Meaning of One, Part Two: Chambers and Secrets by Sovran
Original Author's Notes:
Thanks, as always, to the beta team for their tireless work.
Chapter Eighteen: Constructs
The remainder of the Christmas holidays passed too quickly for Harry and Ginny's taste. With no new information about the Heir of Slytherin and no grand plans looming in their future, the free time started to feel like a proper holiday. There were only a few days left before the spring term began, however, and they had several pieces of homework to complete before the start of lessons.
The residents of Gryffindor Tower had an impromptu party for New Year's Eve. Harry brought his new wireless down to the common room, and everyone contributed sweets, games, or small fireworks to make the evening remarkable. Even Percy made a rare appearance that evening and sat near the fire with a textbook. His tragically blank expression over the previous two weeks had softened Ginny's feelings towards him, and she was glad to see that he had not become a complete recluse.
At midnight, Ginny circled the room, kissing each of her brothers — even a blinking Percy - on the cheek before finishing with Harry. Disregarding the various expressions on the boys' faces, Harry kissed her cheek in return, and the two of them shared a long embrace. Fred broke the odd moment by leaning down and bussing Hermione loudly on the jaw, earning him both a smile and a glare from the flustered brunette.
When term began a few days later, the entire student body had to endure McGonagall's safety precautions. Dumbledore announced that curfew would be two hours earlier than usual, though groups of five or more students were still permitted to access the library until ten o'clock. In the mornings, everyone had to stay in their common rooms until the official start of the breakfast hour. Prefects and teachers patrolled the corridors in pairs at all hours of the day, and the staff drafted a handful of seventh-years to make the patrols more frequent. Even Madam Hooch, who was rarely seen under normal circumstances, joined the others in their patrols. All of them took points from anyone they found alone in the corridors or on the grounds, and the students quickly grew accustomed to travelling in pairs and groups.
Lessons resumed as though they had never been interrupted. The second-years had hoped that Lockhart's classes would begin to focus on practical spell-work after the first meeting of the Duelling Club, but they were sorely disappointed. Professor Peacock, as some of the boys called him, continued regaling students with stories of his own exploits. Hermione and the twins attended the second meeting of the Club hoping to learn new spells or techniques - or anything remotely interesting - but Lockhart disappointed them there, also. The three of them reported to Harry, Ginny, and Ron that they had spent another two hours practicing the Disarming Charm and the Shield Charm. The third meeting was just the same, and after that hardly anyone from Gryffindor could be bothered to attend.
At the very end of January, Harry started awake when a bright light pierced his eyelids at three in the morning. He sat up quickly and looked around, shading his eyes and squinting to see what was going on. The curtains on all five beds were wide open, and the other boys were also sitting up and shielding their eyes.
Harry!
Ginny was still mostly asleep, wrapped securely in the Invisibility Cloak, but the hood had slipped down to reveal her face and the top of her head. Harry nudged her as sharply as he could stand to until she woke. Without moving, she Shifted to her own bed, and Harry threw the blankets off of himself to hide any evidence of her presence.
"What the bloody hell?" Seamus shouted, still covering his eyes.
As his eyes adjusted, Harry looked around. A ball of blue fire hovered above each of the beds, and a larger flame glowed in the centre of the room. Together, they lit the dormitory more thoroughly than the brightest summer day.
"Turn it off!" Dean moaned, burying his face in his pillow.
Harry caught Ron's eye and mouthed, 'Dobby.'
Ron nodded. "Stupid Peeves," he growled.
"I'm gonna kill that ruddy poltergeist," Seamus said. He had not spoken to Harry since the attack on Penelope Clearwater, but at that moment Harry was grateful for his gullibility.
Neville shook his head and yawned. "Thought he wasn't allowed in the dormitories?"
Ron stood up and began waving his arms at the ceiling, as though hoping to hit some invisible switch. "Since when does he do what anyone tells him?"
"Yeah," Neville muttered. Harry watched, fully alert but still somewhat shell-shocked, as Neville picked up his wand and waved it at the room. "Finite Incantatem!"
The light vanished, leaving the dormitory in familiar, comfortable darkness.
Well done, Neville! Ginny said, lying in the Invisibility Cloak on her own bed.
"Thanks, Neville," Harry said into the sudden silence.
The dormitory door banged open, and a burly third-year in red pyjamas stomped across the threshold. "What the hell's going on in here?"
For a moment, only Dean's growing snores answered him. Then Ron dropped onto his bed and snorted. "Stupid Peeves set off a bunch of bluebell flames. Ruddy near blinded us."
"Peeves?" the boy said from the door.
"Yeah," Ron said. "You know, the poltergeist."
"I know what he is. What's he doing in here?"
Ron bristled at the other boy's condescension. "He's a poltergeist. It's his idea of fun."
The large boy scowled. "Fine. Just make sure he doesn't wake us up again."
"Yeah, we'll work on that, you great lump," Ron muttered as the door slammed closed.
Harry pulled his curtains closed and sealed them with a whispered charm. A short while later, when Neville's snores completed the usual chorus of the dormitory, Ginny Shifted back to Harry's bed and slipped into her accustomed place.
Have to remember to tell McGonagall, she said, her eyes already firmly closed.
Fat lot of good it'll do, though.
Ginny snapped awake suddenly, her eyes open and looking up at Harry's face. What if he comes back tonight and does it again?
Err . . . well, if he wakes one of us up, then you can just leave again.
But what if he just opens the curtains? He might think we were going to have a lie-in after this, especially on a Sunday.
All right, then. We'll set my alarm, and I'll wake up before anyone else does. If the curtains are open, I can close them before the others are awake, and you can have your lie-in.
Ginny smiled, but she shook her head. It's not fair that you just sit here while I get to sleep.
I usually wake up before you do anyway, and I don't mind waiting here with you.
She began to protest, but memories and feelings surged to the front of their minds. The last time Dobby had visited, Harry had woken up hours before she did, and they had skipped breakfast so she could sleep. Rather than being annoyed or bored, Harry had felt comfortable and warm and somehow proud to have her sleeping with her head in his lap. On most days, Harry woke up first by at least a few minutes, and he took great pleasure in the moments he spent toying with the end of her braid while she eked out as much sleep as she possibly could.
Okay, Ginny said, hugging him tightly. You're the absolute best.
Harry shrugged. Nah. You'd do it for me.
Well, yes, she said, grinning against his chest. But then it becomes more of a "we'd do it for us," which sounds silly.
So let me do it for you and don't complain.
Her grin broadened into a smirk. Yes, dear.
Harry set his watch, and within a few minutes, they fell fast asleep.
Fortunately, Dobby did not return that night. The following morning at the school breakfast, Seamus, Dean, and Ron regaled everyone around them with the story of Peeves' visit. Though Ron knew the truth, he took great pleasure in making dire threats against the school poltergeist.
"What are you going to do?" Ginny asked, smirking. "Wave your arms at him? From what I hear, you didn't even think to use a basic Finite charm." She glanced over at Neville, who looked up briefly and gave her a small smile.
Ron scowled at her. Hermione looked at them all curiously, but he focused on his food after that.
That afternoon, Harry told Professor McGonagall about Dobby's latest visit. When they finished the short tale, the professor sat quietly for a few minutes.
"You are almost certainly correct that it was Dobby who disturbed you last night," she said at last. "We will have to do something. He seems perfectly capable of learning from his mistakes, and I cannot imagine a closer escape than the one you just experienced."
Ginny nodded. "But what can we do?"
"That is the problem. As you discovered this summer, a house-elf's magic is very different from ours, and that may limit our choices. Allow me to speak with the Headmaster. I'm quite sure that we can devise an effective solution."
Professor Dumbledore arrived in the Great Hall just before Ginny and Harry left that evening. His eyes were especially bright when he glanced in their direction, and they hurried back to Gryffindor Tower expecting to find some solution to their problem with Dobby.
They were not disappointed. When Harry went up to his room under the guise of getting a textbook, he found a folded sheet of parchment tucked under his pillow. After pulling his curtains closed, he flattened the page and read.
Mr. Potter (et al),
I have taken steps to ensure that your domestic acquaintance does not reveal things that he should not. As of this evening, any time you seal the curtains on your bed, a series of other charms will be activated. The bottom edges of the curtains will adhere to the floor such that no-one may enter in that manner. If either Sticking Charm is modified or removed, your pillow will vibrate rather energetically. It is my hope that this will allow you time to prepare for any possible visitors or observers. It will also vibrate when you cast your own charm to confirm that the protections I have created are in place.
You will find that your curtains are difficult to move unless your Sticking Charm is removed by the same person who placed it. To prevent undue suspicion, they will move, but they will move slowly, as though the curtain is caught on the rail. Once again, this should give you time to prepare for visitors or observers.
The curtains themselves have been reinforced such that they may not easily be cut or magically altered. Incidentally, if there is ever a small explosion in your dormitory, your bed should be quite safe.
If someone were able to enter the confines of your bed without moving or modifying the curtains - such as via Apparition or a non-human equivalent - they might still be able to disturb you in some way. That disturbance, however, would not be visible to any of the other boys in your dormitory.
Furthermore, if anyone or anything tampers with the alert charms I have created, I will be notified personally. I feel confident that this notification cannot itself be modified or removed.
Yours,
A.P.W.B.D.
With one hand on his pillow, Harry reached up and cast the Sticking Charm on his curtains. The pillow vibrated, startling him even though he had expected the sensation. When he looked closely, he saw that the corners of the pillow were blurred with motion.
There'll be no sleeping through that, Ginny said.
Yeah. So even if Dobby does open the curtains, we'll know about it first.
And anything he can do without opening the curtains won't be as bad as the others seeing me.
Harry grinned as he scanned the parchment again. You have to admit, Dumbledore's thorough.
Yeah, but that note barely makes sense to us, and we know what he's talking about. He's a bit too clever for his own good sometimes.
D'you think he mentioned explosions so we can hide from the twins?
At lunch a few days later, Harry noticed Hermione staring intently at something over his shoulder. Curious, Ginny turned to look. Draco Malfoy was sitting alone at the Slytherin table and stabbing his kippers with unwarranted vigour.
"What's wrong with him?" Hermione asked.
Ginny turned back to her friend and shrugged. "Dunno."
Malfoy had been a bit more subdued than usual for a week or so. In Potions and Charms, the other Slytherins had begun to leave extra space between themselves and the blond boy. Under the guise of visiting the Potions cupboard, Harry had verified that Malfoy carried a distinctly rancid odour which had nothing to do with the contents of his cauldron.
A few days later, Malfoy had bragged loudly about receiving a new set of self-cleaning robes from his father. Seeing Crabbe and Goyle sitting some distance away from him that morning, however, told Harry and Ginny that the other Slytherins were not impressed by Malfoy's new wardrobe. They carefully hid their smirks.
They had barely fallen asleep that night after their late Astronomy lesson when a thunderous voice echoed throughout the tower, startling Harry and Ginny awake.
"HOGWARTS CASTLE IS TO BE EVACUATED IMMEDIATELY. ALL STUDENTS ARE TO GATHER IN THE COMMON ROOMS. BRING ONLY YOUR WANDS, BOOTS, AND WINTER CLOAKS. PREFECTS, ARRANGE STUDENTS INTO GROUPS BY YEAR. YOUR HEADS OF HOUSE WILL ARRIVE MOMENTARILY."
There was a short pause, and then the message began again. This time, as they sat bolt upright in their bed, Harry and Ginny recognised Professor McGonagall's strident tones.
What's going on? Ginny asked as she Shifted back to the girls' dormitories.
Dunno. Meet you downstairs.
"Ron!" Harry said. The taller boy blinked slowly at him from his bed. "Come on!"
Hermione was already on her way out the door of the girls' room, but she paused long enough for Ginny to pick up her cloak and boots. The four of them stumbled down the two sets of stairs to the common room, where they joined a growing mass of students milling about and shouting at each other.
"What's happening?" Hermione asked, pulling on her boots.
"No idea," Harry shouted.
Percy strode towards them, his prefect's badge in place and his face solemn and alert. "You four, stand over there by the window. When the other second-years come down, get them to join you. Go!"
Ginny nodded and obeyed instinctively. Pulling at Harry's hand, she led them to a relatively empty stretch of the wall. Lavender and Parvati emerged from the stairs a moment later, and Hermione waved the girls over. Within a minute, all of the second-years were huddled together near the window, struggling into their cloaks and boots.
The portrait hole opened, and Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch climbed into the common room. "Be quiet!" McGonagall said, her voice amplified by her wand. Slowly, the students settled into a dull murmur of movement and sound. "Prefects, are all the Gryffindors here?"
"Yes, Professor," Percy said loudly.
"Good. First-years, follow Madam Hooch. When all of the first-years have left the tower, the second-years will follow them, accompanied by Miss Osgood." She waved the seventh-year girls' prefect towards Harry and Ginny. Then, in the same, crisp tones, she directed a prefect to escort each year out of the room, ending with herself and the seventh years. As she finished giving her instructions, the last of the first-years climbed out of the tower, and Nicole Osgood led the second-years after them.
The long line of Gryffindors snaked down the motionless staircases. Along the way, they passed portraits full of agitated witches and wizards, all darting from place to place. In what felt like only a few seconds, they reached the Entrance Hall, where a similar line of Hufflepuffs was already filing through the open doors. Harry and Ginny shivered as they stepped out of the castle; they had their winter cloaks and boots, but she wore only an oversized t-shirt underneath, and Harry's threadbare pyjamas were not much warmer. Ginny pushed into Harry's side for warmth, and he put his arm around her quaking shoulders as they walked in step.
The double line of students wound across the grounds along a path that was suddenly and completely free of snow. Ahead of them, Harry could see another column of students followed by a fully-dressed Professor Snape. Everyone was heading towards the lake, but Harry could not tell precisely where they were going.
As they walked, a wide grey shape grew out of the dark snowscape. When Harry and Ginny got closer, they could see that they were approaching the corner of a rectangular building made of snow. At the end of the long wall, a few dozen small figures swarmed over the structure, extending it further along the lakeshore.
Their line led them to an empty doorway at the centre of the short wall. The first- and second-years entered the building, moving in a slow shuffle to get through the doorway. Inside, the ground was covered with a thick layer of blankets, curtains, and even bath towels. A long corridor ran down the centre of the structure, and more doorways were visible at regular intervals on either side. At the end of the corridor, Harry could see more small figures constructing walls and arranging fabric atop the frozen ground. Beyond that, moonlight sparkled on untouched snow.
Hagrid stood in the centre of the corridor, his crossbow in hand. "Boys on th' left, girls on th' righ'. Firs'-years in the firs' rooms t' either side, second in th' second, righ' down the corridor. Move along now. All houses in the same rooms. If yer room's not finished yet, wait at the door 'til the elves say to go in. Come on, look sharp."
He chivvied the first-years into the rooms on either side of the door, and Harry and Ginny stepped around him towards the second pair of openings. With an apprehensive look and a brief squeeze of their hands, they separated into the second-year rooms.
The two rooms were identical. There were no windows, and the walls and ceiling were made of the same packed snow. The floor was covered in fabric of various kinds. The only fixture in the room was a large, bright blue flame hovering two feet above the ground at the centre of the room.
The Slytherins and Hufflepuffs had already gathered around the warmth of the flames. Harry and the other boys circled around to the back of the room, furthest from the Slytherins. Across the hall, the Gryffindor girls found a place near the Hufflepuffs.
"What's going on?" Susan Bones asked breathlessly.
"We don't know," Hermione said. "Did you see anything?"
"Nothing," Hannah Abbott said. "They just herded us out here."
"Hermione," Ginny said, her teeth chattering and her arms folded tightly over her chest, "can you do a few more flames? I'm fr-freezing."
"Oh, Ginny, I'm sorry," Hermione said. "You're in that t-shirt, aren't you?"
Ginny nodded. Hermione stepped behind her and conjured a smaller bluebell flame at waist height. Then she moved in a circle around the room, adding more fires every few feet. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls glared at her, but they moved to stand closer to one of the new flames.
Wish I could do that, Harry said, inching closer to the boys' central fire. Probably melt the whole thing, though.
At least you have trousers on. Ginny opened her cloak, hoping the warmth of the new flame would penetrate to her chilled skin. The other girls muttered in the background, but she ignored them.
The Ravenclaws darted into each room in a flurry of noise and joined the circles around the fires. Just behind them, Professor McGonagall swept into the girls' room. Without a word to any of the students, she waved her wand at the walls and ceiling. The packed snow rippled slightly and became smooth, seamless grey stone.
When the transfiguration was complete, McGonagall eyed the bluebell flames. "Your work, Miss Granger?"
"Yes, ma'am," Hermione said nervously. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about the walls. Some of us are in nightgowns, and-"
"No matter," McGonagall said, cutting her off. "It was a good idea. Conjure more as needed."
Hermione nodded, and the professor left the room. A moment later, she entered the boys' room and performed the same magic on the walls and ceiling. Then, with a glance at the huddled students, she conjured a similar ring of bluebell flames around the perimeter.
"Thanks, Professor," Harry said.
"Thank Miss Granger." McGonagall strode out of the room.
Ron grunted irritably even as he held his hands over one of the blue spheres. "Can't seem to get away from this spell, can we?"
Feeling a bit warmer, Harry looked around again. The Ravenclaws had moved to huddle around the most distant of the smaller fires, and the Hufflepuffs and most of the Slytherins had spread out in the centre of the room. Draco Malfoy, however, scowled as he hunched over a small blue flame by himself. Though distracted, Harry noticed the faint but nauseating stench of rotting eggs.
"Do you know anything?" Dean asked the Ravenclaws
Terry Boot nodded. "We went past the second floor on our way downstairs."
Harry snapped his head up. "The one where they found Mrs. Norris?"
"And Penelope," Terry said, nodding again. "There was a new message on the wall."
All of the boys became completely silent. "What did it say?" Justin Finch-Fletchley asked in a whisper.
Boot licked his lips. "'This is your final warning. Enemies of the Heir, begone.'"
"What's a final warning?" Ron asked. "Did something happen?"
"Dunno, but . . ." Boot glanced around the room, his eyes lingering on the Slytherins. "None of our fourth-year boys showed up in the common room. Not one."
Oh, Merlin, Ginny said, sinking to her knees on the padded floor.
"Ginny?" Hermione asked in a whisper. "What's wrong?"
"Should've got out when you had the chance," Draco Malfoy sneered. Several boys glared at him, but no one spoke.
At that moment, another girl asked the Ravenclaws if they knew anything about the evacuation, and Padma Patil began to convey the same story in a quaking voice.
In the boys' room, Terry Boot answered more and more questions about what he knew. "Yeah, it was written in blood, just like the last one," he said. "Still dripping when we saw it."
Seamus' eyes went wide, and he leapt away from the group of Gryffindors. His eyes darting between the other boys, he backed to the door and then jumped out of the room. "Professor Sprout!" he called.
"Seamus? Where're you going?" Dean asked.
Seamus did not answer or return to the room, but Harry could hear him in the corridor. He and some of the others crept closer to the doorway, listening intently.
"Professor Sprout!" Seamus said. "I need to talk to you."
"Not now, Mr. Finnegan. We are dealing with this crisis as quickly as we can."
"But, Professor, that's what it's about! I need to tell you something I saw tonight."
There was a moment of silence. "Very well. Go on."
"I'd left my cloak in the bathroom to dry out," Seamus said in a rush. He spoke more quietly, but his voice was still clearly audible to both Harry and Ginny. "When I went in to get it tonight, I saw someone's robes on the floor. They . . . they had something red on them. A liquid. I thought it was just something from Potions or ketchup or . . . or something. But just now Terry Boot said-"
His voice stopped abruptly, and Professor Sprout spoke. "Do you know whose robes they were?"
"Yes, Professor. They're Harry Potter's. No-one else in our year wears robes that small."
Harry froze, his eyes wide.
"Are you sure, Mr. Finnegan?"
"Yes, Professor. Absolutely sure."
All around Harry, the other boys backed away with looks of caution and confusion on their faces. Ron stayed at his side, but even he looked concerned.
"Come with me, Mr. Finnegan," Sprout said.
"Ginny, did you hear that?" Parvati asked in a high-pitched voice. "Did you hear?"
Ginny nodded, her mind sluggish from shock. "It's not true. Harry . . . he didn't. He wouldn't. Never."
"But the robes," Susan said. "What about the robes?"
"Definitely makes it sound like it was him," Padma said.
"It wasn't. I swear it wasn't," Ginny said.
What's going on? Harry asked. We didn't do anything.
"Potter?" Malfoy spat. "Saint Potter, the Heir of Slytherin? I don't believe it."
"Quiet, Draco," Blaise Zabini said in an intense voice. "He could go after you."
"I'd like to see him try. I'm pure-blood, everyone knows that."
There was another surge of muttering. Dean Thomas, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and several other boys backed further away from Harry.
"It wasn't me," Harry said. "I . . . I was in my bed all night. I didn't even leave my robes in the bathroom."
Neville spoke in a timid voice. "Wouldn't we have heard-?"
"Harry!" They all spun around to see Hagrid stooped in the doorway, his expression grim. "Come with me, Harry."
Harry nodded numbly. In the other room, Ginny sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest. "Keep them away from me," she whispered to Hermione, dropping her head onto her crossed arms.
"Okay," the older girl said. "I'm so sorry, Ginny. It'll work out."
"Just keep them away."
Hagrid motioned Harry into the corridor. Up and down the hall, other professors and staff were standing near the doors, and all of them were staring silently at him. Near the doorway to the building, Seamus and Professor Sprout waited with Professor McGonagall. Seamus looked fearful, while the two professors looked unnaturally grave.
Harry did not say anything until Hagrid led him back out onto the grounds. They walked up the cleared path towards the empty castle. "I didn't do anything, Hagrid."
"I believe yeh, Harry," Hagrid said, his voice deep and solemn. "But it's not me yeh have to tell."
They walked in silence up to the castle, and then Hagrid steered them to the hospital wing. Inside, Professors Dumbledore, Snape, and Flitwick were gathered at the end of the ward. In the beds nearby lay five unmoving figures, and Dumbledore leaned over one of them with his wand in hand.
"Wait there, Hagrid, Mr. Potter," the Headmaster said without looking up. He waved his wand over the prone figure a few more times, and then he straightened. Without a word, he moved into a curtained area. A minute later, he emerged and returned to the five students, waving his wand over each of them.
"Headmaster, the warning is quite clear," Snape said. "Two Muggle-born students, two half-bloods, and one pure-blood. There are no other dormitories in the castle with such a proportion. It cannot be a coincidence."
"I am sure it is not, Severus," Dumbledore said.
"Then perhaps we should notify the Board of Governors. Sterner measures must be taken."
The Headmaster nodded again and straightened from his examination. "You are, once again, correct. We will most certainly inform the Governors, and we will take steps to ensure that this incident is not repeated. However, these students were not attacked by Slytherin's monster."
Hagrid, Madam Pomfrey, and the two professors all straightened abruptly. "What's that?" Flitwick asked. "Not the monster?"
"No, Filius. As you may recall, Mrs. Norris, Mr. Creevey, and Miss Clearwater are all quite hard to the touch. These five are rigid and clearly unconscious, but their skin is still pliable. The magic in place is distinctly different."
"But . . . what does that mean, Headmaster?" Pomfrey asked.
"I am not sure," Dumbledore said. "They were not attacked by the monster, but they were not attacked with any magic I recognise. The spell upon them does not even appear to have come from a wizard or witch."
"Well, if it's not the monster, and it's not a wizard, what's left?" Flitwick asked.
Dumbledore bowed his head for a moment with an expression of deep concentration. Then he glanced around the room, and his gaze landed on Harry and Hagrid.
The Headmaster's eyes narrowed. "Blinkin!"
With a soft pop, a harassed-looking elf appeared at the end of the ward. "Yes, Headmaster, sir? We is finished with the shelter now and is bringing sleeping bags and blankets for the students, sir."
"Thank you, Blinkin, but I require a moment of your valuable time. Tell me . . . do you recognise the magic that has immobilised these students?" He swept his hand towards the five Ravenclaws.
"Me, sir?" Blinkin said, his voice rising.
"Yes, please," Dumbledore said. "I do not accuse you, not in the least, but I would appreciate your assessment."
Blinkin's narrow chest swelled, and he climbed up onto the nearest occupied bed. With a long, bony finger, he prodded the cheek of one of the boys. Then his huge eyes brightened. "Blinkin does know it, sir! This boy has been Preserved!" He leapt to the next bed and then the remaining three in rapid succession. "All of these students, sir! Preserved!"
"Can you tell me what that means?" Dumbledore asked quietly.
"We uses this magic to keep meats fresh, sir," Blinkin said. "They is not dead or hurting at all. They is just . . . pardon me, sir, pardon me . . . they is kept ready for cooking."
"This is a house-elf's magic, then?"
"Yes, sir." The elf's ears sagged. "Oh, oh dear. An elf has been very, very bad. Please, sirs and miss, do not think we uses this magic on people! This is awful, awful!" He began to sob, hiding his face in the Hogwarts towel he wore.
"Thank you, Blinkin," Dumbledore said. "You've been most helpful. We are all quite sure that this is not normal behaviour for a house-elf, and I am quite certain that none of Hogwarts' house-elves are responsible."
"We isn't, sir, we isn't!" Blinkin said, shaking his head emphatically.
"I know. But, Blinkin, can you reverse this magic?"
The elf straightened so quickly that he leapt a few inches into the air. "Yes! Blinkin can fix it in a blink! They will be good as new, just as if they was sleeping."
"Thank you," Dumbledore said. "Please do so."
The elf walked down to the feet of the student whose bed he was on. There, he pointed a finger at the covered figure. Slowly, inch by inch, he backed up the bed, moving his finger along the student's body. When his finger passed over the boy's chest, Harry saw it begin to rise and fall. When Blinkin reached the boy's head, the Ravenclaw's eyes snapped open, and he sat up abruptly.
"What the . . . Where am I?"
"The hospital wing, Mr. Blake," Flitwick said. "You were the victim of an unusual magical attack, but you should be just fine now."
Blake nodded, blinking at his surroundings.
"Poppy, could you please take Mr. Blake to another area and make sure that he has not suffered any harm?" Dumbledore said. "I will send the other students to you as they are revived."
Pomfrey nodded. Blake stood up easily and followed Madam Pomfrey to another bed nearer the doors.
One by one, Blinkin woke the Ravenclaws, and the matron declared them healthy. When they had all been revived and found fit, Dumbledore smiled and clapped his hands. "Excellent. Filius, if you would be so kind, please show these students to the appropriate room in our shelter. I do not think they will need to remain there for long, but I would not deprive them of the opportunity to be fussed over. Tell Minerva that I will be there in person in a few minutes."
Flitwick nodded, gathered his students, and led them out of the ward.
"Blinkin, would you please examine the two students behind these curtains?" Dumbledore said, pointing at the end of the ward. "I would like to be absolutely certain that they have not also been . . . ah . . . Preserved."
The house-elf scurried into the curtained area, but he reappeared moments later. "That is not house-elf's magic, sir. Blinkin does not know it at all."
"I suspected not. Ah, well. Please return to your duties at the shelter, and inform the other elves that we may soon transfer the students back to the castle. Please convey my gratitude to all of Hogwarts' elves."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Blinkin bowed deeply and vanished.
"Severus, I would like you to go to Gryffindor Tower and retrieve the stained robes in the second-year boys' bathroom. Take them to the second-floor corridor and see if the substance on those robes matches the substance on the wall. Clean the wall if you can, and find me when you are finished."
Snape cast a look of suspicion and loathing at Harry, but he swept out of the hospital wing without comment.
"Hagrid, return to your post. It would not do to have something mundane threaten our students whilst we protect them from something outlandish."
"Yes, Professor," Hagrid said. He clapped Harry on the shoulder and left.
"Poppy . . ."
The matron huffed. "If you would like me to leave you alone with Mr. Potter, just come out and say so, Albus."
The Headmaster nodded graciously. "If you would be so kind."
Pomfrey went into her office and closed the door.
"Sit down, please," Dumbledore said to Harry as he crossed the room. The two of them sat side by side in the chairs near the door. "I wonder . . . have you reached the same conclusion I have?"
"I think so, sir," Harry said. "Dobby."
"Indeed. I believe he was trying, once again, to force you to leave the castle, this time by expulsion. Or, perhaps, the closing of the school altogether."
Harry pulled his feet up into his chair and mirrored Ginny's pose in the snow shelter. "It would've worked if you hadn't thought of house-elves."
Dumbledore cocked his head to one side. "Perhaps. I would like to think that he underestimated my powers of deduction, but it is possible that he simply did his best. I am horrified that he went to such lengths, however."
"At least Blinkin fixed it."
"Yes, he did, and I will explain what happened to the rest of the students." The old man was quiet for a long moment, and then he sighed. "I am afraid that they may continue to suspect you, nonetheless."
Harry remembered the look of fear and accusation on Seamus' face. Distantly, Ginny was aware that the other girls in her room were still discussing Harry's supposed guilt, also. "Probably."
"What concerns me more, if you'll forgive me, is Dobby himself. He threatened the lives of five students this morning. With that effort wasted, what will he do next?"
Harry looked up at the old man's furrowed brow. "Can't you just keep him out of the castle?"
"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Dumbledore said. "The wards and other protections at Hogwarts are designed to prevent certain forms of magic while specifically allowing house-elves to go about their business. The idea that a house-elf would behave in such a way is unfathomable to me. I'm sure that the founders and previous headmasters never considered the possibility, either."
"You think Dobby is really mad, then?"
The Headmaster shook his head slowly. "Yes and no. He behaves in a way that is unthinkable to his kind, which makes him insane in a way. Yet he is not evil. From what he has said to you, I gather that he hopes to prevent a great tragedy, and he has lost sight of the cost of that prevention. He believes that the ends justify the means."
"But how do we stop him, sir?" Harry asked. "At this rate, he could end up being worse than the actual monster."
"I will think on it, Mr. Potter. I assure you that we will do whatever is necessary, even if we do have to rebuild the castle's wards." Dumbledore stood up and made a show of straightening his robes. "Now, I think we should go and relieve everyone's concerns. I am sure the students' theories are already becoming quite outlandish."
Harry and Dumbledore walked back out of the eerily-quiet castle and down to the snow shelter. Hagrid stood outside the door, his crossbow on his shoulder, and he stepped aside as they approached.
"Albus!" Professor McGonagall said, hurrying towards them from a few yards down the central corridor. "What happened to those children? How did you revive them?"
"I will happily tell you the full tale later, Minerva, but at the moment I must address the students. I'm sure that you will deduce most of what you wish to know."
Dumbledore raised his wand to his throat, and his amplified voice echoed in the shelter. "Students, please come into the corridor for a few moments."
Amid much muttering and jostling, the residents of Hogwarts emerged from their assigned rooms and packed into the long hallway. Ginny waited until all of the other girls had left, and then she moved to stand in the doorway with Hermione.
"As you surely know by now," the Headmaster began, "five of our students were attacked this evening. Their condition looked very much like those of Mr. Creevey and Miss Clearwater. Upon discovering them, the staff and I decided to evacuate the castle for your safety.
"Thankfully, we have now determined that tonight's incident was in no way related to the previous attacks. As you have seen, the five students are once again awake and in good health. They were victims of someone attempting to imitate the previous attacks. That attempt failed."
The shelter had gone deathly quiet as Dumbledore spoke. Even the girls massed near Ginny were silent and attentive.
"We are not completely certain who or what is to blame for tonight's events. However, I assure you, with the utmost certainty, that no student in this castle is capable of performing the magic that has inconvenienced us. Someone from outside the castle attempted to frame Mr. Potter for attacking his fellow students."
Dumbledore waved Harry forward, and he stepped cautiously into the illuminated corridor. "Allow me to be absolutely clear. Mr. Potter is blameless in all of this. Though we do not know precisely who is at fault, we are certain that it is not Mr. Potter or any other student. He is as much a victim as our five Ravenclaws.
"Now, then," Dumbledore said, clapping his hands sharply. "I believe we have now had enough excitement to last us for the rest of the day. Given the lateness of the hour, we will allow you to return to your dormitories for a bit more rest. Then we will proceed as usual with breakfast and our scheduled lessons." He ignored the groans from some of the students. "That is, after all, why we are here. Good night to you all."
With a nod, Dumbledore turned and strode out of the shelter, leaving Harry standing with Professor McGonagall near the entrance. As the students' voices rose in a babble of talk, McGonagall amplified her own voice. "We will return to the castle in the same manner we left it. First years, step outside and locate your Head of House. Gryffindors will follow Madam Hooch, and Slytherins will follow Professor Sinistra."
Sprout, Flitwick, Hooch, and Sinistra pushed their way through the crowd of students and left the structure. The first-years trickled out behind them.
"Second-years, please join your house once the first-years have all departed."
McGonagall continued giving instructions as Ginny, Hermione, and the other second-years queued up to pass through the main doorway. When they reached it, Harry slipped into the crowd and took Ginny's hand.
"All right, Harry?" Ron asked.
"Yeah. I'll tell you about it later."
Outside, they joined the line of Gryffindors already trudging up towards the castle. Halfway there, Harry spotted a grey cat bounding up the path, and Professor McGonagall led them back to Gryffindor tower alongside Madam Hooch.
In the common room, McGonagall waited near the dormitory stairs until all of the Gryffindors were inside. "Please return to your beds," she said sternly. "I expect you all to be on-time for lessons later this morning, and you will not be prepared if you spend the rest of the night gossiping in the common room. First-years, off you go. Second-years, follow them."
Feeling more and more like sheep, Harry and Ginny separated again and walked towards their respective staircases. As Harry and the other second-year boys passed McGonagall, Seamus Finnegan stepped out of the line. "I don't want to sleep in the same room as him, Professor." He jerked a thumb at Harry.
McGonagall's eyes hardened. "I am quite certain that you heard what the Headmaster said, Finnegan. Mr. Potter was not involved with tonight's attack. I hope that you have the courage to see beyond your initial suspicions and accept that truth."
Looking sullen, Seamus disappeared into the stairwell. McGonagall gave Harry a very slight nod as he passed.
Lavender and Parvati chattered incessantly about the attacks as they returned to their beds, but the second-year boys remained silent. Seamus placed his wand next to his pillow very ostentatiously, and then he yanked his curtains closed. Ron gave Harry an inquisitive look, and Harry mouthed 'tomorrow' in reply.
Under cover of the other girls' conversation, Hermione whispered to Ginny. "What happened?"
"It was Dobby," Ginny said. "We'll tell you the rest tomorrow."
"Dobby?" Hermione shook her head sharply, took a deep breath, and then nodded. "All right. I think I can imagine."
He's getting smarter about it, Ginny said as the other students settled into their beds.
Yeah. I can't believe he went from messing with our curtains to this.
It makes sense, though. He's framing us for things that will get us into trouble, just like he did with the pyjamas. She huffed in frustration. I'm not sure I'll be able to keep forgiving him for this mess.
Me, neither. He may be trying to help, but all he's actually done is make our lives miserable.
"I knew you were right, Ginny," Parvati said, drawing her attention. "I knew it wasn't Harry."
Lavender nodded. "He'd never do something like that. He's Harry Potter, right?"
They weren't so sure before, Harry said, a touch of bitterness in his voice.
"No, he wouldn't," Ginny said frostily. The two girls looked away from her and continued talking in lower tones.
After nearly an hour, even Parvati and Lavender fell asleep, and Ginny Shifted back to Harry's bed. It took them another thirty minutes to fall into a restless, dream-filled slumber.
By lunchtime that day, Harry and Ginny had found enough quiet moments to tell Ron and Hermione the entire story. As soon as they all sat down in the Great Hall, Hermione pulled out her homework planner and opened it with a purposeful snap.
"I have an idea," she said. "Before this morning, Dobby's last appearance was on the thirty-first of January, wasn't it?"
"Err… Sunday, yeah," Harry said.
Hermione nodded. "When was the one before that?"
Between the four of them, they managed to identify the dates of all of Dobby's appearances since the start of the year.
"And he blocked the platform back on the first of September," Hermione concluded. "We don't know that he was there at the time, but it seems likely. He probably went to the platform at some point, anyway."
Ginny nodded. "Same thing for the Quidditch match, right? He was probably around somewhere controlling the Bludger, but we can't be sure."
"Right," Hermione said. "So he's come to the castle six times since the start of the year. What's interesting is that three of those have been late on Saturday nights. Or early on Sunday mornings, to be precise. And . . ." Her eyes glowed with excitement. ". . . those three have all been exactly six weeks apart."
"Really?" Harry asked.
"Really. Starting on the eighth of November, he's come to the castle every sixth Sunday. From what you've said, I would guess that he's even arrived at the same time in each case."
Ginny shook her head. "Hang on. What about the summer hols? He was around The Burrow practically every day then, wasn't he?"
"Well, yes," Hermione said. "But I think it's reasonable to say that he had a different schedule during the holidays, just like we did. Perhaps the family he works for went abroad, so he had more time. Anyway, those three dates make a pattern starting in November. It can't be a coincidence."
Ron leaned forward, his fork clutched in his fist. "So we should be ready for him in six weeks."
"I'm not sure what we would do with him, though," Harry said, shrugging. "Seems like he can get away any time he likes. Even Dumbledore said he wasn't sure how to stop a house-elf."
"You should tell Professor McGonagall about this," Hermione said. "The teachers should know about it either way."
The last lesson of the day was Defence, and Harry and Ginny took their usual seats in the second row, behind Hermione. Ron and Neville sat nearby, and Lavender and Parvati took their customary seats next to Hermione. Seamus, Dean, and all of the Ravenclaws, however, left empty desks between themselves and Harry.
"Bit of excitement last night, eh?" Lockhart said brightly. "Taste of adventure for everyone? You were all quite lucky, though. I've been in plenty of emergency situations that most certainly were not false alarms."
"Where were you last night, Professor?" Ginny asked. "I didn't see you at the shelter."
"Of course you didn't, Miss Weasley! As soon as I heard about the attack, I set out to find and vanquish the monster." Lockhart leaned forward in his customary storytelling stance. "I ventured deep into the dungeons of the castle, searching every room, every broom cupboard, and every hidden alcove. In fact, I had already determined that the beast had left the castle when I learned that the attack itself had been a ruse."
The blond man tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I think we might have seen the last of that monster. Perhaps it set everything in motion to cover its escape. I was this close to finding the Chamber of Secrets. The Heir must have heard about that and sent the monster away."
Harry and Ginny pressed their palms into their eyes to keep from groaning in exasperation. Instead, they sat quietly as Lockhart spun a tale about his quest into the remotest parts of Hogwarts Castle. They had visited a few of those areas with Luna during the autumn, and they were quite certain that none of them were as frightening as Lockhart made them sound.
At the end of the lesson, Ginny and Harry were among the first to reach the door, but Lockhart's voice rang out behind them. "A moment, Harry, if you please."
Taking a deep breath, Harry stepped away from the door and waited for the Ravenclaws to scurry past him. Ginny, Hermione, and Ron waited in the corridor, just outside Lockhart's line of vision.
"Harry, I heard the truth about what happened last night," Lockhart said in a quiet, engaging voice. "A rogue house-elf, of all things. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but it's been known to happen. Perhaps if I had been able to be in two places at once, I might have caught the little troublemaker."
"Erm . . . right," Harry said.
The professor smiled. "But that's not what I wanted to say to you. I wanted to tell you to keep your chin up. You'll find that there is always someone plotting against you, just like that house-elf. They do it because of who you are, and of course that's not your fault at all. So don't let them get to you, Harry. Remember that they're only jealous, really, and you should always forgive them for that."
Harry stared at Lockhart for a few moments. How could he . . .?
Fit through the door with an ego like that? I have no idea.
"Okay, Professor," Harry said. "That's . . . that's good to know."
Lockhart grinned. "Then my work here is done. Run along, now. Dinner's not far off, and I'm sure you're hungry."
On their way back to Gryffindor Tower, Harry related the conversation to Ron and Hermione. "Well, that's not bad advice, really," the brunette said. "He doesn't know what Dobby's after, of course, but the basic idea is quite sound."
Ginny shook her head. "But the way he said it means he doesn't really understand at all."
"I suppose that's a matter of opinion, though," Harry added, watching Hermione's brow furrow and hoping to avoid another pointless argument.
That evening, Harry and Ginny found their Head of House in her office and told her about the pattern Hermione had found in Dobby's visits. As they expected, McGonagall did not have an immediate response to the information, but she promised to convey it to the headmaster.
"Has he had any ideas, Professor?" Ginny asked. "For what to do about Dobby, I mean."
"As it happens, he has. He simply asked the Hogwarts house-elves what might be done. As I understand it, they told him that they would ensure that no outside elves may enter the castle without permission."
"How will they do that?" Harry asked.
"I have no idea. But Albus and I are both confident that the elves are better-equipped for the effort than we are. I am hopeful that Dobby will no longer be able to disturb you at Hogwarts."
As they settled in to their bed that evening, Ginny sighed against Harry's shoulder. Maybe now we'll be able to sleep on a regular basis.
He did seem to enjoy waking us up at all hours, didn't he? I'm glad to be done with it.
He's done enough damage as it is. It wasn't enough to set my mother against us. He had to go and make the whole school think you're some kind of maniac.
Harry squeezed her shoulders, warmed by the indignation in her mind. We'll manage, Ginny.
We shouldn't have to, but I know we will.
We always do.