors of the founders, you have some very unique powers, now, if you would, Harry, read out this parchment, will you?" He took out a seemingly antiquated parchment, which was most apparently well preserved and well tied up as though no one had ever opened it, and handed it out to Harry. At the moment of Harry's touch, it unraveled itself. Harry took a moment to just look at the overview of the parchment and then began to read it.
"To our heirs,
If you are reading this, you must already know who you are. You must know that the bloodline of the founders is the most powerful in the wizarding world. You have inherited unimaginable power, and the ability to control it. You two, if possess the right co-ordination, will be unstoppable and I do stress co-ordination, and if you lack it, then Alas, all this power goes in vain. At this point, all those powers lay dormant in you. So, all four of us have agreed that this massive power cannot be awakened by claim of blood alone. You must prove yourself worthy of being able to possess them. Only then, will you gain complete access to your maximum potential. For all this time, a chamber has been laying dormant in the castle, just like you. After you finish reading this, that chamber, The Chamber of Awakening, will be activated. Your trial has just begun! LOCATE THE CHAMBER OF AWAKENING BEFORE THE NEXT SUNRISE; ELSE IT WILL STAY DORMANT TO YOUR TOUCH AND WAIT FOR THOSE WORTHY ENOUGH. Now, we wish you the greatest of luck.
The Founders"
Harry's eyes lay stuck on 'The Chamber of Awakening'. When he finally looked, he saw Hermione with her mouth wide open, and even Dumbledore's face showed surprise. Harry just thought that he had never seen Dumbledore surprised. "Well, that 'No one knows everything' saying goes for Dumbledore too, I suppose." After moments of silence, Hermione, again the first to recollect herself, asked,
"Sir, haven't you read this before? I know that it must have been here for at least two days."
"No, Hermione." Started Dumbledore, Hermione suddenly realized that the headmaster had called her by her first name, for the first time.
"As you saw, the parchment was wrapped tight, I couldn't unravel it, and believe me, I did try! So, I thought it must be flesh activated and so, I asked Harry to read it, well, I was right, only you or Harry could open it."
"Sir, should we be on our way, looking for the chamber of awakening?" Harry, hungry for less talk and more action, asked.
"Oh My! Yes, we should be! Let's get to it then." And then Dumbledore walked towards the exit, followed by Harry and Hermione.
"Sir, would this chamber of awakening have anything to do with the chamber of secrets?" Speculated Hermione.
"I doubt it Hermione…" Started Dumbledore. Hermione noted him calling her by her first name again, although she was beginning to like being called that way.
"… The chamber of secrets was designed by Salazar Slytherin alone and it was used to 'purge the school of the unworthy'. So, I don't think the other founders would have known about this. If they did, they wouldn't allow it. This chamber of Awakening must be something completely different." Dumbledore had put his point across. This point seemed to be perfect; this however, rang a bell in Hermione's mind.
"Then, this entrance must be somewhere common to all four houses, where they would meet in harmony, where their flags are all represented…"
"The Great Hall!" Shouted Harry, who was merely listening till then, letting the geniuses do the thinking.
"Yes, YES, let's hurry!" An ecstatic Hermione rushed on, followed by Harry and Dumbledore in quick strides.
In a few minutes, they were standing at the door, facing the empty tables, unusually silent. The ceiling showed a clear blue sky, without a speck of white.
"All right! Cover the right side Harry! Look for anything that signifies the unity of the four houses, make it thorough!" So, Hermione proceeded through the left and Harry right. Dumbledore moved through the centre to his chair. He sat down, and began to survey the grand room with his blue eyes.
Twenty minutes passed, Harry and Hermione had met up in the front, their sweep of the room revealing nothing.
"Sir, have you got anything?" Asked Hermione.
"No, I've been sitting in this very chair for many past years. I must say that such an object doesn't occur to me in this room." Said Dumbledore, his half-moon spectacles glinting.
As Harry raised his eyes to look at the Headmaster, he noticed it. His eyes widened, he knew he had found it.
"Oh my God! There it is Hermione! Behind the headmaster's chair, on the wall, do you see it?" Hermione quickly raised her eyes, above the Headmaster's chair, on the wall.
"Yes!" A wave of excitement swept over her. There, on the wall, was the crest of Hogwarts, showing the four houses in one magnificent representation. A smile flashed on Dumbledore's face.
"I think the 'H' in the middle is the key, the symbols in the crest meet at the 'H'!" Said Harry.
"It's strange, isn't it? I feel that 'H' stands for more than just Hogwarts, may be it was meant for us. You know, Harry, Hermione, Hope are all seemed to be represented by that single letter." Hermione, who was very good at speculating, said.
"Yeah! May be they knew, the founders! May be it was for us all along!"
"Harry, levitate me up there!"
"Sure, here you go, Wingardium Leviosa!"
Hermione rose slowly and steadily, in synchronization with the movement of Harry's wand. Harry stopped her directly in front of the crest. She slowly extended her hand, and touched its center, the 'H', which was the meeting point of the symbols of the four houses.
Few seconds passed, but nothing happened.
"Hmm… It's not flesh activated or anything. I was sure that was going to work! Hold on…" She felt something different about the 'H', it seemed less solid. She knocked on the symbols of the four houses, and then, the 'H'. It made a different sound than the others. She thought for a while, the yelled to Harry:
"Harry, bring me down, quick!" Harry obeyed. After she was on the ground, she pointed her wand directly at the center of the crest and yelled,
"Depulso!" There was a metallic sound; the 'H' was now a bit caved in than the rest of the crest.
"Harry, I think we have to do this together, use Depulso and push back that 'H'." Now, Harry too raised his wand and they yelled in unison,
"Depulso!" This time, the metallic sound was more vivid; it seemed like latches and bolts moving. Suddenly, the stone floor next to headmaster's chair went into the stone piece that the chair was placed on. Dumbledore was a bit startled.
Harry and Hermione rushed and peeped inside the newly formed hole on the floor, there were stairs visible through it.
"Come on, let's go, what are we waiting for?" Asked Dumbledore, now getting up from his chair.
The winding stony staircase led them downwards for more than five minutes. After some hundred steps or so, they were now facing a huge metal door.
"I think this is it! But, how do we get it open?" Hermione was much cheerful.
"Maybe if we use Depulso together again…"
"Let's try it."
Same as before, they cast Depulso, the flashing red jets of light erupted form their wands and hit the metal door. But, the door didn't budge.
"Now what?" Harry wanted for ideas.
"Let me think…" Hermione sunk into her mind, "What am I missing here?" and then, like the morning sun's golden rays, it came to her!
"Harry, do you remember what the parchment said? It said 'ELSE IT WILL STAY DORMANT TO YOUR TOUCH'! To our touch!"
"Yeah! Let's do it!"
They both pressed their palms on the metal door. For a moment, it felt as though their hands were electrocuted, then, with a large creaking sound, the metal door rose upwards, revealing total darkness. Harry and Hermione were about to step in, when suddenly, Dumbledore, whose was a mere spectator till then, spoke:
"Well done you two, I always knew you would achieve it. Unfortunately, this is as far as I can go. Only you two can enter the chamber. Remember this; this test is to find out the qualities in you. Whatever this throws at you, always be yourself and I know you will make it past this. All the very best, go, claim your powers!" Dumbledore waved at them. Harry and Hermione waved back.
"Thank you, sir"
And then, they both looked forward and took the step inside. Dumbledore watched the darkness inside the room swallowing them…
A/N : Hey….. We are deeply disappointed. Not even one review! Is our chap that bad? May be we should stop… Atleast tell us that!