Chapter Fourteen: (It Feels So Good to Be Baaaaack!)

          The assorted group of teenagers all wandered slowly back into James’ bedroom. The reason they were walking so slowly is because Harry and Draco were both glaring at Sirius and had to walk slow so they wouldn’t walk into anything. And the reason why they were glaring at him? Well—

          “But you two looked so cute all cuddled up like that!” Sirius insisted, only to receive intensified glares from the two boys.

          Yes, my friends, Sirius had seen Harry and Draco this morning. No, he hasn’t heard of the concept of knocking. Obviously.

          “That’s enough, Siri,” James snickered, having been highly amused at the story Sirius had told him that day before breakfast.

          “But, Jamesy!” Sirius pouted. “They belong together, it’s so obvious!”

          “Sirius, don’t be ridiculous!” Lily scolded him. “You’ve been reading the books with us, you know very well they don’t like each other!”

          “Yeah, but…. Wait, I know! Destiny! Auras! You can tell if two people belong together by their auras, can’t you?”

          “Leave me out of this, Sirius,” Destiny protested immediately. “I’ve no business doing that kind of stuff, and you know it!”

          “But Des, it’s for a good cause! It’s too make Harry happy! You want to make sure Harry’s happy, don’t you?”

          “No, Sirius. I am not doing that! Whether they’ll be together or not is their own business, not mine! I don’t dictate anyone’s love life!”

          Sirius pouted at that, his shoulders slumping. He turned large watery eyes to the girl…who promptly glared back at him, unfazed in the slightest.

          “Meany,” he whined. Everyone else rolled their eyes.

          “Okay, that’s enough,” Remus ordered as they all dropped back onto James’ bed. “Let’s just finish the book, all right?”

          Sirius pouted more.

          “And stop pouting, Siri!”

          “But—”

          “Sirius. Stop. Now.”

          Sirius gulped. “Yes sir, Mr. Lupin, sir!”

          Remus rolled his eyes and handed the book to Harry.

          “Chapter Fourteen: ­Cornelius Fudge,” Harry announced, and then began reading before anyone could say anything stupid.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had always known that Hagrid had an unfortunate liking for large and monstrous creatures.

          Peter- So did every other person that’s ever met him.

 During their first year at Hogwarts he had tried to raise a dragon

          Destiny- ::raises an eyebrow:: He tried to raise a dragon.

          Sirius- Yes. A dragon.

          Destiny- I hate to say this about someone you obviously like, but…how stupid is this guy?

          All but Draco- ::glare::

          Draco- Pretty stupid, really.

          Harry- ::smacks Draco:: Shut up.

          Draco- Well, she asked!

          Harry- ::glares::

          Draco- ::pouts::

          Harry- You know, you really should stop that pouting.

          Draco- ::glares::

          Harry- There, that’s much better, isn’t it?

          Others- ::snicker::

 in his little wooden house,

          Destiny- In a wooden house!?

          Sirius- Yes. A wooden house. Problem?

          Destiny- …

 and it would be a long time before they forgot the giant, three-headed dog he'd christened "Fluffy."

          Destiny- ::pouts:: What’s wrong with three-headed doggies?

          All but Sirius- ::stare at her incredulously::

          Sirius- ::grins:: She’s a dog person, can you tell?

 And if, as a boy, Hagrid had heard that a monster was hidden somewhere in the castle, Harry was sure he'd have gone to any lengths for a glimpse of it. He'd probably thought it was a shame that the monster had been cooped up so long, and thought it deserved the chance to stretch its many legs;

          Peter- Assuming, of course, it had many legs….

          Sirius- Yeah. If it’s a basilisk like I say, it won’t have any legs.

 Harry could just imagine the thirteen-year-old Hagrid trying to fit a leash and collar on it. But he was equally certain that Hagrid would never have meant to kill anybody.

          Remus- He would do anything he could to make sure nobody would die.

          James- Yeah. He’s cool like that.

Harry half wished he hadn't found out how to work Riddle's diary. Again and again Ron and Hermione made him recount what he'd seen, until he was heartily sick of telling them and sick of the long, circular conversations that followed.

Lily- Which, of course, will have been the same conversations over and over again, only with small changes in what they say.

Harry- …Yeah, pretty much.

"Riddle might have got the wrong person," said Hermione. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people…."

Peter- how many monsters can there possibly be in Hogwarts?

Harry- You’d be surprised.

"How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?" Ron asked dully.

"We always knew Hagrid had been expelled," said Harry miserably. "And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have got his award."

Ron tried a different tack.

"Riddle does sound like Percy–who asked him to squeal on Hagrid, anyway?"

Lily- Well someone died, of course he had to say something!

Draco- (to Harry) And you wonder why I don’t like him.

Harry- Shut up.

"But the monster had killed someone, Ron," said Hermione.

Lily- Exactly.

"And Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage if they closed Hogwarts," said Harry. "I don't blame him for wanting to stay here….”

Peter- Point there. Orphanages aren’t especially wonderful places.

Lily- ::winces:: Some of them are just plain horrible.

Harry- ::nods::

Others- … ::shrug::

"You met Hagrid down Knockturn Alley, didn't you, Harry?"

"He was buying a Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent,"

          Peter- Though why they were eating the cabbages we still haven’t figured out.

 said Harry quickly.

The three of them fell silent. After a long pause, Hermione voiced the knottiest question of all in a hesitant voice.

"Do you think we should go and ask Hagrid about it all?"

Sirius- That’d be nice. “Hagrid, have you been playing with the Chamber of Secrets again?”

“That'd be a cheerful visit,” said Ron. “‘Hello, Hagrid. Tell us, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately?’”

Sirius- …I’ve really gotta stop doing that.

In the end, they decided that they would not say anything to Hagrid unless there was another attack, and as more and more days went by with no whisper from the disembodied voice, they became hopeful that they would never need to talk to him about why he had been expelled.

          Sirius- How soon until you talk to him?

          Harry- a few months

 It was now nearly four months since Justin and Nearly Headless Nick had been Petrified, and nearly everybody seemed to think that the attacker, whoever it was, had retired for good.

          Sirius- “Ah, screw it. I can’t get anyone killed, I give up.”

          Others- ::snicker::

 Peeves had finally got bored of his "Oh, Potter, you rotter"

          Lily- And how long did this take?

 song, Ernie Macmillan asked Harry quite politely to pass a bucket of leaping toadstools in Herbology one day,

          Peter- Politely? We’re finally getting somewhere, I see.

 and in March several of the Mandrakes threw a loud and raucous party in greenhouse three.

          James- Ooh! Can we throw a party?

          Remus- NO! Your mother would kill us!

          James- …Ah. Right.

 This made Professor Sprout very happy.

"The moment they start trying to move into each other's pots, we'll know they're fully mature,"

          Peter- Those things are way to human.

 she told Harry. "Then we'll be able to revive those poor people in the hospital wing."

 

The second years were given something new to think about during their Easter holidays. The time had come to choose their subjects for the third year,

          Sirius- Care of Magical Creatures is always good. Outside all the time and everything.

          James- I rather like Divinations. It’s an easy class—you can just make everything up.

          Destiny- Now that’s not right! He shouldn’t take Divinations, he hasn’t got the proper aura for it! And you don’t either, now I think about it.

          Lily- I agree. Divinations is useless for you. Ancient Runes or Arithmancy would be better.

          Destiny- …Arithmancy is a form of Divination.

          Lily- But it’s not like all that junk you usually do…crystal balls and stuff. It’s got all these rules and stuff, it’s really very strict. It all makes perfect sense.

          Destiny- So do crystal balls and tea leaves and everything if you’ve got the right abilities. I don’t do that kind of stuff often, you know. I haven’t got the proper abilities for that, I just stick with auras. Usually.

          Lily- …How do auras work, exactly?

          Destiny- Well—

          James- No, don’t! Please, not right now! I want to finish the book some time this year!

          Lily/Destiny- ::pout::

          James- I don’t know why you want to know, anyway. You don’t believe the stuff.

          Lily- …So? Does that mean I can’t want to learn something new?

          James- Well, no, but….

          Lily- Well then. But let’s get back to the book anyway.

          James- Thank you!

 a matter that Hermione, at least, took very seriously.

"It could affect our whole future," she told Harry and Ron as they pored over lists of new subjects, marking them with checks.

Remus- How many new subjects did you have?

Harry- … ::shrugs:: Draco?

Draco- No idea. Never bothered to count.

"I just want to give up Potions," said Harry.

"We can't," said Ron gloomily. "We keep all our old subjects, or I'd've ditched Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Sirius- Cheers.

"But that's very important!" said Hermione, shocked.

"Not the way Lockhart teaches it," said Ron. "I haven't learned anything from him except not to set pixies loose."

Peter- But that’s a very important lesson to learn.

Neville Longbottom had been sent letters from all the witches and wizards in his family, all giving him different advice on what to choose. Confused and worried, he sat reading the subject lists with his tongue poking out, asking people whether they thought Arithmancy sounded more difficult than the study of Ancient Runes.

          Draco- They’re both about as hard as the other. Arithmancy is more fun, though.

 Dean Thomas, who, like Harry, had grown up with Muggles, ended up closing his eyes and jabbing his wand at the list, then picking the subjects it landed on.

          Peter- …I should’ve tried that.

          Sirius- No, it’s better that you took the same classes as us, you know, since you do need the help occasionally.

          Peter- ::sighs:: All the time, you mean. I wouldn’t be in school still if it weren’t for you.

          James- ::looks uncomfortable:: That’s not true…. You’d still have passed….

          Peter- No I wouldn’t. Now, next subject, please?

          James- I…all right. Harry?

          Harry- Yup. Reading.

 Hermione took nobody's advice but signed up for everything.

          Lily- Oh, now there’s no way she could possibly do that.

          Harry- Yes there is.

          Lily- …How?

          Harry- You’ll see. Next book.

Harry smiled grimly to himself at the thought of what Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would say if he tried to discuss his career in wizardry with them.

          Lily- Probably to stop doing that unnatural stuff and be normal like everyone else…or something.

 Not that he didn't get any guidance: Percy Weasley was eager to share his experience.

"Depends where you want to go, Harry," he said. "It's never too early to think about the future, so I’d recommend Divination.

          James- Um…no, not really.

 People say Muggle Studies is a soft option,

          Sirius- Soft? Muggles are confusing.

          James- No kidding.

          Harry- ::shrugs:: Most of them make perfect sense to me.

          Lily- Obvious family excepted.

 but I personally think wizards should have a thorough understanding of the non-magical community,

          Lily- Especially if they’re thinking of going to war with them.

          Harry- Yeah. Nuclear weapons are messy.

          James- …What’re they?

          Lily- Really, really big bombs. Extremely dangerous. If they decided to attack us, we wouldn’t be able to defend against them.

          James- ::laughs:: That’s ridiculous!

          Lily- ::rolls eyes:: Forget it, James.

 particularly if they're thinking of working in close contact with them—look at my father, he has to deal with Muggle business all the time. My brother Charlie was always more of an outdoor type, so he went for Care of Magical Creatures. Play to your strengths, Harry."

          Harry- Wish they had some form of advanced flying class.

          Sirius/James- ::grin:: Yeah. That would be nice.

          Others- ::roll their eyes::

But the only thing Harry felt he was really good at was Quidditch. In the end, he chose the same new subjects as Ron, feeling that if he was lousy at them, at least he'd have someone friendly to help him.

Peter- Unless, of course, Ron was lousy at them too.

Remus- That’s the most likely thing to happen.

Sirius- Pessimist.

Remus- And proud of it!

 

Gryffindor's next Quidditch match would be against Hufflepuff.

          Sirius/Remus/James- Boring!

 Wood was insisting on team practices every night after dinner, so that Harry barely had time for anything but Quidditch and homework. However, the training sessions were getting better, or at least drier,

          Sirius- Being wet is more fun!

          Harry- I’m a Seeker, though. The last thing I need is all the extra weight from having wet robes.

          James- Wet robes may be fine for beaters, Siri, but not for anyone else.

          Sirius- ::pouts::

 and the evening before Saturday's match he went up to his dormitory to drop off his broomstick feeling Gryffindor's chances for the Quidditch cup had never been better.

          Sirius/James/Remus- HEY!

          Harry- As in, since I started playing.

          Sirius/James/Remus- Oh. Right.

          Harry- ::rolls his eyes::

But his cheerful mood didn't last long. At the top of the stairs to the dormitory, he met Neville Longbottom, who was looking frantic.

Peter- Harry, I’ve lost Trevor again! And…I think he got into your stuff…because, well….

Sirius- ::grins:: Harry sprinted to the door and threw it open. Sitting in the middle of his trunk was a very ugly human, broken pieces of glass scattered around it.

          “Ah…Neville…,” Harry began slowly, uncertain of how to put what he had to say. “I…uh…don’t think that could possibly be Trevor…. That is, unless Trevor is a girl. That thing’s got breasts.”

          “Oh, I know that,” Neville returned. “Trevor’s a girl’s name, after all.”

          Harry, not knowing what to say to that, simply turned and stared blankly at the pudgy boy behind him.

Remus- Okay, okay, that’s enough, Sirius!

Sirius- What took you so long?

Remus- I was wondering how stupid you would get that time.

Sirius- …How bad was it?

Remus- If you ever say anything like that again, I’ll kill you.

Sirius- ::grins:: Perfect.

"Harry—I don't know who did it—I just found—"

Watching Harry fearfully, Neville pushed open the door.

The contents of Harry's trunk had been thrown everywhere.

          Sirius- …I already like my version better.

          James- Yeah, me too.

 His cloak lay ripped on the floor. The bedclothes had been pulled off his four-poster and the drawer had been pulled out of his bedside cabinet, the contents strewn over the mattress.

Harry walked over to the bed, open-mouthed, treading on a few loose pages of Travels with Trolls. As he and Neville pulled the blankets back onto his bed, Ron, Dean, and Seamus came in. Dean swore loudly.

Destiny- Shame on him.

Sirius- ::snorts:: Yeah, like you’re any better?

Destiny- …Point being?

"What happened, Harry?"

"No idea," said Harry. But Ron was examining Harry's robes.

          Peter- And was wondering why he couldn’t get robes that pretty.

 All the pockets were hanging out.

"Someone's been looking for something," said Ron. "Is there anything missing?"

Remus- The diary, I’ll bet.

Harry started to pick up all his things and throw them into his trunk. It was only as he threw the last of the Lockhart books back into it that he realized what wasn't there.

"Riddle's diary's gone,"

          Remus- See?

          Sirius- Yes, we all know you’re a genius already, Rem, stop rubbing it in.

          Remus- ::grins::

 he said in an undertone to Ron.

"What?"

Harry jerked his head toward the dormitory door and Ron followed him out. They hurried down to the Gryffindor common room, which was half-empty, and joined Hermione, who was sitting alone, reading a book called Ancient Runes Made Easy.

All but Lily- ::groan::

Draco- Couldn’t she have at least waited until the next year to get any books?

James- How’d she get it anyway?

Lily- The library…as you would have known if you’d ever gone there.

James- …But why would I?

Lily- ::rolls her eyes::

Hermione looked aghast

          Sirius- Aghast. I love that word.

          Others- ::look at Sirius strangely::

          Sirius- …What?

 at the news.

"But—only a Gryffindor could have stolen—nobody else knows our password—"

"Exactly," said Harry.

 

They woke the next day to brilliant sunshine and a light, refreshing breeze.

Remus- Perfect conditions then.

Sirius- Sun might be a bit too bright, though.

Harry- Not really.

"Perfect Quidditch conditions!" said Wood enthusiastically at the Gryffindor table, loading the team's plates with scrambled eggs. "Harry, buck up there, you need a decent breakfast."

James- He’s too busy thinking about the diary that was stolen from him.

Sirius- And wondering who knows how to use it properly.

Peter- And who in their right mind would want to steal something from him.

Harry had been staring down the packed Gryffindor table, wondering if the new owner

          Remus- Actually, the person that has the diary now is likely to be the person that had thrown it down the toilet. It was probably someone that was around Harry on Valentine’s Day…they may have seen it and decided it was too dangerous for him to have it.

          Harry- …You’re too smart for your own good, Remus.

          Remus- ::pouts::

 of Riddle's diary was right in front of his eyes.

          All- Yes.

 Hermione had been urging him to report the robbery, but Harry didn't like the idea.

          Sirius- Yeah, because he’d have to tell why it was so important.

          James- And how he got it.

          Peter- And what he was doing in a girls’ bathroom to begin with.

 He'd have to tell a teacher all about the diary, and how many people knew why Hagrid had been expelled fifty years ago? He didn't want to be the one who brought it all up again.

          Sirius- Why not? The death of Myrtle must’ve been a very happy thing.

          Lily- SIRIUS!

          Sirius- …

As he left the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione to go and collect his Quidditch things, another very serious worry was added to Harry's growing list.

          Sirius- Oh no.

          James- The voice is back again, isn’t it?

 He had just set foot on the marble staircase when he heard it yet again—

"Kill this time…let me rip…tear…"

James- Can I kill the stupid voice? It’s annoying.

He shouted aloud and Ron and Hermione both jumped away from him in alarm.

"The voice!" said Harry, looking over his shoulder. "I just heard it again—didn't you?"

Sirius- Basilisk!

Ron shook his head, wide-eyed. Hermione, however, clapped a hand to her forehead.

Sirius- See? Hermione’s finally realized it too!

"Harry—I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!"

Sirius- …What for? She already knows….

And she sprinted away, up the stairs.

"What does she understand?" said Harry distractedly, still looking around, trying to tell where the voice had come from.

Peter- A lot more than you do, obviously.

"Loads more than I do," said Ron, shaking his head.

Peter- Exactly.

"But why's she got to go to the library?"

Sirius- The Potter Stupidity Gene is back in action!

James- ::smacks Sirius::

"Because that's what Hermione does," said Ron, shrugging. "When in doubt, go to the library."

Harry stood, irresolute, trying to catch the voice again, but people were now emerging from the Great Hall behind him, talking loudly, exiting through the front doors on their way to the Quidditch pitch.

"You'd better get moving," said Ron. "It's nearly eleven—the match—"

Harry raced up to Gryffindor Tower, collected his Nimbus Two Thousand, and joined the large crowd swarming across the grounds, but his mind was still in the castle along with the bodiless voice,

          Remus- Explains the Stupidity Gene coming back. The voice stole his mind.

          James- ::smacks Remus::

 and as he pulled on his scarlet robes in the locker room, his only comfort was that everyone was now outside to watch the game.

          Remus- With the exception of Hermione who is, of course, now in the library.

          Sirius- Yay! More petrification!

The teams walked onto the field to tumultuous applause. Oliver Wood took off for a warm-up flight around the goal posts; Madam Hooch released the balls. The Hufflepuffs, who played in canary yellow,

          Peter- No kidding?

 were standing in a huddle, having a last-minute discussion of tactics.

Harry was just mounting his broom when Professor McGonagall came half marching, half running

          Destiny- Is that even possible?

          Marauders- Yes.

          Destiny- …I’m not going to ask.

 across the pitch, carrying an enormous purple megaphone.

Harry's heart dropped like a stone.

Sirius- And a really big one at that.

"This match has been cancelled,"

          James- Stupid McGonagall. Who cares if someone’s been petrified? Wait until after the game, and then tell everyone!

          Sirius- Yeah!

          Remus- … ::smacks James and Sirius::

          James/Sirius- Ow! Hey!

 Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium. There were boos and shouts. Oliver Wood, looking devastated, landed and ran toward Professor McGonagall without getting off his broomstick.

          All- ::snicker::

"But, Professor!" he shouted. "We've got to play—the cup—Gryffindor—"

Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout through her megaphone:

"All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"

Then she lowered the megaphone and beckoned Harry over to her.

"Potter, I think you'd better come with me….”

Sirius- What? Hey! Why’s he suspected again!?

Remus- Maybe he isn’t. Hermione, remember? He’d be notified about Hermione first, wouldn’t he, being her best friend and all.

Sirius- …Right. I knew that.

Wondering how she could possibly suspect him this time, Harry saw Ron detach himself from the complaining crowd; he came running up to them as they set off toward the castle. To Harry's surprise, Professor McGonagall didn't object.

James- Well, that settles it. Hermione’s definitely been petrified then.

"Yes, perhaps you'd better come, too, Weasley….”

Some of the students swarming around them were grumbling about the match being canceled; others looked worried. Harry and Ron followed Professor McGonagall back into the school and up the marble staircase. But they weren't taken to anybody's office this time.

"This will be a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the infirmary. "There has been another attack…another double attack."

Remus- But who else has been petrified this time?

Sirius- Hopefully Draco.

Draco- ::pouts::

Harry's insides did a horrible somersault.

          Draco- Interesting how your insides know all these acrobatics.

          Harry- ::shrugs:: Hey, I’m not the one describing this.

 Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and he and Ron entered.

Madam Pomfrey was bending over a fifth-year girl with long, curly hair.

          Sirius- Damn. Not Draco then.

 Harry recognized her as the Ravenclaw they'd accidentally asked for directions to the Slytherin common room. And on the bed next to her was—

"Hermione!" Ron groaned.

Sirius- Gasp. Shock.

Hermione lay utterly still, her eyes open and glassy.

"They were found near the library," said Professor McGonagall. "I don't suppose either of you can explain this? It was on the floor next to them….”

She was holding up a small, circular mirror.

Sirius- Basilisk.

Harry- You know, that would have been helpful if we could actually hear you.

Harry and Ron shook their heads, both staring at Hermione.

"I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower," said Professor McGonagall heavily. "I need to address the students in any case.”

 

"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening.

          James- ::winces:: Gees, that’s early.

 No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher.

          Sirius- You mean you have to let a teacher watch you pee!?

          Remus- Stalls, Sirius.

          Sirius- Oh yeah.

 All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed.

          Harry- Or to be canceled, actually.

          Sirius/James- ::groan::

 There will be no more evening activities."

The Gryffindors packed inside the common room listened to Professor McGonagall in silence.

          Draco- A miracle in itself.

          Harry- ::elbows Draco::

 She rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading and said in a somewhat choked voice, "I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."

          Lily- ::pokes Harry::

          Harry- Oh no. No way was I going to say anything.

She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and the Gryffindors began talking immediately.

"That's two Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff, " said the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan, counting on his fingers.

          Draco- Because it was obviously too hard for him to count in his head.

 "Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin—why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?"

          Harry- Because that wouldn’t work.

 he roared, to nods and scattered applause.

Percy Weasley was sitting in a chair behind Lee, but for once he didn't seem keen to make his views heard. He was looking pale and stunned.

"Percy's in shock," George told Harry quietly. "That Ravenclaw girl—Penelope Clearwater—

          Draco- Ha! Knew it was Clearwater!

she's a prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a prefect."

          Draco- People with positions of authority can be so blind sometimes.

But Harry was only half-listening. He didn't seem to be able to get rid of the picture of Hermione, lying on the hospital bed as though carved out of stone.

          Sirius- Which, being petrified and all, she might as well have been.

 And if the culprit wasn't caught soon, he was looking at a lifetime back with the Dursleys.

          All- ::wince::

 Tom Riddle had turned Hagrid in because he was faced with the prospect of a Muggle orphanage if the school closed. Harry now knew exactly how he had felt.

          Draco- Well, time to turn Hagrid in!

          Harry- No, time to talk to Hagrid.

"What're we going to do?" said Ron quietly in Harry's ear. "D'you think they suspect Hagrid?"

"We've got to go and talk to him," said Harry, making up his mind. "I can't believe it's him this time, but if he set the monster loose last time he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that's a start."

James- …That’s actually a good point.

Remus- Evans Intelligence Gene, definitely.

James- ::smacks Remus::

"But McGonagall said we've got to stay in our tower unless we're in class—"

"I think," said Harry, more quietly still, "it's time to get my dad's old cloak out again."

James- About time you’re using it!

Harry- Oh, shut up.

 

Harry had inherited just one thing from his father: a long and silvery Invisibility Cloak.

          Destiny- ::grins:: Those things are really pretty.

 It was their only chance of sneaking out of the school to visit Hagrid without anyone knowing about it. They went to bed at the usual time, waited until Neville, Dean, and Seamus had stopped discussing the Chamber of Secrets and finally fallen asleep, then got up, dressed again, and threw the cloak over themselves.

          Sirius- You must be pretty quiet to do that.

          Harry- ::shrugs:: Wouldn’t matter either way. Neville’s snores would have drowned any noise we made out.

          Others- ::snicker::

The journey through the dark and deserted castle corridors wasn't enjoyable.

          Sirius- Harry had forgotten to put his glasses back on and consequently kept running into walls.

 Harry, who had wandered the castle at night several times before, had never seen it so crowded after sunset. Teachers, prefects, and ghosts were marching the corridors in pairs, staring around for any unusual activity. Their Invisibility Cloak didn't stop them making any noise, and there was a particularly tense moment when Ron stubbed his toe only yards from the spot where Snape stood standing guard.

          Sirius- I wonder which unfortunate soul got stuck with him?

 Thankfully, Snape sneezed at almost exactly the moment Ron swore. It was with relief that they reached the oak front doors and eased them open.

It was a clear, starry night. They hurried toward the lit windows of Hagrid's house and pulled off the cloak only when they were right outside his front door.

Seconds after they had knocked, Hagrid flung it open. They found themselves face-to-face

          Harry- More like face-to-knees.

 with him aiming a crossbow at them. Fang the boarhound barked loudly behind him.

"Oh," he said, lowering the weapon and staring at them. "What're you two doin' here?"

Remus- Having fun breaking the rules, what else?

"What's that for?" said Harry, pointing at the crossbow as they stepped inside.

"Nothin'—nothin'—" Hagrid muttered. "I've bin expectin'—doesn' matter—Sit down—I'll make tea—"

He hardly seemed to know what he was doing. He nearly extinguished the fire, spilling water from the kettle on it, and then smashed the teapot with a nervous jerk of his massive hand.

Remus- He’s definitely in trouble.

"Are you okay, Hagrid?" said Harry. "Did you hear about Hermione?"

"Oh, I heard, all righ'," said Hagrid, a slight break in his voice.

He kept glancing nervously at the windows. He poured them both large mugs of boiling water (he had forgotten to add tea bags)

          All- ::snicker::

 and was just putting a slab of fruitcake on a plate when there was a loud knock on the door.

Hagrid dropped the fruitcake. Harry and Ron exchanged panic-stricken looks, then threw the Invisibility Cloak back over themselves and retreated into a corner. Hagrid checked that they were hidden, seized his crossbow, and flung open his door once more.

"Good evening, Hagrid."

It was Dumbledore.

          James- Must be nice pointing a loaded weapon at your boss, huh?

 He entered, looking deadly serious, and was followed by a second, very odd-looking man.

The stranger had rumpled gray hair and an anxious expression, and was wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots. Under his arm he carried a lime-green bowler.

Sirius- ::groans:: Lime green? Does this guy know how to match?

"That's Dad's boss!" Ron breathed. "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!"

Remus- Talking not a good idea.

Harry elbowed Ron hard to make him shut up.

Hagrid had gone pale and sweaty. He dropped into one of his chairs and looked from Dumbledore to Cornelius Fudge.

"Bad business, Hagrid," said Fudge in rather clipped tones. "Very bad business. Had to come. Four attacks on Muggle-borns. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act."

Peter- But he couldn’t have done it! It can’t be his fault!

"I never," said Hagrid, looking imploringly at Dumbledore. "You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir—"

"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence,"

          James- Okay, settled. Hagrid never killed anyone.

 said Dumbledore, frowning at Fudge.

"Look, Albus," said Fudge, uncomfortably. "Hagrid's record's against him. Ministry's got to do something—the school governors have been in touch—"

"Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest," said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were full of a fire Harry had never seen before.

Sirius- RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! DUMBLEDORE’S GONNA BLOW!

James/Remus- ::smack Sirius::

Sirius- Ow! ::glares at them::

"Look at it from my point of view," said Fudge, fidgeting with his bowler. "I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something. If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him. Got to. Wouldn't be doing my duty—"

Lily- Of course not. You’ll just take away Hagrid and assume everything’s fine and give up on trying to fix it.

Destiny- ::shrugs:: Governments suck.

"Take me?" said Hagrid, who was trembling. "Take me where?"

"For a short stretch only," said Fudge, not meeting Hagrid's eyes. "Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology—"

All but Destiny- Azkaban.

Destiny- Azkaban? That’s…some prison, right? Guarded by…Dementors?

Sirius- Yeah. That place.

Destiny- Oh. Oh dear. That’s…that’s just wrong!

Sirius- Yes, we know. We don’t like them either. Can we get back to the book now, please?

Destiny- ::nods::

"Not Azkaban?" croaked Hagrid.

Before Fudge could answer, there was another loud rap on the door.

Dumbledore answered it. It was Harry's turn for an elbow in the ribs; he'd let out an audible gasp.

Mr. Lucius Malfoy

          Sirius- ::growls::

          Other Marauders- ::look at him warily::

          Sirius- …Keep reading, Harry.

 strode into Hagrid's hut, swathed in a long black traveling cloak, smiling a cold and satisfied smile. Fang started to growl.

          Destiny- All dogs do have something in common then.

          Sirius- ::glares at Destiny::

"Already here, Fudge," he said approvingly. "Good, good…"

"What're you doin' here?" said Hagrid furiously. "Get outta my house!"

Peter- Er…cabin, actually. Houses have more than one room.

"My dear man, please believe me, I have no pleasure at all in being inside your—er—d'you call this a house?"

          Sirius- ::growls more::

 said Lucius Malfoy, sneering as he looked around the small cabin. "I simply called at the school and was told that the headmaster was here."

"And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?"

          Sirius- You know, that could be taken the wrong way….

          Others- Ew! Sirius!

          Sirius- ::grins::

 said Dumbledore. He spoke politely, but the fire was still blazing in his blue eyes.

"Dreadful thing, Dumbledore," said Malfoy lazily, taking out a long roll of parchment, "but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside.

          All but Harry/Draco- What?

          Sirius- NO! You can’t do that! Fucking bastard!

          James- Er…Siri, calm down. Please?

          Sirius- ::growls::

 This is an Order of Suspension—you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn't it? At this rate, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school."

          Sirius- ::still growling:: Yeah, like you fucking care.

"Oh, now, see here, Lucius," said Fudge, looking alarmed, "Dumbledore suspended—no, no—last thing we want just now—”

James- Go Fudge!

"The appointment—or suspension—of the headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy smoothly. "And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks—"

"See here, Malfoy, if Dumbledore can't stop them," said Fudge, whose upper lip was sweating now, "I mean to say, who can?"

Remus- Uh…good question.

"That remains to be seen," said Mr. Malfoy with a nasty smile. "But as all twelve of us have voted—"

Hagrid leapt to his feet, his shaggy black head grazing the ceiling.

'An' how many did yeh have ter threaten an' blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?" he roared.

Marauders- GO HAGRID!

"Dear, dear, you know, that temper of yours will lead you into trouble one of these days, Hagrid," said Mr. Malfoy. "I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that. They won't like it at all."

Sirius- ::goes back to growling::

"Yeh can' take Dumbledore!" yelled Hagrid, making Fang the boarhound cower and whimper in his basket.

          Peter- Not that you can blame him or anything.

 "Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! There'll be killin' next!"

          Lily- But Dumbledore was around the last time someone was killed….

"Calm yourself, Hagrid," said Dumbledore sharply. He looked at Lucius Malfoy.

"If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside—"

"But—" stuttered Fudge.

"No!" growled Hagrid.

Dumbledore had not taken his bright blue eyes off Lucius Malfoy's cold gray ones.

James- ::grins:: Staring contest!

"However," said Dumbledore, speaking very slowly and clearly so that none of them could miss a word, "you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.”

Sirius- WOO! GO DUMBLEDORE! YOU TELL HIM!

James- Siri, calm down!

Sirius- …Right. Sorry.

For a second, Harry was almost sure Dumbledore’s eyes flickered toward the corner where he and Ron stood hidden.

Remus- Well, that would make sense. He can see through the Cloak after all.

“Admirable sentiments,” said Malfoy, bowing. “We shall all miss your—er—highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope that your successor will manage to prevent any—ah—killins.”

          Remus- Nope, definitely not. Dumbledore’s gone, they’re all dead.

He strode to the cabin door, opened it, and bowed Dumbledore out. Fudge, fiddling with his bowler, waited for Hagrid to go ahead of him, but Hagrid stood his ground, took a deep breath, and said carefully, “If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, all they’d have ter do would be ter follow the spiders. That’d lead ‘em right! That’s all I’m sayin’.”

Fudge stared at him in amazement.

Sirius- (as Fudge thinking) This guys absolutely nuts!

“All right, I’m comin’,” said Hagrid, pulling on his moleskin overcoat. But as he was about to follow Fudge through the door, he stopped again and said loudly, “An’ someone’ll need ter feed Fang while I’m away.”

Lily- Don’t you think someone would realize that he’s talking to someone?

James- No. None of them no about the Cloak.

The door banged shut and Ron pulled off the Invisibility Cloak.

“We’re in trouble now,” he said hoarsely. “No Dumbledore. They might as well close the school tonight. There’ll be an attack a day with him gone.”

Sirius- How true.

Fang started howling, scratching at the closed door.

Sirius/Remus- ::howl::

James- ::smacks Sirius/Remus:: You don’t need to do that, we already know what howling sounds like!

Sirius- ::grins:: But it’s more interesting when we do it!

James- ::rolls his eyes:: You’re an idiot, Siri.

Sirius- HEY!

James- Harry? Next?

Harry- Yup. That was the end of the chapter, so….

 

(1) Yay for not having numbers in the actual fic! But anyway. Do I have enough Peter in now? I tried to make him say a lot more, but….

(2) Am really sorry about the loooooooooong delay…I’ve been in a bit of a writing slump lately. Don’t worry, though, I think I’m coming out of it now. That’s not to say MSB will be out WAY quicker, that’s to say I might actually update one of my other fics soon too. ^-^

(3) For Kel, who has clarified her gender: First, thanks for the clarification. On both thingss. Second, I’ll be trying my best to keep her from the whole MS thing, including her being too friendly with the Marauders. Humor fic this may be, I’m obviously still trying to keep some form of realism. But that’s only because I’ve got that sequel coming up. If I didn’t have the sequel, and this was all being done simply for humor with plot holes galore, Destiny wouldn’t even be here, so…. Third, yes, she does need those powers, and, yes, it is crucial for the plot. Granted, I could probably find some other way of doing it, but I rather like this way. And while I do think it’s cool, that’s definitely not the sole reason for her having the power. You’ll see come the end of the third book. As for the joking around with her power, you’ll find the Destiny is very serious in how she uses it, as seen at the beginning of this chapter. As far as not being snatched up by a ministry, keep in mind that she is still fifteen years old. She’s not yet a legal adult in the wizarding world, and people are more protective of children in this time then they were a long time ago. I do believe that the wizards have changed a bit, at least, owing to the influence of Muggle-born magic-users. It is also quite possible that she would do her best to keep her powers hidden from any government so as not to be forced into a highly dangerous job once she is a legal adult. Mind, that would be extremely difficult, especially if a government already had an aura-seer working for them. You never can tell, now, can you? Fourth, you’re welcome. I do feel it necessary to clear up any question someone might have about my work. I’m not sure why, though…. Oh well. And fifth, Harry- ::shakes his head:: No. The truce says no commenting on anything we did to antagonize each other. That line was referring to the dementor costumes Draco and co. donned in third year to scare Harry during the Quidditch match.

(4) And to Lunarian Amethyst: Calm down, I have a life, you know. …At least, I think I do. And by moot I mean that the questions that were formerly in those places no longer have any importance. Or something like that. ::shrugs:: I’ve never bothered to actually look moot up in the dictionary, but I’m pretty sure it means something to that effect.

Chapter Fifteen