Harry Potter and the Black Grimoire

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - SEARCHING FOR THE INVISIBLE

The days leading up to Halloween were relatively uneventful in the Hogwarts castle. In their classes the students were being pounded with even more homework then usual, doing to the fact that their O.W.L.'s were approaching.

Since the start of his Animagi classes with Professor McGonnagall, Harry had been making considerable progress with his transformation. He had gotten as far as being able to change his legs and arms, but not the rest of his body. Nonetheless, McGonnagall still gave him great praise at the speed of this accomplishment.

The rest of the classes were going smoothly as usual. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Radford was beginning to teach them about the ways of a Death Eater and what to expect and how to contend with them.

They were still caring for the Griffin in Care of Magical Creatures, and Professor Sprout informed her class that the swans would be hatched before Christmas, and that they would then begin to study them in Hagrid's class.

In Potions class the Slytherins had become unusually quiet again, but this was not for a lack of deadly looks. Malfoy still apparently held a grudge at Sirius, because he never spoke a word to him, but always looked like he was going to fire a curse at him if he ever got the chance.

Transfiguration was getting increasingly difficult and their load of homework from Professor McGonnagal was huge. Divination, Charms and History of Magic were normal as ever.

But finally the day of Halloween was upon them and as the students filed into the Great Hall that morning, the sky above was a steel gray.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Maddie woke up extra early on this day and were among the first students in the hall. Harry looked around to see who was up. His eyes fell upon Malfoy, sitting at the Slytherin table. He had a colorful snake around his neck and the other Slytherins were examining it in awe. Harry caught a few stray words that carried over from their table. Apparently it was a gift. Harry took his eyes off of Malfoy and focused his attention on his friends.

"Excited about today?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione.

"Should be interesting. I'm curious to explore the dungeons."

"At least it won't be dangerous," Hermione added.

"Well that we know of," Ron said.

"Sorry to have to leave you to go to Hogsmeade alone," Ron said, looking affectionately at his girlfriend.

"It's ok," she said, touching his arm. "You guys have to do what you have to do."

Just then the familiar sound of the post owls filled the room and Harry spotted Hedwig among the cloud of browns and grays. She dropped a letter on his plate and landed on his shoulder.

Harry, Ron and Hermione,

Stays behind in the hall after the rest of the students have left. We'll come and get you then.

--Dumbledore

Harry passed the note to Ron and Hermione and stroked Hedwig before she took off again.

The hall was abuzz with excitement this morning since they had been told the night before that the entire school would be allowed to visit Hogsmeade. Students were busy talking with each other about where they wanted to go and what they wanted to do.

Finally, at nine o' clock, Professor McGonnagall stood up and ordered everyone out into the main hall for departure.

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked Maddie out and wished her goodbye before they went back into the hall.

Sirius stepped out of the side door by the staff table as they reentered the hall.

"Guys! Over here!"

The trio hurriedly ran over to Sirius and he ushered them into the room. Dumbledore, McGonnagall and Remus were already there waiting.

Harry looked around the room, remembering the last time he had been in here. It was the night when his name unexpectedly came out of the Goblet of Fire, entering him into the tournament and ultimately bringing Voldemort back to his human form. However this time he was not filled with the bewilderment and utter shock he was then and it was perhaps because of this that the room now seemed more welcoming.

"Good morning!" Dumbledore said to the three.

"Good morning to you to, sir," Harry said.

"Are we all ready then?" he asked.

"As ready as we can be," Ron replied.

"Good. Then I'll just tell you how today is going to work and then we will be off."

They nodded their heads in understanding.

"Right then. Here is how we will do things. Harry and I will lead the group through the dungeons with Sirius and Remus behind us. Ron and Hermione will come next and Minerva can take up the rear. We will lead a methodical search of the dungeons, down every passage and corridor that we know of," Dumbledore said, looking at them. "Harry, every time you come to a door, I want you to say so. Every time, Harry. This way if you say you see a door and we do not, we know we have found it. Does everyone understand?"

There was a murmur of yes's.

"Good then! Let us be on our way."

With that Dumbledore led the group out of the room, into the deserted hallway and then down the stairs to the dungeons.

The moment they took their first footfalls in the dark dungeon passageway, a cold blast of wind rushed at them. Harry shivered in his robes.

The group walked silently for an hour, for the exception of every time Harry saw a door, where he would call out "door," and point. Just as was arranged, Dumbledore walked beside him, his wand-tip illuminating the way for them.

Still they walked on in the cold darkness. The deeper they went into the dungeons the more quiet and uninhibiting the place seemed to get. The breeze continued to blow and somewhere in the distance the faint sound of water dropping on the stone floor could be heard. Soon enough Hermione left her place next to Ron and ventured up to the front of the line to clutch Harry's arm. Dumbledore saw but made no attempt to give a reaction save for a small smile that formed at the corners of his bearded mouth.

To the group it seemed like they had been walking forever and yet they were getting nowhere. Over four hours had passed as they ventured deeper and deeper into the bowels of the school. Harry had no idea that the dungeons extended this far. Yet still they made no progress.

Going on the fifth hour, the tunnel began to change. It was no longer dank smelling, but cool and fresh. Soon Dumbledore muttered "nox," and the light at the end of his wand went out. Far ahead a small light could be seen.

It took them fifteen minutes to finally reach the light that they saw. They all gave a sigh of defeat as they realized that the light was in fact the end of the tunnel. It was a large opening in the hill Hogwarts sat on. Thick, rusted, black iron gates stood between them and the grounds. Harry could see the lake not far in the distance. He had never seen this place before. Yet, admittedly, he had not explored every inch of the Hogwarts grounds.

"What do we do now, Albus?"

"That is a good question, Minerva. Sirius, Remus... can you think of any passages that we missed?"

"I'm sure that we went everywhere, Headmaster."

"It must not be down here then," Ron said.

"It seems that way Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore replied.

Harry let out a long sigh of disappointment as he grasped the bars and looked outside.

"Well, there's no reason to get our spirits down just yet. I suggest that we stop and have a bit of lunch, then retrace our steps."

The rest of the group agreed to Dumbledore's suggestion and they sat down on a blanket Remus conjured and ate the food that Professor McGonnagall had magicked to fit in her pocket.

They all sat eating in relative silence for a half an hour. When they had all finished, Dumbledore got up. The rest followed suit and prepared themselves for the walk back. Hermione resumed her place on Harry's arm as they ventured off once again.

Again they walked, going back the same way they came. Sirius was consulting Harry's Marauders Map all the way. And for the second time that day they ended up at the end of the tunnel without success. Harry, Ron and Hermione collapsed on the stairs leading back up into the Entrance Hall as they reached them. The teachers and Remus stood beside them, looking around and scratching their heads.

"Well.... Where else did you plan on searching Albus?" Remus asked.

"I thoroughly hoped to find the place in the dungeons, but I do have a few other suggestions."

He produced a piece of parchment from his pocket and the group marched to the places on the list and followed the same procedure as in the dungeons. Still, they found nothing.

By the time they had reached the end of Dumbledore's list, students began to return from the day in Hogsmeade.

"There appears to be nothing more we can do at the moment," Dumbledore replied, doing a bad job of hiding his disappointment.

And he wasn't the only one. Everyone in the group was anxious to discover this secret room and the failure of the day was a blow to them all.

But as there really was nothing left to do, Dumbledore dismissed the students and reminded them all that there was still a Halloween feast to attend to.

With that the group disbanded; Harry, Hermione and Ron making their way into the Entrance Hall to wait for Madeline and the teachers and Remus heading toward the staff room.

* * * *

If it were not for the fact that there was a feast that evening to take his mind off of the day, Harry would have had a very depressing night. He desperately wanted to find the room and they had found nothing. Harry couldn't help but feel that somehow it was his fault. Maybe he had missed the door?

But despite his thoughts, Hermione did her best to keep his mind on other things.

The Halloween Feast was one of Harry's favorites and this year's was no exception. The Hall was again decorated with large, floating Jack-o'-lanterns, live bats flew in the rafters and the Hogwarts ghosts popped up at every opportunity they could, trying to scare the students. Eerie sounds of chains and moaning and other creepy things could be heard in the Hall. A thunderstorm was conjured overhead, so there was a constant roll of thunder and flash of lightening. Overall it was the eeriest of all the Halloween Feasts.

After the food was gone and the students and teachers were content, Dumbledore stood up and dared the brave souls in the room to venture into the haunted house that had been erected on the lawn in front of the castle.

The school marched out of the Hall and out the entrance doors to the grounds to find a large, old looking Victorian mansion there. There was a low, crumbling stone barrier around the house and a plot of tombstones could be seen in one corner. Noises of pain and suffering could be heard coming form the doors and windows as broken shutters banged open and closed overhead. A few gnarled trees creaked in the front yard. It was very convincing.

The students were admitted to the house in small groups at the front door and had to make their way through and out the back door. Harry and Ron persuaded Hermione and Maddie to go with them and the foursome waited in line. Soon they were pushed in through a door that banged shut suddenly behind them. They walked through the total darkness of the entranceway before a hideous ghoul suddenly floated up from the floor in front of them. The girls shrieked in surprise and grabbed onto their boyfriends for protection.

Eventually they made their way out the back door after what seemed like a Hellish eternity to Hermione and Maddie. Ron and Harry, however, had no complaints.

After all of the students and a few of the teachers had left the haunted house, they were all ushered back inside and ordered to their dorms for bed. It was with a groan that the prefects lead their houses back to the dormitories.

It had been a fun filled night, but when Harry got back to the common room, the full affect of the earlier part of the day rushed back at him. He sat on the couch in front of the fire with Hermione until the small hours of the morning.

"You know Dumbledore will think of something," Hermione assured him.

Harry was sitting with his back on the end and his feet lengthwise on the cushions. Hermione was sitting in-between his legs with Harry's arms wrapped around her shoulders.

"I know. I just can't help but think time is running out," Harry replied, laying his head on top of hers.

"You shouldn't worry about that so much, Harry. I mean think about it this way... if we spent the entire day searching for this bloody room and had absolutely no luck, what makes you think You-Know-Who will be able to find it?"

"Yeah, you're right as usual."

"See? So you have nothing to worry about. And nothing is your fault, so stop blaming yourself."

"I will, I will. But I still just have this overwhelming feeling like I'm missing something," he replied, smelling the sweet scent of her hair.

"Well that I don't think I can do anything about, but help you try and figure it out and be here for you along the way," she said as she rubbed his arms.

Harry swung his head around hers and planted a kiss on her cheek before resting it on her shoulder.

"You're always here for me, Hermione."

"And I always will be," she replied.

"And I love you for it."

"I know," she said, closing her eyes and leaning farther into him.

They stayed that way for a while, just content with being with each other. Then Hermione broke the silence.

"I have an idea," she said.

"What's that?"

"Why don't you go get the box Sirius gave you from your parents and we can look through it together. I know you haven't done that yet."

"Yeah. I'd like that. Hold on and I'll go get it."

Harry got up from the couch and dashed up to the 5^th year boy's dorm to retrieve the box. He came back down in a matter of seconds and went back to the couch.

Together they sat there and examined the things contained within. They looked through his parent's old family album together; something that almost brought tears to Harry's eyes, seeing his parents alive and in happy times. Hermione was particularly caught-up in Harry's baby pictures.

"You were so cute!" she commented, holding up a picture of him in a crib.

"Hey! Come on now! What's with the 'were'?"

"Oh you're still cute Harry! But look at you!" she squealed again, looking at the picture. "You were just such a beautiful baby!"

"Ahem," Harry said, clearing his throat. "Handsome, not beautiful, if you must."

"If you say so Mr. Macho," she said, pinching his cheeks.

Finally Harry got Hermione to get off of the baby pictures by letting her choose some to keep.

Next Harry pulled out a small, unmarked leather book. He flipped open the cover while Hermione extracted a bundle of letters from the box.

"Diary of Lily Evans," it read on the inside cover, written in his mother's writing. Harry moved his fingers over the writing as if feeling the words his mother wrote. Slowly he turned the wrinkling pages from one to the next. He began reading a passage dated November 9^th.

Dear Diary, today was the greatest day! James and I finally got to spend some time alone together and he told me what I've been hoping he would! He told me he liked me! I'm so happy now! I've been waiting and waiting for him to make a move forever. And now he asked me to the Christmas dance as well! This has been the greatest day!

Harry smiled as he read his mother's words. He remembered having feelings like these after finally realizing his love for Hermione. He read on.

March 23^rd,

Dear Diary, I've just come up from the common room. James and I spent hours just lying there on the long couch and talking in front of the fire. It was so romantic. I love just spending time with him. I think I truly love him. No. I do love him, with all my heart.

Harry smiled again and felt a tear come to his eye. His parents truly were deeply in love. He reached over and grabbed Hermione, pulling her into a hug while he let more go on his shoulder, seeing the faces of his parents in his closed eyes. She simply held him, gently rubbing his back and running her fingers through his untidy hair. She knew how hard it must be for him to see memories of the parents he lost and she wanted nothing more than to be there for him.

Harry lifted his head and wiped his eyes on the back of his hand before letting go of Hermione. He leaned back from her to look into that familiar face and saw everything his mother was writing about. He truly loved her, with all of his heart.