An Unlikely Ally And An Unlikely Enemy
It was getting on for midnight when Harry started making his way back to the Gryffindor Tower. The equipment cupboard was spotlessly clean. He didn't know if it lived up to Snape's high standards since the teacher hadn't bothered to show up to check and Harry didn't want to wait. The missing bind weed was bothering him. On its own it would have been nothing to worry about, but in conjunction with the mysterious dark figure and Harry's own uneasy feelings, it bothered him.
He'd made up his mind to definitely tell Ron and Hermione this time. Either they'd agree with him and they'd form a plan of action, or they'd manage to convince him he was overacting and put his mind at rest. Both options were preferable to worrying on his own.
A lot of the students didn't like wandering through the creepy corridors at night, but Harry had gotten used to it. The suddenly lively paintings no longer bothered him, and he was never startled to walk around a corner and right into - or through - one of the ghosts.
Even so, when he heard a voice suddenly dart out of the semi-darkness ahead, he jumped slightly.
".....not up there," he heard Filch's voice say, missing the beginning of the sentence.
"Are you sure?"
That was Dumbledore. That was strange, he decided. As far as he was aware, Filch was the only one who wandered around at night. For him to have Dumbledore with him, something important - or serious - must have happened.
"I've checked the entire tower, Headmaster," Filch said, clearly irritated, "There is no one there."
Dumbledore muttered something Harry couldn't hear before adding out loud: "We'll have to search the school. I'll inform Professor McGonagall. We may need her help. Don't let anyone see you, Mr Filch. You know how important secrecy is in this matter."
Harry could hear them approaching the corner in front of him and he made a split second decision. He dived in the door to the Charms room on his left, pressing his ear against the thick oak door so he could hear them as they passed. It would have been easy to just walk past them, pretending he hadn't overheard a thing. It wasn't as if he was doing anything wrong - he was simply returning to his dormitory after detention. But the words 'tower' and 'secrecy' in the same sentence were too potent to ignore. Whoever Harry had seen in that tower, was known of and had evidently gone missing. Dumbledore knew about it and apparently it was a secret - from everyone bar Filch and Professor McGonagall. What could be so terrible that even the teachers weren't allowed to know?
Part of his mind told him that this was none of his business. He had no reason to believe this was anything to do with him. What right did he really have to be investigating an secret Dumbledore wished to keep? And yet there was another part telling him that he had to know what was going on. Somehow he felt this was important. And right.
He listened as they walked past. Dumbledore instructed Filch to begin by checking this floor. He would go and fetch McGonagall and they would do the first and third floors.
"Don't worry," Filch said, with an essence of twisted satisfaction in his voice, "I'll find 'em."
Harry almost felt sorry for the black hooded figure. He'd hate to think what would happen if Filch found them.
He waited in the classroom until the voices had faded away, then counted to a hundred before cautiously emerging. If Filch was on this floor, he certainly didn't want to stay here. Besides, he had reasoned, if the hooded figure was being pursued, surely they would be trying to escape, which would mean making their way to the first floor.
As he crept along quietly, heading towards the main staircase, Harry again wondered why he was doing this. What on earth made him think it was a good idea? For all he knew, the figure could be an escaped madman or something. He could be really putting himself in danger. But again he had that strange, unexplainable sense of certainty. He was supposed to be doing this.
Making his way down the large main staircase, Harry was careful to keep to the centre, carpeted section so as to reduce his noise. As well as scanning around him for suspicious hooded people, he also remembered to keep an eye on the floor for the piercing eyes of Mrs Norris. Running into that cat would be almost as bad as running into Filch himself.
Harry set about quickly searching the Entrance Hall and the rooms adjoining it. He remembered Dumbledore's words about he and McGonagall checking the rest of the floors. He had to hurry.
The corridor that lead down to the dungeon was empty, but that was hardly surprising. He'd only just come from there and he didn't think anyone culd have snuck past him so easily.
Next, he tried to the Great Hall. This was easy to check because there was really no place to hide in there. The only difficultly was the poor lighting. The floating candles were all bobbing in the air, but extinguished. Fortunately, the enchanted ceiling held a bright moon tonight. That gave Harry enough light to check around and under all the tables, including the teacher's one. He was a little perplexed to see a very small chair that was at least a foot or so higher than the others, before he realised it must belong to little Professor Flitwick.
He paused momentarily at the huge, throne-like chair that Dumbledore sat on. It was an impressive looking piece, but had suffered with age. Its gold covering was chipped and dirtied in places, the green marble panels that covered different sections were scratched and marked, and the once rich, gold weave cloth covering the seat and back were badly faded and torn. Harry wondered where it had originally come from.
Deciding he had no time for this sight-seeing, he hurried back to the door and quietly re-entered the main hall. He was about to head for the next door along when he felt the presence of another person. Immediately halting in his tracks, he looked carefully around but saw no one. Well, if you didn't count the girl in the painting who was closing her cottage curtains.
He was clearly nervous and the danger of getting caught was starting to play tricks on his mind. He should go back to the dormitory before it was too late. He'd tried at least, but the hooded figure could be anywhere in this vast castle or its grounds.
His foot hadn't even made it to the floor for him to take a pace, when a creaking was heard. Frozen in mid-step, Harry watched in something akin to amazement as the front door opened just a crack.
For a long moment, nothing happened and he began to wonder if maybe it had simple not been shut properly and had fallen open.
That was when the hooded figure slipped inside.
Like the last time Harry had seen him, the figure was creeping furtively - as though he was afraid of being found. He was also a lot smaller than he would have imagined - in fact, he was about an inch shorter than Harry.
The figure paused at the door, turning to slowly shut it again. Harry frowned. If you knew you were being looked for, why would you come back to the castle where those who were looking for you were bound to be? Unless, of course, you were that desperate to do what you came here to do, that you were willing to risk it.
Intrigued and slightly annoyed at the figure's audacity, Harry did something very stupid. He dashed over behind them and, without hesitation, he reached out and yanked away the hood. He half expected to see Voldemort's twisted face staring back at him and he readied himself to cry out for help. But all he saw was a mass of straight, dark hair. The figure involuntarily let out a startled squeal and spun to face Harry.
He froze. It wasn't a horrible madman at all.
It was a girl.
About his age. Pretty with dark, straight hair, and large brown eyes. The moonlight on her face made gave her skin a blue tinge, making her appear rather ethereal.
Harry found himself confused. She didn't appear to be a threat. Who was she? She was a student, so why was she here? Why was she wandering about, why was she a secret and why was Dumbledore so desperate to find her?
He didn't get a chance to ask any of his questions though. Voices could suddenly be heard coming their way, the noise bouncing around the stone walls. The girl in the cottage painting tutted in annoyance at being disturbed.
People had obviously been alerted by the girl's startled cry.
She gasped in what appeared to be horror. Without warning, she grabbed Harry by the robes and dragged his shocked form over to the nearest door. Opening it, she shoved him inside and slammed it shut again. Just moments later, Filch's oozing voice could be heard.
"Well, well, well. What do with have here?"
The girl was silent, but he could hear her step away from the door as if she were trying not to draw Filch's attention to where she had hidden Harry.
"We've been looking for you, my dear," he said, menacingly, "Did you really think you could give us the slip?"
"No," she said quietly.
Harry couldn't help but notice that she sounded afraid. He reached inside his pocket and closed his fingers around his wand, ready to jump out and help her. Fortunately, another voice joined them - Dumbledore. That could only be a good thing.
"Well done, Mr Filch," he said, his voice sounding oddly tight.
Harry frowned and crouched carefully down, peering through the keyhole. What he saw shocked him to the core.
Dumbledore moved passed Filch and grabbed the girl by the arm, quite roughly. The look on his face was simply furious.
"What did you think you were doing?" he said, hotly.
"I.....I just...I need to get out for a while," she replied, her voice shaking.
"Idiotic girl!" Dumbledore said harshly, shaking her arm slightly, "Do you really think that we are going to let you wander around the school?"
Again, the girl stayed silent.
Dumbledore let out an angry sigh and shoved her towards Filch. "Take her back to the tower. Don't let anyone see you. And make sure she can't get out this time."
Filch nodded, knowing better than to stay around too long when Dumbledore was annoyed. He quickly pulled the unresisting girl away.
Dumbledore stood there for a moment, wiping a hand across his face. He looked as though he was under a great deal of stress.
As he walked away, Harry sank to the floor and stared at his knees, shocked. He didn't move for a long time.
TO BE CONTINUED....
It was getting on for midnight when Harry started making his way back to the Gryffindor Tower. The equipment cupboard was spotlessly clean. He didn't know if it lived up to Snape's high standards since the teacher hadn't bothered to show up to check and Harry didn't want to wait. The missing bind weed was bothering him. On its own it would have been nothing to worry about, but in conjunction with the mysterious dark figure and Harry's own uneasy feelings, it bothered him.
He'd made up his mind to definitely tell Ron and Hermione this time. Either they'd agree with him and they'd form a plan of action, or they'd manage to convince him he was overacting and put his mind at rest. Both options were preferable to worrying on his own.
A lot of the students didn't like wandering through the creepy corridors at night, but Harry had gotten used to it. The suddenly lively paintings no longer bothered him, and he was never startled to walk around a corner and right into - or through - one of the ghosts.
Even so, when he heard a voice suddenly dart out of the semi-darkness ahead, he jumped slightly.
".....not up there," he heard Filch's voice say, missing the beginning of the sentence.
"Are you sure?"
That was Dumbledore. That was strange, he decided. As far as he was aware, Filch was the only one who wandered around at night. For him to have Dumbledore with him, something important - or serious - must have happened.
"I've checked the entire tower, Headmaster," Filch said, clearly irritated, "There is no one there."
Dumbledore muttered something Harry couldn't hear before adding out loud: "We'll have to search the school. I'll inform Professor McGonagall. We may need her help. Don't let anyone see you, Mr Filch. You know how important secrecy is in this matter."
Harry could hear them approaching the corner in front of him and he made a split second decision. He dived in the door to the Charms room on his left, pressing his ear against the thick oak door so he could hear them as they passed. It would have been easy to just walk past them, pretending he hadn't overheard a thing. It wasn't as if he was doing anything wrong - he was simply returning to his dormitory after detention. But the words 'tower' and 'secrecy' in the same sentence were too potent to ignore. Whoever Harry had seen in that tower, was known of and had evidently gone missing. Dumbledore knew about it and apparently it was a secret - from everyone bar Filch and Professor McGonagall. What could be so terrible that even the teachers weren't allowed to know?
Part of his mind told him that this was none of his business. He had no reason to believe this was anything to do with him. What right did he really have to be investigating an secret Dumbledore wished to keep? And yet there was another part telling him that he had to know what was going on. Somehow he felt this was important. And right.
He listened as they walked past. Dumbledore instructed Filch to begin by checking this floor. He would go and fetch McGonagall and they would do the first and third floors.
"Don't worry," Filch said, with an essence of twisted satisfaction in his voice, "I'll find 'em."
Harry almost felt sorry for the black hooded figure. He'd hate to think what would happen if Filch found them.
He waited in the classroom until the voices had faded away, then counted to a hundred before cautiously emerging. If Filch was on this floor, he certainly didn't want to stay here. Besides, he had reasoned, if the hooded figure was being pursued, surely they would be trying to escape, which would mean making their way to the first floor.
As he crept along quietly, heading towards the main staircase, Harry again wondered why he was doing this. What on earth made him think it was a good idea? For all he knew, the figure could be an escaped madman or something. He could be really putting himself in danger. But again he had that strange, unexplainable sense of certainty. He was supposed to be doing this.
Making his way down the large main staircase, Harry was careful to keep to the centre, carpeted section so as to reduce his noise. As well as scanning around him for suspicious hooded people, he also remembered to keep an eye on the floor for the piercing eyes of Mrs Norris. Running into that cat would be almost as bad as running into Filch himself.
Harry set about quickly searching the Entrance Hall and the rooms adjoining it. He remembered Dumbledore's words about he and McGonagall checking the rest of the floors. He had to hurry.
The corridor that lead down to the dungeon was empty, but that was hardly surprising. He'd only just come from there and he didn't think anyone culd have snuck past him so easily.
Next, he tried to the Great Hall. This was easy to check because there was really no place to hide in there. The only difficultly was the poor lighting. The floating candles were all bobbing in the air, but extinguished. Fortunately, the enchanted ceiling held a bright moon tonight. That gave Harry enough light to check around and under all the tables, including the teacher's one. He was a little perplexed to see a very small chair that was at least a foot or so higher than the others, before he realised it must belong to little Professor Flitwick.
He paused momentarily at the huge, throne-like chair that Dumbledore sat on. It was an impressive looking piece, but had suffered with age. Its gold covering was chipped and dirtied in places, the green marble panels that covered different sections were scratched and marked, and the once rich, gold weave cloth covering the seat and back were badly faded and torn. Harry wondered where it had originally come from.
Deciding he had no time for this sight-seeing, he hurried back to the door and quietly re-entered the main hall. He was about to head for the next door along when he felt the presence of another person. Immediately halting in his tracks, he looked carefully around but saw no one. Well, if you didn't count the girl in the painting who was closing her cottage curtains.
He was clearly nervous and the danger of getting caught was starting to play tricks on his mind. He should go back to the dormitory before it was too late. He'd tried at least, but the hooded figure could be anywhere in this vast castle or its grounds.
His foot hadn't even made it to the floor for him to take a pace, when a creaking was heard. Frozen in mid-step, Harry watched in something akin to amazement as the front door opened just a crack.
For a long moment, nothing happened and he began to wonder if maybe it had simple not been shut properly and had fallen open.
That was when the hooded figure slipped inside.
Like the last time Harry had seen him, the figure was creeping furtively - as though he was afraid of being found. He was also a lot smaller than he would have imagined - in fact, he was about an inch shorter than Harry.
The figure paused at the door, turning to slowly shut it again. Harry frowned. If you knew you were being looked for, why would you come back to the castle where those who were looking for you were bound to be? Unless, of course, you were that desperate to do what you came here to do, that you were willing to risk it.
Intrigued and slightly annoyed at the figure's audacity, Harry did something very stupid. He dashed over behind them and, without hesitation, he reached out and yanked away the hood. He half expected to see Voldemort's twisted face staring back at him and he readied himself to cry out for help. But all he saw was a mass of straight, dark hair. The figure involuntarily let out a startled squeal and spun to face Harry.
He froze. It wasn't a horrible madman at all.
It was a girl.
About his age. Pretty with dark, straight hair, and large brown eyes. The moonlight on her face made gave her skin a blue tinge, making her appear rather ethereal.
Harry found himself confused. She didn't appear to be a threat. Who was she? She was a student, so why was she here? Why was she wandering about, why was she a secret and why was Dumbledore so desperate to find her?
He didn't get a chance to ask any of his questions though. Voices could suddenly be heard coming their way, the noise bouncing around the stone walls. The girl in the cottage painting tutted in annoyance at being disturbed.
People had obviously been alerted by the girl's startled cry.
She gasped in what appeared to be horror. Without warning, she grabbed Harry by the robes and dragged his shocked form over to the nearest door. Opening it, she shoved him inside and slammed it shut again. Just moments later, Filch's oozing voice could be heard.
"Well, well, well. What do with have here?"
The girl was silent, but he could hear her step away from the door as if she were trying not to draw Filch's attention to where she had hidden Harry.
"We've been looking for you, my dear," he said, menacingly, "Did you really think you could give us the slip?"
"No," she said quietly.
Harry couldn't help but notice that she sounded afraid. He reached inside his pocket and closed his fingers around his wand, ready to jump out and help her. Fortunately, another voice joined them - Dumbledore. That could only be a good thing.
"Well done, Mr Filch," he said, his voice sounding oddly tight.
Harry frowned and crouched carefully down, peering through the keyhole. What he saw shocked him to the core.
Dumbledore moved passed Filch and grabbed the girl by the arm, quite roughly. The look on his face was simply furious.
"What did you think you were doing?" he said, hotly.
"I.....I just...I need to get out for a while," she replied, her voice shaking.
"Idiotic girl!" Dumbledore said harshly, shaking her arm slightly, "Do you really think that we are going to let you wander around the school?"
Again, the girl stayed silent.
Dumbledore let out an angry sigh and shoved her towards Filch. "Take her back to the tower. Don't let anyone see you. And make sure she can't get out this time."
Filch nodded, knowing better than to stay around too long when Dumbledore was annoyed. He quickly pulled the unresisting girl away.
Dumbledore stood there for a moment, wiping a hand across his face. He looked as though he was under a great deal of stress.
As he walked away, Harry sank to the floor and stared at his knees, shocked. He didn't move for a long time.
TO BE CONTINUED....