Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: The characters of this fiction are borrowed and used as a tribute to the wonderful world created by J.K. Rowling. They're not mine, never were and never will be. No money is being made on this either.

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Several weeks went by. Halloween came and went, and the shock everyone had received from Daniel Cody's death had diminished. Slytherin were supposed to go up against Hufflepuff in Quidditch, but because of his injury, Draco Malfoy could not play. Most of the students, especially Harry and Ron who had been present at the incident admitted that Malfoy's accident were severe, yet many of them couldn't help but to doubt Malfoy's sincerity. Madam Pomfrey was one of the best healers the Wizard world had ever seen; she was an expert with curing accidents and magical maladies. But Draco Malfoy had been known to simulate an extensive healing-process before, therefore there were many who suspected that the Slytherin Quidditch-team used this as an excuse to sit back and study the other teams until they considered themselves ready for a new game.

Gryffindor went up against Hufflepuff instead, which resulted in a crushing defeat for the latter. Ginny's girl-team, who still could taste their first victory, had grown more confident on their brooms and the team spirit were on the top now that everyone had grown accosted to each other. The same thing could not be said for the Hufflepuff's since it was their first game to Gryffindor's second, and the match ended with 230 points to ten when Harry caught the snitch. The Hufflepuff seeker hadn't even spotted it. The celebration-party afterwards had been so exuberant that Hermione had no choice but to fetch Professor McGonagall to end it. Hermione had insistent that it was for the sake of the younger students who needed to sleep, but that didn't make her less unpopular for about two days afterwards.
Life at Hogwarts had gone back to normal.

The weather in the middle of November wasn't all that pleasant. It was cold, misty and quite much rain. The boring weather gave a gloomy atmosphere in the castle, there weren't many happy expressions plastered on the students faces at the moment. Harry's owl Hedwig looked very angry when she flew into the Gryffindor common room one Sunday, she was cold and wet. Harry had begun to send letters to Remus Lupin every second week to tell him about his health, and Harry wanted updates on Voldemort's whereabouts. Hedwig was usually happy to fly letters now and then, but she did not enjoy rough storms. Therefore she delivered Lupin's latest reply and then escaped the common room before her master would get the idea of sending her out again.

Lupin only sent his usual bests to him and Ron and Hermione, having nothing to give him about what Voldemort was up to. It actually worried Harry that the Dark Lord kept quiet rather than announcing his presence now that it was public knowledge that he had returned. Harry hadn't felt a single tingle in his scar since the night in the Ministry, and his gut feeling told him that it was a bad omen that Voldemort laid low like this.
Ron walked in with an unreadable expression on his face, but his walk told Harry that Ron was a little upset about something.
'Just finished my patrol.' He said as he sat down. 'I happened to spy Hermione in a side-corridor. Guess what?'
Harry shook his head.
'Krum, that sour-puss, has begun to approach her again.' Ron said. 'I saw them speaking on what looked like pleasant terms with each other.'

Harry wasn't sure how he felt about this information. Krum had never bothered him before, but having him back at Hogwarts still gave an unpleasant sensation since no one knew why he's taken employment under Professor Malfoy. Viktor Krum was after all a Quidditch player for Bulgaria, therefore working as a personal assistant for somebody didn't seem like his style.
'What is there we can say about it?' Harry finally said. 'It's Hermione's business who she's willing to talk with.'
'I don't trust him!' Ron said. 'He hangs around most lessons we have doing nothing. I feel like he's spying on us… or like he's trying to be with Hermione as much as he can.'
'Maybe there is something between them…' Harry mumbled.
'Well, she certainly can do better than him!' Ron exclaimed. 'I mean, he's not even good-looking! What does she see in him; she's never cared for somebody who's famous before? Well, if you don't count Gilderoy Lockhart. Can't believe she fancied that idiot.'
'…Ahem…' Harry coughed, looking at the top of Ron's head.

'All right, we were all twelve, but she mooned over him like a giggling eight-year old.' Ron continued. 'And she didn't even like Krum at first, but then he came and asked her to the Yule-ball, and then suddenly there was no problem!'
'…Ahem…' Harry coughed again, still looking at the top of Ron's head.
'Do you remember what Rita Skeeter wrote after the second task? "He never felt this way about another girl."' Ron used a higher pitch with his voice as he said this. '"He has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays." What a git!'
'…Ahem…' Harry coughed louder.
'You should go to Madam Pomfrey and fetch a cough drop Harry.' Ron said vaguely. 'Anyway, I'm glad the you-know-what came up and whisked us away to Nr. Twelve you-know-where, so that she didn't have time to go to Bulgaria. She has better things to do than spending time with that low-life Krum.'

'…Ahem…'
'Have you got something stuck in your throat Harry? You should drink some water.'
Harry didn't answer, he only stared on top of Ron's head.
'What, have I got hair standing up?' Ron asked. 'I can't have, I combed it this mor… She's standing behind me, isn't she?'
'Yep.' Harry sighed as he finally averted his eyes.
'Rats.' Ron mumbled without turning around. Harry thought it was a good thing he didn't, because the poseur Hermione was holding: arms crossed high above her chest, very thin lips and with fire in her narrowed eyes, could possibly make anyone want to sink through the floor to get away.
'At least that git Krum knows how to treat a woman.' Hermione said with a calm voice that did not belong to her facial expression. 'For example: he doesn't try to take a girl in his possession and spread lies about having a relationship with that particular one.'
'I already said I was sorry…' Ron mumbled almost inaudibly.

'He has never told me what I ought to do with my free time either, and so far at least he has treated me with respect… unlike others!'
Ron's face bloomed scarlet at those words.
'Yet it's true that I have better things to do with my time… therefore I should stop wasting it by being around an ungrateful, disrespectful, selfish and insufferable moron like you!' Hermione then stormed up to her dormitory, and again slammed the door so hard that the whole tower shook.
'Never realised I dug that hole so deep… and I just dug it even deeper.' Ron mumbled, putting his face in his hands. 'Merlin, what was I thinking? Why did I do it?' He looked up to Harry. 'Do you think she'll ever want to be my friend again?'
Harry didn't answer. He didn't dare to.

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Some days later the Gryffindor's sat and ate breakfast. Harry had just had a morning-chat (and some kisses) with Cho and was now going through some last-minute notes for today's lessons only barely noticing that Ron and Hermione had not come down yet. That was when Ginny walked up to him. She looked troubled.
'Harry. Can I have a minute?'
'What's up, Ginny?' Harry asked.
'Outside please.' She said, throwing a thumb towards a corridor outside the Great Hall. Bewildered, Harry got up and followed her out. Once in the corridor, Ginny looked around to see that they were alone before she spoke.
'All right, it's a precaution since I have no idea how many people there is who knows about your Marauders-map.'
'My map?' Harry asked even more bewildered.
'Yes. I need to borrow it for today.'
'Why?'
'My fellow prefect; Lucas Pamir, has disappeared.'

'What? Are you sure?'
'I'm afraid so.' Ginny said sadly. 'He was supposed to join me at Prefects patrol yesterday evening, but he never showed up. And this morning Colin Creevey told me that Lucas did not sleep in his bed last night. And no one has seen him since our Care for Magical Creatures yesterday.'
'How you told Professor McGonagall?' Harry asked.
'Of course. All the Prefects and Filch are even now searching the castle for him, but he must've stumbled across a secret passageway we don't know about. Then I came to think about your map, it could help us find him faster if he's here somewhere. So if I can…'
'Sure. C'mon, let's go fetch it.' Harry said and they walked back to the Gryffindor Tower. But had Ginny hoped to find her missing classmate on the map, she became very disappointed after Harry had retrieved his map from his trunk and unfolded it on the table.

'I'm sorry Ginny.' Harry said after a while. 'Wherever he's gone, he's no longer within Hogwarts premises. There's no sign of him on the map.'
'Could he somehow have found his way down the Chamber of Secrets? That's not on the map.'
'No way. No one can get down there except Voldemort and me. And you know that.'
'Yeah, I know.' Ginny sighed. She had shuddered when Harry had said the name, but she didn't make any point of that. 'Then we can just hope he's down at Hogsmeade for some reason. But wherever he is, McGonagall is going to be very angry once he shows up.'
'Wouldn't want to be in his shoes…' Harry muttered.

The Gryffindor's passed the mixed Transfiguration & Charms lessons. After lunch they had Herbology before their last lesson of the day, which was Care for Magical Creatures. They had all brought their flowerpots they'd done during their Elements-lessons for Professor Sprout to examine and evaluate. Hermione's and Neville's plants had already begun to grow, Neville was extremely proud because he'd managed to breed his Mimbulus mimbletonia, a plant Harry had some unpleasant experiences with and was therefore not so very fond of. Harry and Ron's plants weren't all that comfortable in the soil they'd transfigured, but those at least were still alive. Lavender and Dean looked quite miffed when Sprout told them that their seeds had withered and died in their badly transfigured soil.

They were then working over some large water-filled tubs were Sprout were growing water-plants like Gillyweed and other water-based grass with magical properties. They were to remove algae-coats and leaves that had grown dead. At first it looked like Harry and Ron had a tub of their own, because Hermione was now so mad at Ron that she was a bit reluctant to even work close to Harry, but they were soon joined by Neville.
'He's nuts.' Neville mumbled, shaking his head.
'Who is?' Ron asked.
'Justin Finch-Fletchley.' Neville said. 'Can you believe it? Do you know what kind of plant he's growing in our Elements-lessons?'
'No idea.' Harry shrugged.
'Not a Devil's snare I hope.' Ron joked.
'No, but close.' Neville said. 'He's growing a Venomous Tentacula. Those things's comes with teeth and long feelers that can be nasty if you're not aware of what you're doing.'

'Why would he want to grow a plant like that?' Harry asked as he fished up a fist-full of algae.
'Well, he says that they got problems with flies in the Hufflepuff dormitories during the summers. He wants to use it as a fly-catcher.' Neville shook his head again. 'Sprout shouldn't let him grow it; they can get quite uncontrollable if it grows too fast. Tentaculas must be grown slowly, or they become wild. And I'm talking behaviour-like here.'
From what Harry and Ron knew about Justin Finch-Fletchley, they tried to assure Neville that the Hufflepuff student probably knew what he was doing, because he too had good grades in Herbology. At the end of the lesson, they had forgotten about the whole thing.

Harry, Ron and Hermione (who was walking far behind) was among the first as usual to walk down to Hagrid's Hut for their Care for Magical Creatures, no one else were so eager to have those lessons. Harry knocked on Hagrid's door, but no reply came. Not even Fang gave any enthusiastic barks.
'Isn't he here?' Ron asked.
'Maybe…' Harry pondered. 'Maybe he's in the forest some reason. I heard rumours that something strange is going on in there.'
'Like what?' Ron asked. 'Has the Centaurs gone on revolt or something?'
'That's one of the rumours.' Harry said. 'Some even says that there's been an invasion of Acromantulas.'
Ron croaked. Both he and Harry knew about the Acromantula nest deep within the forest, but Aragog and his family of giant spiders usually stayed there. If something though had stirred them up to make them leave their nest and seek new hunting grounds near Hogwarts, Ron would take the next train home.

The sounds of snapping twigs made all three of them turn around and look into the forest, Ron fearing the worst. But they all relaxed when they saw Hagrid emerge with his boarhound Fang close behind him. But their relaxed state grew into concern when they saw that Hagrid looked quite upset: he was wild-eyed and he trembled all over. His eyes were so fixed on the castle so he didn't even see the three and he quickly walked that way.
'Hagrid!' Harry called out to him. Hagrid jumped and spun around, facing the three. He actually suddenly looked relieved.
'Hermione! Ron!' He boomed. 'D'ank 'eavens yeh two are all righ'!' All three of them looked at each other bewildered. Why wouldn't Ron and Hermione be all right?
'Er… Hagrid, is everything okay?' Hermione asked.
'Listen yeh three…' Hagrid began, looking worried again. 'T'days lesson is cancelled. Can yeh wait here an' tell the other' when they come?'
'Why is it cancelled? Harry asked quickly.

'Can't tell yeh… t'is too terrible… Professor McGonagall's ears only…'
'Hagrid, what's terrible?' Hermione asked him, but Hagrid was determined to walk away from there. 'Has it something to do with Grawp?' That made Hagrid stop on his tracks. The trio were the only one's who knew about Hagrid's half-brother giant who was hidden in the Dark Forest. Reluctant and sad-looking, Hagrid turned around and spoke quietly to them, his voice shaking.
'D'ere's a student in d'ere… d-dead…'
The three friends gasped.
'What? Are you sure?' Harry asked loudly.
'What happened to him?' Ron asked just as loudly.
'Are you sure he's dead?' Hermione whispered.
Hagrid sadly shook his head. 'Can't be other t'an dead. He's bin squashed… only pulp left…'
The three gasped again.

'Grawp stepped on him?' Ron croaked.
'NO!' Hagrid roared, making all three jumps back. 'Grawp did na' do it! He wouldn't!'
'Hagrid.' Hermione spoke softly. 'If who ever it is in there been s-squashed… how can you be so sure it's a student?'
'I… I foun' t'is…' Hagrid held out a trembling hand. In his palm was a Prefect's badge. A scarlet and gold Gryffindor Prefect's badge. It was bloodstained.
'…Oh no…' Hermione's voice was barely a whisper. She covered her pale face with her hands and began to cry. Harry walked to her side and took her in his arms to sooth her.
'Lucas Pamir…' Ron said almost inaudibly.
'Yeh sure it's him?' Hagrid asked.
Ron nodded. 'He's been missing since yesterday.'

'Gods… I got'ta report t'is to McGonagall… Don' say a word 'bout t'is ter anyone. Just tell 'em lessons cancelled, 'kay?' Harry and Ron nodded, Hermione was still sobbing on Harry's shoulder.
Once Hagrid had left the three talked among themselves.
'Unbelievable…' Ron muttered. 'But what could have done this?'
'It was Grawp, what else?' Hermione said, disengaging herself from Harry. 'Nothing else is big enough to do such a thing, and Hagrid knows it, no matter what he says. And it was Hagrid who brought Grawp here… he's in trouble. He's in very deep trouble.'

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The next morning-lessons were once again cancelled the next day since the teachers were busy with investigations. The terrible news had been delivered by the Head-of-houses before anyone had left their common rooms this morning, and every Hogwarts student was confined in their respective houses so they would not get in the way. For four of the Sixth-year Gryffindors, it meant that they were free from Potions, but neither Ron or Seamus, nor Harry was feeling any happiness for this because the cancellation was because of the death of another student, and that was nothing to be happy about. The common room was very quiet, Hermione tried to pass the time by doing her other essays, but she found it extremely hard to concentrate, just like everyone else.
Ginny, just like the others in her year, sat almost petrified. She had worked close to Lucas Pamir ever since she came to Hogwarts and had known him quite well.
'I can't believe he's gone… just like that.' She finally said. 'What in the world was he doing in the forest anyway?'
Harry and Ron just shook their heads, because they had no answer to that.
'He would never go into that forest.' She then said, fixing her eyes on her brother and close friends. 'Not by himself. He was terrified of dark woods.'

'Are you saying somebody lured him in there?' Ron asked his sister, giving a serious stare back.
'What's in there anyway?' Ginny asked, glaring at the three sternly. 'I heard several stories about you three venturing in there quite often…?'
'Now hold on a second here, Ginny.' Harry objected. 'We dislike the forest just as much as everyone else, we do not venture in there willingly…'
'Yet you have been in there many times! What's in there?'
The three looked at each other nervously, trying not to give anything away. They failed.
'You know something! I can read that in your faces!' Ginny said accusingly. 'C'mon now, tell me! What the heck is in there?'
Ginny, pipe down please!' Ron hissed. Then he lowered his voice to a whisper. 'It's not our secret to tell.'
'All right.' Ginny said as she stood up and walked off.
'Where are you going?' Ron called after her.
'Down to Hagrid's. It's obviously his secret you're protecting, and it seems that that secret killed my Prefect partner… and I'm going to find out what it is!'

'No you don't…!' Harry and Ron both said at the same time, getting to their feet.
'Ginny. Professor McGonagall told us to stay here!' Hermione said to her.
'Try and stop me, if you want to taste my famous Bat-Bogey Hex!' Ginny warned.
'Ginny, you're a Prefect…!' Hermione called.
'That has never stopped you!' Ginny snapped back and opened the Portrait out of the common room.
'Bloody hell. C'mon Harry, let's go with her so she doesn't do anything too rash.' Ron said and walked to the exit with Harry close behind him.
'We're supposed to stay here!!' Hermione yelled after them, but both of them walked out after Ginny. 'Dammit, you guys…!' Hermione snarled angrily and followed them, ignoring the objections from the portrait of The Fat Lady who told them that they were supposed to stay put in the tower.

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They didn't run into anyone as the four of them walked through the corridors and finally out onto the Hogwarts grounds. The staffs were obviously busy with other matters, and that suited the four students fine. They quickly strode towards the lonely house that stood outside the edge of The Dark Forest, and by the smoke that were coming out of the chimney, they could tell that their Half-giant teacher was home. Ginny reached the hut first and hammered her fist angrily on the wooden door. Aside from Fang's loud barking, they could also make out the sound of something breaking after having been dropped to the floor.
'E-enter.' Hagrid's voice came from the inside.
When the four came in, they could tell by Hagrid's face that he had expected anyone except for them.

'What're yeh three… er… yeh four do'in 'ere?' Hagrid asked. A shattered teacup was on the floor. 'Yer suppose to stay at school durin' the investigation!'
'I'm sorry Hagrid!' Ron started to explain. 'It's just that my sister has gone bonkers ever since our last year, she's become disregardful and…'
'What the heck really happened to my classmate?' Ginny interrupted, her arms crossed. Hagrid watched Ginny, then the other three and back.
'We didn't tell her anything.' Harry said. 'It's your secret.'
'Listen Gin'…' Hagrid started in a friendly tone. 'Is better ter remember 'im just like he was, eh? No need for yeh ter know any gru'som' details…'
'Stop treating me like a child and listen! Lucas Pamir was afraid of The Dark Forest and would never have gone in there by himself! Now I'm not expecting you to tell me why he went in there, but I want to know just what killed him! By the behaviour of those three I can tell that there is something in there that is not suppose to be in there and that killed my Prefect partner! So what the heck is going on?'

Hagrid shook his head. 'Ain't gonna tell ya Gin'. Is bad enough I brought them three into dis. No need to involve yeh as well. Is fer yeh own good, I promise yeh dat.'
'Hagrid's right Ginny.' Hermione said. 'The matter is way to serious for you to know anything about. I promise you, this is not worth it.'
'Dat's right. Do listen ter Hermione, always the wise one, she is.' Hagrid backed up. Hermione blushed a bit by the praise. Ginny looked grave.
'Now yeh four, ye're not to be 'ere. I want yeh ter go back to the castle righ' now before ye're being caught 'ere, yeh get into trouble, the three of yeh be'in Prefects an' all. Not worth the trouble, that is.'
'But what about you Hagrid?' Harry asked looking very worried. It seemed that Hagrid was waiting for something serious to happen. 'Will you be all right?'
'I don' want yeh ter worry 'bout me Harry.' Hagrid said, smiling. 'I got m'self into dis mess, I'll take the consequences.' That was something Harry definitely didn't like the sound of. 'Now go yeh four, before…'
There was a hard knocking on the door.

'Darn! Too late!' Hagrid cursed. 'Listen, I'll try ter stall them while yeh get out in the back an'…'
But the door opened before Hagrid had any chance to stall the visitors outside. Professor McGonagall stepped inside, looking very grave.
'Good day Rubeus. I'm…' Professor McGonagall stopped dead as she caught sight of the four Gryffindor's. 'What in the world are you four doing down here?!' She asked angrily. The four gulped.
'You again!' said an unfriendly voice behind Professor McGonagall. In stepped Cornelius Fudge, the Minister For Magic. 'How come I always find you in the middle of everything, Mr. Potter? Can't you ever just stick with your school-work instead of always interfering with Ministry business?'
'I'm not surprised Sir.' Said another voice behind Fudge that Harry recognised. 'He's still being the big attention-seeker as always, and of course he knew he would find some of it here with his half-giant friend.'

Ron and Ginny's expressions became very dark. 'What are you doing here, you filthy blood-traitor?!' Ron shouted at his brother Percy Weasley, as it was him.
'Mr. Weasley. Behave yourself!' said Professor McGonagall sternly.
'And I see that you two still fraternise with Potter, although I advised you not to!' Percy continued, looking darkly at his siblings. 'You're no better than our so-called father!'
Ron and Ginny would already have jumped their older brother had it not been for Harry and Hermione holding them back. But both of the latter glared as darkly on the Weasley-renegade as the redheads.
'Mr. and Ms. Weasley!' scolded Professor McGonagall. 'Mr. Percy Weasley is here as Minister Fudge's Junior Assistant, and is therefore here on official Ministry business. You are therefore to treat him with respect!'
'Respect?!' Shouted Ron as if he'd been insulted.

'With all due respect, Professor!' Ginny growled, squirming in Hermione's arms that held her back. 'Ministry Assistant or not, this is a matter of family-business! He had the utter gall to do us dirt! We have a family honour to uphold.'
'That may be, but here you are students! You will follow the school-rules or receive punishment!' Said Professor McGonagall. With a last growl, the two youngest Weasley's subsided and their friends let them go. But they all kept angry eyes fastened on the older Weasley.
'If your students now have stopped their foolish behaviour Professor McGonagall, Maybe we can get down to what we're here to do!' said Fudge impatiently. He then turned to the owner of the house. 'Bad business Hagrid! That's what I said the last time! And this time you've gone too far!'
Last time that Fudge was referring to was during Harry's second year when Hagrid had been blamed for the Basilisks runabout in the castle, petrifying a couple of students. At that time Hagrid had been extremely pale and sweaty… but this time he stood his ground, and would not show any fear.

'Too far indeed. I'd like to see you explain yourself out of this.' The voice belonged to a third person that now entered Hagrid's house. Harry instantly lost all control of his own body-functions… he felt his heart suddenly beat much harder, blood was pounding in his ears, giving him a nasty headache and he felt himself become cold inside and out. Because this person was one that Harry actually thought he hated more than Snape, maybe even more than Vodemort.
'What's she doing here?' he snarled before he could stop himself.
'Mr. Potter! Manners!' scolded Professor McGonagall.
'Oh, I'm quite unhappy to see you too, Mr. Potter.' Said the high-pitched girlish voice that belonged to Dolores Umbridge.

Author's notes:

I'm sorry if this chapter feels a little shorter then the previous ones, but it was a good place to stop. Again, I thank everyone of those who reviewed, I really appreciate it. I'll see if I can get the next chapter up before Christmas, but don't get your hopes up. My job is always tougher in December.

Happy Christmas.