Harry Potter & The Thousand Mysteries

The Second Simulation

‘Au revoir, Harry!’ called Fleur, as the Beauxbatons Delegation prepared to make their departure from the school. The Durmstrangians had left half an hour ago. ‘You will ‘ave to come to my wedding in July,’ she said, flashing her engagement ring around once more, as they walked down the stone steps with the rest of the school, towards the carriages.

‘Write,’ said Harry, ‘and tell Gabrielle I was asking how she was.’

‘I’m sure Gabrielle will be asking how you are as well.’ Fleur smiled knowingly. ‘Bye!’ She swept down and kissed him on both cheeks, before doing the same with Ron and Hermione.

‘I’m sure we will meet again!’ she called, and entered her carriage.

They entire school waved as they took off, and waited until they disappeared into the distance.

As usual, the Boxing Day Christmas anti climax had left everyone in the school feeling worn out and in desperate need of a relaxing day, with no work to do. This, however, was not possible for the fifth year Gryffindors, and especially not Harry and Ron.

‘Team!’ called Angelina, as they met for their regular training session later that day. ‘The match against Ravenclaw is in three weeks exactly, and I don’t think we’re ready for it. The Ravenclaws have got a strong defence which I don’t think we can puncture easily…’

‘But I have a Firebolt!’ said Ron, ecstatically, holding up his new acquisition for everyone to see.

‘Wow!’ said Fred and George. ‘Where’d you get that?’

‘It was a present!’ replied Ron.

After ten minutes of gawping around the Firebolt, The team decided they would meet thrice weekly, rather that twice weekly, to make sure they were in peak position to be ready for the match.

‘Hi!’ called Hermione, as they found her working on homework in the Common Room.

‘You’re working?’ asked Ron. ‘On Boxing Day?’

‘Of course I’m working,’ snapped Hermione. ‘Do you realise it is just a mere hundred and seventy three days to the exam?’

‘That’s ages!’ said Ron.

‘No, it isn’t!’ Hermione looked ready for a fight. ‘These came for you two, by the way,’ she said, handing them each an envelope.

Harry opened his and began to read.

Dear Harry,


Let me first of all congratulate you formally on your performance at the first Simulation- a job well done. Secondly, I have written to point out to you that the second Simulation will take place three weeks from today. This Simulation will differ from the previous one in that, you, the pupils, will be transported to an unknown location. Your object will be to seize control of a Death Eater stronghold. As before, you will have time to prepare for the event- you need not come to class until the Simulation. I will be available should you have any queries.

I’m sure you will study suitably hard to ensure an easy victory- my only pieces of advice are these:

a) Plan well ahead of the event

b) Work together as a team and plan for all eventualities- the teachers will be throwing everything they have at you.

I’m sure you’ll do marvellously, Harry.

Professor Claudia Janney

Defence Against the Dark Arts.

‘What do you make of that?’ asked Harry.

‘I know! It’ll be so scary!’ said Hermione. ‘We really need to prepare- that’s what I’m reading just now.’

‘Hang on…’ said Ron, and dashed off through the portrait hole.

‘Where the hell is he going?’ asked Harry, to which Hermione merely shrugged her shoulders.

***

Ten minutes later, Ron reappeared carrying a scroll of parchment.

‘Fifth Years!’ he called to the crowded Common Room. ‘Fifth Years- I need to speak to you in my dorm!’

Harry, Hermione, Lavender, Parvati, Neville, Dean and Seamus all followed Ron up to the Boys’ Dormitory.

‘What is it?’ asked Harry, as he shut the door.

‘I’ve just been speaking with Janney,’ said Ron. ‘And she says that if we want a plan of the house we’re about to attack, we’ve got a right to see it- she says Auror’s would get one from Ministry records anyway.

‘So here’s the map!’

He rolled the parchment out, revealing a large map, as the one below:



‘There are six rooms per floor,’ said Ron, pointing at all of them. On the ground floor, there three entrances into the house- the main entrance into the hall, the kitchen door and the morning room doors.

‘The only way to the upper level is either through the windows or up the staircase. There’s a hatch into the attic in the playroom, but it can only be opened from the playroom. There’s a small window in the attic- I think one person might just squeeze through that. They keep the water distribution contols up in the attic.’

‘What about the garden,’ asked Hermione. Harry felt his heart thrill with adrenaline. He breathed deeply- this was so exciting and dangerous.

‘Good question,’ said Ron. ‘The Garden is a rectangle field. There is a large pond, apparently, and some shrubbery to the back. There are three large trees, and the area around the house is just forest. It’s pretty thick to the front, but otherwise it’s easy to see through. I think the place is in Argyllshire, or somewhere like that.
‘Sure, Professor,’ said Harry. Hermione and Ron had dashed off five minutes before the bell had gone, and it was ages until next class- extended Lunch day.

‘Potter, would you transform five times for me,’ she said, after she had closed the door. ‘In rapid succession if you will?’

Harry quickly changed back and forth between his animagus shape and human form. It was dead easy now- he’d been practising for an hour a day all through the Christmas holidays.

‘Right,’ she said, once he had finished. ‘Come with me, Potter.’

She led him out the door and along the corridor. At first, he assumed she was taking him to Dumbledore’s office, but she took a left instead of a right at the tapestry of Bernd the Baffled, and led him to an empty classroom. Empty, that is, except for Hermione.

‘Wait here, both of you,’ she said, and exited the room once more. Harry felt uncomfortable- he hadn’t told Hermione about his animagus lessons yet- he had been putting it off.

‘Hermione…’ he said, but was cut off when the door opened, and in walked Professors McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Ron.

What the hell, Harry though inwardly, as they shut the door.

‘They really have no idea, Minerva,’ said Dumbledore, smiling.

‘Absolutely none, Albus,’ agreed McGonagall.

‘What’s going on?’ asked Hermione.

‘Good question,’ agreed Ron.

‘Would all three of you please transform for me?’ asked McGonagall.

‘WHAT?’ asked Harry. Hermione and Ron looked equally scandalized. McGonagall let out a rare laugh.

‘Ooh, you see, they really don’t have a clue!’ she told Dumbledore.

The Headmaster cleared his throat. ‘It gives me great pleasure to announce that you, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, are all animagi!’

‘You two are animagus?’ asked Harry of Hermione and Ron, ignoring McGonagall and Dumbledore’s laughter.