Chapter 16: The Egg
January 21, 2002 – Monday
Gryffindor Common Room
Dawn sat in the common room, her hands nervously clutching the golden egg, her mind racing with thoughts of how to solve its riddle. She vividly remembered the ear-piercing screech it had emitted the first time she opened it, and the prospect of doing it again filled her with apprehension.
Suddenly, there was a gentle tap on her shoulder, but when she turned around to look, there was no one there. "It's me," Harry's voice whispered from nearby. "Cedric gave me a clue to the egg. Take a bath. That's what I am going to do now."
Dawn's eyes widened with realization, and she quickly stood up. "I'll come with you," she said, a determined glint in her eyes. "Two heads are better than one. We should be able to solve it together."
Harry nodded in agreement, and he carefully draped the invisibility cloak over both of them. They patiently waited for the portrait hole to open, and this time it was Ron who stood outside, ready to give the Fat Lady the password.
As they slipped out of the common room, Ron muttered a heartfelt, "Good luck," to Harry and Dawn.
Prefects' Bathroom
The journey through the hidden passageways of Hogwarts led Harry and Dawn to the statue of Boris the Bewildered. Harry leaned in close to the statue and whispered the password, "Pine fresh," which Cedric had given him earlier. The door slowly creaked open, revealing the prefect's bathroom.
Dawn took a moment to admire the opulent surroundings. "Wow, so this is the prefect's bathroom?" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with awe.
Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it makes me wish I was a prefect," he admitted with a hint of longing.
They both carefully placed their golden eggs on a nearby surface and took in their surroundings. The bathroom was spacious and beautifully appointed, with ornate fixtures and multiple taps lining the walls.
After a moment, Harry turned on all the taps, filling the room with the soothing sound of running water. He let the water run for a while before turning off all the taps and looking at Dawn. "Uhm, how are we doing this?" he asked, his uncertainty clear in his expression.
Dawn chuckled at the idea of their unconventional bath attire and the secrecy it required. "Well, I don't know about you, but I am only getting undressed as far as my underwear," she confessed with a mischievous grin. "Just don't tell my sisters that you saw even that much." (A/N)
With a shared understanding, they turned their backs to each other to undress. Dawn slipped out of her clothes until she was standing in only her bra and panties. When they turned back around, Harry had kept his underwear on as well. They carefully eased into the bubble-filled tub, the warm water providing a soothing contrast to the chilly task at hand.
Harry stretched out his arms, holding the golden egg in his wet hands, and cautiously opened it. The wailing, screeching sound erupted once more, filling the bathroom and echoing off the marble walls. Panic washed over Harry, and he hastily snapped the egg shut, fearing that the noise might attract unwanted attention, possibly from Filch.
Dawn, undeterred, suggested their next course of action. "Let's try putting it in the water," she said.
Harry nodded in agreement. He lowered the egg beneath the foamy surface and gingerly opened it again. This time, to their surprise, it did not wail. Instead, a gurgling song emerged from the egg, filling the bathroom with an eerie melody.
Dawn decided to investigate further. "Okay, I'm going to duck down and see if I can hear anything," she said, her curiosity getting the better of her.
As Dawn submerged herself in the water to investigate the egg's song, Harry watched with a mixture of relief and anticipation. He had been anxious about the loud wailing the egg had produced earlier, so the change in the song's tone was a welcome development.
Dawn resurfaced after a brief moment, her eyes closed as if she had been lost in the melody. She encouraged Harry to do the same. "Put your head in the water," she urged him. "The egg is singing some kind of song."
With a deep breath, Harry followed Dawn's lead and slid beneath the water's surface. Together, they listened to the eerie chorus of voices emanating from the open egg in Harry's hands. The song held a cryptic message, and the words hung in the air:
"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour- the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back"
Harry and Dawn surfaced, their faces reflecting a mixture of determination and curiosity. The words of the cryptic song echoed in their minds.
"Hear it?" Dawn asked, seeking confirmation.
"Yeah… 'Come seek us where our voices sound…' and if I need persuading… hang on, I need to listen again…" Harry started to say, but before he could submerge himself again, Dawn stopped him.
"No need, I have pretty good recall," Dawn reassured him before reciting the entire song back to him.
Harry listened intently as Dawn recited the song, the pieces of the riddle slowly coming together in his mind. "We've got to go and look for people who can't use their voices above the ground…" he mused, his voice slow and contemplative.
Dawn nodded in agreement. "Which means it has to be something under the water," she concluded.
"Underwater…" Harry repeated slowly, his mind racing. "Dawn, do you know what lives in the lake, apart from the giant squid?"
Dawn furrowed her brow in thought, recalling her knowledge from Hogwarts: A History. "Merpeople do, if I remember right," she replied.
Harry's eyes lit up with realization. "That's it, isn't it?" he exclaimed. "The second task is to go and find the merpeople in the lake and…and…"
Dawn finished his sentence with a knowing smile. "...retrieve what we've lost," she said.
Harry nodded in agreement, his excitement building. "The question is, how do we breathe underwater?" he wondered aloud.
Dawn pondered the riddle once more. "We've taken what you'll sorely miss," she recited. "What will they take? It could be anything."
Harry nodded in gratitude, appreciating Dawn's help and support in deciphering the riddle. "I know. At least we're further on than we were. Thanks for helping," he said sincerely.
Dawn smiled warmly, her bond with Harry growing stronger. "That's what friends are for, Harry," she replied. "Besides, you would have done the same for me."
Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I would." He considered their next steps. "Okay, who's getting out first?"
Dawn took the initiative. "I will. Even though we're both in our underwear, don't peek," she instructed.
Harry complied, closing his eyes as Dawn climbed out of the bath. She grabbed a towel he had brought and began to dry herself off and then got dressed. After a moment, she announced, "Okay, I'm good."
Harry retrieved his golden egg from the bottom of the bath and followed the same routine, climbing out, drying himself, and dressing in his pajamas and dressing gown. Once he was ready, he carefully picked up the Invisibility Cloak and draped it over both him and Dawn as they prepared to make their way back to the Gryffindor common room.
Corridors
Out in the dark corridor, Harry and Dawn unfolded the Marauder's Map, their eyes scanning it to ensure that the coast was still clear before they continued on their way. They had just begun their journey back to Gryffindor Tower when something caught Harry's attention on the map, something distinctly unusual.
Harry's gaze fixed on a single dot that was rapidly moving around a room in the bottom left-hand corner of the map, a room labeled as Snape's office. However, what was most perplexing was that the dot wasn't labeled "Severus Snape" as it should have been. Instead, it read "Bartemius Crouch."
Harry nudged Dawn and subtly pointed toward the map, indicating that something unusual was happening. She acknowledged his gesture with a nod, confirming that she had also noticed the discrepancy.
Turning away from their original path, they headed in the opposite direction, making their way toward the nearest staircase. Dawn whispered, "Where are we going?"
Harry replied in a hushed tone, barely loud enough for Dawn to hear, "I want to see what Crouch is up to."
Harry and Dawn moved cautiously down the stairs, trying to be as quiet as possible. They navigated the corridors below, pushing aside a tapestry about halfway along their route, and proceeded down a narrower staircase that served as a shortcut, leading them down two floors.
However, their journey took an unexpected turn when, halfway down the staircase, Harry's leg suddenly sank right through a trick step. He stumbled clumsily, and the golden egg, still damp from the bath, slipped from under his arm. In a frantic effort to catch it, both Harry and Dawn lurched forward, but they were too late. The egg tumbled down the long staircase, creating a loud bang with each step it hit. The Invisibility Cloak slipped from Harry's shoulders, and the Marauder's Map slipped from his hand, sliding down six stairs.
Dawn quickly handed her egg to Harry and, slipping out from underneath the Invisibility Cloak, she hurried down the staircase to retrieve the map. Just as she reached for the map, Harry's egg, now at the bottom of the staircase, burst open and began wailing loudly in the corridor below.
Realizing the impending danger, Dawn swiftly turned back and rushed up the steps to join Harry, quickly sliding back under the Invisibility Cloak just seconds before Filch ascended the stairs.
"PEEVES! What's this racket?" Filch exclaimed as he climbed the stairs. "Wake up the whole castle, will you? I'll have you, Peeves, I'll have you, you'll…and what is this?" He had stopped at the golden egg and was picking it up.
"Egg?" Filch muttered quietly to himself, his tone changing. "My sweet!" Mrs. Norris, his vigilant cat, was obviously with him. "This is a Triwizard clue! This belongs to a school champion!"
Under the Invisibility Cloak, Harry and Dawn exchanged anxious glances, silently hoping that Filch wouldn't connect the egg and the commotion to them.
"PEEVES!" Filch shouted gleefully, seemingly oblivious to Harry and Dawn's presence beneath the Invisibility Cloak. "You've been stealing!" Harry and Dawn exchanged another relieved glance upon hearing that Peeves was Filch's target. But they still had to remain hidden until they were certain they were in the clear. "Hiding, are you? I'm coming to get you, Peeves… You've gone and stolen a Triwizard clue, Peeves… Dumbledore'll have you out of here for this, you filthy, pilfering poltergeist…"
Filch continued his ascent up the stairs, still focused on Peeves and the golden egg. But then, the situation took an unexpected and potentially dangerous turn when someone else approached.
"Filch? What's going on?" a voice called out.
Filch stopped a few steps below Harry and Dawn, and they tensed. At the foot of the stairs stood the last person they wanted to encounter: Severus Snape.
"It's Peeves, Professor," Filch whispered malevolently, betraying his usual antagonism toward the poltergeist. "He threw this egg down the stairs."
Snape quickly ascended the stairs and joined Filch, his attention now focused on the situation.
"Peeves?" Snape said softly, his voice laced with skepticism. "But Peeves couldn't get into my office…"
Dawn and Harry listened intently to Snape and Filch's exchange, still concealed beneath the Invisibility Cloak. They exchanged a worried glance but remained silent, hoping that they wouldn't be discovered.
"This egg was in your office, Professor?" Filch asked, sounding as though he was catching Snape in a lie.
"Of course not," Snape snapped defensively. "I heard banging and wailing -"
"Yes, Professor, that was the egg -" Filch interjected.
"—I was coming to investigate—" Snape continued.
"—Peeves threw it, Professor—" Filch insisted.
As Snape and Filch continued to argue about the intrusion into Snape's office, Harry and Dawn remained hidden under the Invisibility Cloak, their hearts pounding with anxiety. They could hear every word of the conversation, their tension growing with each passing moment.
"—and when I passed my office, I saw that the torches were lit and a cupboard door was ajar! Somebody has been searching it!" Snape asserted, his frustration evident.
"But Peeves couldn't—" Filch began, sounding bewildered.
"I know he couldn't, Filch!" Snape snapped irritably. "I seal my office with a spell none but a wizard could break!"
Snape then looked up the stairs, seemingly straight through Harry and Dawn, and down into the corridor below. "I want you to come and help me search for the intruder, Filch," he ordered.
Filch, however, hesitated, his desire to catch Peeves in trouble warring with his duty to assist Snape. "I—yes, Professor—but—" He cast a yearning look up the stairs, still unaware of Harry and Dawn's presence. "The thing is, Professor," he said plaintively, "the headmaster will have to listen to me this time. Peeves has been stealing from a student; it might be my chance to get him thrown out of the castle once and for all—"
Snape's patience was wearing thin. "Filch, I don't give a damn about that wretched poltergeist; it's my office that's—"
Suddenly, the conversation was interrupted by a series of clunks coming from the foot of the stairs. Snape and Filch both turned their attention downward, their expressions shifting to surprise.
Mad-Eye Moody, the grizzled Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, had limped up the stairs and now confronted them. "Pajama party, is it?" he growled, his magical eye darting about suspiciously.
"Professor Snape and I heard noises, Professor," Filch began hastily. "Peeves the Poltergeist, throwing things around as usual—and then Professor Snape discovered that someone had broken into his off—"
Snape abruptly interrupted Filch with a hiss, signaling him to stop talking. Moody, on the other hand, had taken a step closer to the foot of the stairs. His magical eye scanned the area, and then it unmistakably focused on Harry and Dawn, who were still concealed beneath the Invisibility Cloak.
A wave of fear surged through Harry as he realized that Moody had detected their presence. He discreetly nudged Dawn, who acknowledged with a subtle gesture that she had noticed it as well. Moody knew they were there.
"Did I hear that correctly, Snape?" Moody asked slowly, his magical eye remaining fixed on their location. "Someone broke into your office?"
Snape, seemingly unfazed by Moody's scrutiny, replied dismissively, "It is unimportant."
Moody wasn't about to let the matter drop so easily. "On the contrary," he growled, "it is very important. Who'd want to break into your office?"
Snape's response was predictably cold and dismissive. "A student, I daresay," he replied. "It has happened before. Potion ingredients have gone missing from my private store cupboard… students attempting illicit mixtures, no doubt."
Moody, however, continued to press the issue. "Reckon they were after potion ingredients, eh?" he inquired further. "Not hiding anything else in your office, are you?"
"You know I'm hiding nothing, Moody," Snape retorted, his tone defiant. "as you've searched my office pretty thoroughly yourself."
Moody's face twisted into a sly smile. "Auror's privilege, Snape. Dumbledore told me to keep an eye—"
"Dumbledore happens to trust me," Snape interrupted sharply. "I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office!"
The confrontation between Moody and Snape escalated, and Harry and Dawn continued to eavesdrop from their concealed position under the Invisibility Cloak. Moody's words were loaded with suspicion and a deep-seated distrust.
"Course Dumbledore trusts you," Moody growled. "He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chances. But me - I say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d'you know what I mean? Get back to bed, Snape."
Snape, however, was not one to back down easily. "You don't have the authority to send me anywhere!" he hissed defiantly. "I have as much right to prowl this school after dark as you do!"
Just when it seemed the situation couldn't get any more precarious, Buffy unexpectedly arrived on the scene, ascending the stairs. Dawn couldn't help but wonder why her sister was out so late. Had she gone on a patrol, or was there another reason for her presence?
Moody, unfazed by Buffy's arrival, nodded toward the golden egg. "Ah, Professor Summers, I believe you dropped something," he remarked casually.
Buffy glanced at the egg and sighed. "Ah, yes, Dawn's egg. I was holding it for her to keep it safe. Accidentally dropped it, didn't know until I was down the stairs and it started that awful racket."
Snape, evidently seeking to remove himself from the situation, announced his decision. "I think I will go back to bed," he said curtly.
Moody was persistent, and he didn't want to waste any more time on the matter. "Best idea you've had all night," he grunted to Snape as the Potions Master retreated.
Turning his attention to Filch, Moody insisted, "Now, Filch, if you'll just give Professor Summers that egg—"
But Filch refused to relent. "No!" he protested. "Professor Moody, this is evidence of Peeves' treachery!"
Moody, however, was undeterred. "It's the property of the champion that Professor Summers is holding it for. Her sister, I believe," he said, winking at Dawn. "Peeves didn't steal anything. Hand it over, now."
With Snape gone and Moody's insistence, Filch reluctantly surrendered the egg to Buffy and then disappeared from their view.
Buffy looked at the egg in her hand with a quizzical expression. "This isn't Dawn's egg, is it?" she inquired.
Moody shook his head, signaling that it wasn't Dawn's egg. Then, addressing both Harry and Dawn, he gave them a stern warning. "Close shave, Potter, Summers," he said.
Buffy's brow furrowed with concern, her heart pounding as she realized that Dawn was here somewhere, hidden away. "Dawn Marie Summers, show yourself," she demanded, her voice tinged with a mixture of worry and annoyance.
Harry's voice quivered weakly as he and Dawn stepped out from under the invisibility cloak, their presence revealed. "Yeah… I—er… thanks," he stammered, his expression a blend of relief and apprehension.
Dawn's eyes darted nervously as she spoke up, her voice laced with sheepishness. "Hi, Buffy," she said, her words carrying a hint of guilt.
Moody, his grizzled features etched with curiosity, examined the map in Dawn's hand, his eye narrowing in suspicion. "What is this thing?" he grumbled, his tone gruff and skeptical.
Harry, still recovering from their close call, replied with a shaky but earnest voice. "Map of Hogwarts," he explained, his words carrying a sense of urgency.
Moody's reaction was immediate, and his hoarse whisper held a mix of awe and astonishment. "Merlin's beard," he breathed, snatching the map from Dawn's grasp. "This… this is some map. Potter!" his voice rang out, a blend of admiration and demand in his tone.
Harry's voice was tinged with gratitude as he handed Dawn back her egg, a faint smile touching his lips. "Yeah, it's… quite useful," he acknowledged, his emotions still slightly shaken. "Er—Professor Moody, d'you think you could help me—?"
Buffy's glare bore into Dawn, her eyes filled with a mix of worry and frustration. "What were you and Harry doing out so late?" she demanded, her emotional undertone one of concern for her sister's safety.
Moody, though distracted by the remarkable map, finally responded with a gruff acknowledgment. "What? Oh! Yes…yes, of course.…" He took hold of Harry's arms and pulled, freeing the young wizard's leg from the trick step. Harry quickly climbed onto the one above it, his relief palpable.
Dawn, attempting to diffuse the tension, offered a hopeful smile to her sister. "We worked out the clue, Buffy. We needed some privacy, and so we headed for one of the bathrooms to test a suggestion Cedric gave Harry," she explained, her words laced with sincerity.
Buffy sighed, her anger softening into concern. "You should have told me, Dawn. I could have been there to make sure neither of you got in trouble," she replied, her voice filled with a mix of love and exasperation.
Moody, still captivated by the extraordinary map, finally voiced a crucial question. "Potter… Summers..." he said slowly, his tone growing serious, "either of you didn't happen, by any chance, to see who broke into Snape's office, did you? On this map, I mean?"
Harry's admission hung heavy in the air, his voice carrying a mix of uncertainty and determination. "Er…yeah, we did," he confessed, his emotions on edge. "It was Mr. Crouch."
Moody's magical eye darted across the entire surface of the map, his expression shifting to one of deep concern. He looked suddenly alarmed, his voice trembling slightly as he sought confirmation. "Crouch?" he repeated, his tone fraught with worry. "You're—you're sure, Potter?"
Buffy, observing the intense reaction on Moody's face, couldn't help but wonder why Crouch's name seemed to stir such alarm in the seasoned wizard.
"Positive," Harry and Dawn chimed in together, their voices firm and resolute.
Moody's response was terse and cryptic. "Well, he's not here anymore," he muttered, his mind racing. "Crouch… that's very—very interesting."
Dawn, her curiosity piqued, couldn't resist seeking more information. "Er… Professor Moody… why d'you reckon Mr. Crouch wanted to look around Snape's office?" she asked, her voice laced with a genuine desire to understand the situation.
Moody's magical eye left the map, and it locked onto Harry and Dawn, its intensity palpable as it quivered with emotion. "Put it this way," he muttered, his voice laden with a deep-seated concern, "they say old Mad-Eye's obsessed with catching Dark wizards… but I'm nothing—nothing—compared to Barty Crouch."
Harry, absorbing Moody's words, voiced his own thoughts cautiously. "Professor Moody?" he began, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "D'you think… could this have anything to do with… maybe Mr. Crouch thinks there's something going on…"
Moody, his response sharp and direct, interrupted Harry. "Like what?" he demanded, his tone probing for answers.
Harry's gaze lowered as he mulled over recent events. "I don't know," he muttered, his voice carrying a sense of unease. "Odd stuff's been happening lately, hasn't it? It's been in the Daily Prophet… the Dark Mark at the World Cup, and the Death Eaters and everything…"
Buffy, her interest piqued by the mention of these dark events, turned her attention back to Moody. She, Dawn, and Hermione had heard about what happened at the World Cup, and the prospect of Voldemort's return was a matter of grave concern. She knew that if he resurfaced, he could potentially ally himself with Glory. It made strategic sense. She knew Voldemort was after Harry and since Glory was after Dawn they could team up, kill two birds with one stone.
Moody, acknowledging Harry's observation, spoke with a hint of approval. "You're a sharp boy, Potter," he said, his magical eye shifting back to the Marauder's Map. "Crouch could be thinking along those lines," he mused slowly. "Very possible…there have been some funny rumors flying around lately - helped along by Rita Skeeter, of course. It's making a lot of people nervous, I reckon." His knowing gaze shifted to Buffy. "Oh, if there's one thing I hate, it's a Death Eater who walked free…"
"And now I want to ask you a question, Potter," said Moody, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and intensity. He peered at Harry, his magical eye whirring and focusing on him. "Can I borrow this?"
"Oh!" Harry exclaimed, caught off guard by the sudden request. His heart raced with anticipation. "Yeah, okay."
"Good boy," growled Moody, his tone filled with a gruff kind of approval. There was a hint of excitement in his voice, like he had stumbled upon something significant. "I can make good use of this… this might be exactly what I've been looking for…" Moody's words were filled with a sense of purpose and determination. "Now Professor Summers will take you both back to bed. I expect she will have more to say anyways."
Buffy's nod acknowledged Moody's departure, but it was her eyes that revealed the depth of her concern. They darted between Harry and Dawn, showing a trace of maternal protectiveness. "Come on, we're going to my rooms first," she said gently, her voice soothing like a cool breeze on a hot day, "so I can talk to you both privately."
Dawn glanced at Harry, her eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and concern, and then she nodded in agreement. They followed Buffy, their steps echoing with a sense of anticipation and curiosity about what lay ahead.
Buffy's Suite
"Now, I have to ask why you both were out after curfew," Buffy inquired, her pacing adding an air of authority and concern to the room as she addressed Harry and Dawn, who sat on the couch of the sitting room.
Harry hesitated for a moment, his emotions mixed with a hint of guilt and apprehension. "We were working on the clue," he explained, his voice carrying a touch of defensiveness.
Buffy nodded, her expression stern. "And why couldn't that wait for tomorrow at a decent hour?"
Harry glanced at Dawn, their shared experience weighing on his mind, and then turned his attention back to Buffy. "We used the Prefects' bathroom. You had to submerge the egg to hear the clue."
Buffy's frown deepened, her disappointment palpable. "The Prefects' bathroom is off-limits to you both. Just for that, you could have gotten in serious trouble. I really should take points off and give you both detentions for that. But I won't, and you know why." Her voice held a hint of exasperation, and her emotions were clearly a mix of frustration and concern. "Because I'm actually angry about something else. That you two saw each other naked."
Dawn shook her head, her emotions shifting from worry to embarrassment. "We didn't. We disrobed back to back and only stripped down to our underwear. The only thing Harry saw was me in my underwear. We never saw each other fully naked."
Buffy sighed deeply as she turned her attention toward Harry, her emotions a complex mix of concern and frustration. "Alright, Harry, I'm not pleased with you though. You know about Glory, and this was risky to let Dawn come with you. We're not sure if the wards will keep her out or not." Her words held a sense of worry for Dawn's safety, and she didn't hide her disappointment.
Then, Buffy shifted her gaze back to her sister, her tone softening slightly. "Dawn, you should have stayed in the dormitory and let Harry tell you the clue when he got back."
"Sorry, Buffy," Dawn sighed, remorse evident in her expression. "Buffy, can I ask, where were you tonight?"
Buffy's eyes flickered with a mixture of guilt and reassurance. "Patrolling. I started just before the first task. With this tournament, I'm just making extra sure that you're safe."
Dawn's eyes widened with realization. "That meant you knew about the dragons before we did."
Buffy nodded, her emotions a blend of responsibility and teacherly authority. "Yes, I found them on patrol. But I couldn't say anything until you came to me with that information. I'm a teacher, remember. Now, get back to your dormitory and to bed."
Dawn and Harry stood up, their expressions reflecting a sense of understanding and readiness to follow Buffy's instructions. "And no more sneaking out, Dawn," she added firmly.
Dawn nodded and, with Harry by her side, she slipped underneath the Invisibility Cloak, their steps echoing as they headed back toward the Gryffindor Tower.
Author's Note: When I originally posted this story. This chapter had both Dawn and Harry winding up naked in the Prefects bathroom. I had a reviewer back then say something about two 14 year olds being curious and peeking at one another. So when I started redoing this story I decided to have them only strip down to their underwear.
