Harry Potter and the Shadows of the Watchgate

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-*~| CHAPTER 15 - Mystery Resolved?! |~*-
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Amelia Bones's visit to Hogwarts had been through one delay after another without any plausible reason. The students were told that many international matters were at hand and the Minister had to keep up with the new laws conceded by the International Confederation of Wizards about the coming unpredictable times.

After the appointment of the new Minister of Magic, for a change, laws were finally followed and every magical being was given their rightful status.

And in spite of the palpable dread in the air, there were little sparks of hope here and there which made the wizarding community believe that things would somehow be better for good.

Daily Prophet had finally abandoned the attempts of sliding Harry's name in every article; the Boy-Who-Lived charade was deserted, much to Harry's relief.

And Grawp became a celebrity overnight....

After the 'crooked incident', as Ron dubbed Grawp's appearance near the Forbidden Forest, there was a lot of hue and cry made by the parents over their children's well being, highlighting the points that Giants are suppose to be the pinnacle of cruelness, and how there are an infinite number of chances that they would eat the students alive.

However, when the Ministry officials came to investigate, they were very disappointed--to put it mildly--because the Giants turned out to be friendly and didn't harm anybody unless they were poked with tree branches repeatedly.

During their investigation, the Centaur leader Magorian paid them a visit, closely followed by some of his loyalists, to ward the humans off the forest. But a simple talk turned into a clash when the centaurs found that the humans were from the Ministry, much to Hagrid's amusement, because after that if their were any doubts left about the Giants, the officials overlooked them in a hurry.

So, after a lot of mumbling, squatting and scowling after the centaurs, the officials from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures gave their verdict that the Giants could indeed live in the Forbidden Forest to balance out the forest's habitat.

Hagrid threw a party to celebrate Grawp and Krucky's freedom, which turned out to consist of rock-cakes and tea. Harry, Ginny and Hermione almost broke their teeth trying to take a bite off the cakes, but still stayed back to keep Hagrid from consuming too much fire-whisky and were rewarded by Dumbledore's scrumptious cup-cakes at the end, who visited the hut in the evening.

Within the Hogwarts grounds, the DA classes went on smoothly. They were scheduled to be three times a week, conducted by different professors, and the original DA classes conducted by Harry and Professor Lupin entered more undiscovered grounds, except no other fainting episodes were reported.

-*-

Ron was recovering speedily. Madam Pomfrey did her best for her patients, being extra careful after the incident of potion switching done by some crazed lunatic.

"Take that, you stupid git," Ron shouted, as he sent his knight after Harry's castle. The upper half of his body was still covered in bandages, but according to the Matron he was on the way to recovery. His bedside table was filled with 'Get well soon' cards from his family, team-mates and friends.

Harry was propped on Ron's bed and they were playing wizard's chess. As always, Harry was losing.

Without even missing a beat, Ron continued, "So, here I was surrounded by Dementors and Hermione comes shrieking, like I was dying or something... It was like, she was this fiery Queen saying, 'Get away from him! Don't hurt him!'" Ron mimicked Hermione's voice and was shaking his head but Harry could read beyond Ron's red face and pretence that he was more than pleased, like a kid who got his Christmas present early.

"And being injured has its plus points," Ron said grinning broadly, motioning to his bulging supply of Chocolate Frogs and cards. "No classes to attend, no homework to be done--"

"No DA classes to look forward to, which means that you would have to do the big binge later on," said Harry, giving him a sly smile.

Ron groaned. "I'm no Hermione that I would catch up on my homework here rather than relaxing, but can't I attend the DA classes?" Ron finished pleadingly.

"Well, I can't let you, because you haven't healed fully. Still, I'll teach you the missed lessons in Christmas holidays."

"C'mon, I'll be a good boy; I will just sit and watch," Ron gave him a boyish smile.

"Visiting time over," Madam Pomfrey hollered from her office.

"Ah well, time to go, mate. And that smile won't work on me, but you can try it on girls... especially, that bushy-haired girl we know," Harry said grinning wickedly, while Ron's ears went rather pink.

"I'll bring you some homework for a change in the evening." Harry winked while Ron blanched.

-*-

Harry made his way towards Dumbledore's office for his third Legilimency class. He was hugging his muffler tight around his neck from the encroaching frosty winds of December, bellowing through the windows, making his hair look messier than usual.

As he entered the office, Dumbledore mumbled, "Time already?"

He was signing some official looking papers.

"Sometimes, a day should have forty-eight hours, but alas! That is not to be... So, how are you, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, looking through his half moon spectacles.

"Fine. Er... Professor?"

Dumbledore smiled, as if he knew what was coming next. "Yes, Harry?"

"Can you tell me about that mysterious gateway?" Harry came right to the point.

"Oh... Well, why not?" Dumbledore stroked his beard as he pondered for awhile. "The gateway that you saw in the platform and in Hogsmeade could lead to anywhere. I don't precisely know its actual location because to discover that, you would have to journey through it. However, I can tell you this from reliable sources; it is not very pleasant."

Harry suddenly remembered the scream of the Death Eater who was sucked into the Gateway in Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

"Err... does that mean that they are some kind of Portkeys?"

"Well, no, actually. Portkeys are used to reach places which are visible to people, with clear walls, surroundings, definition, etc; that is, places that are not bewitched to be hidden."

"Hidden places?" Harry questioned and before Dumbledore could answer he continued on, "Is Hogwarts one of those places?"

"No. Let's put it this way. It's another world all of its own with its own defined laws devised by some powerful wizard.

"There are places beyond, Harry, which are undiscovered; covert places unknown to man, or rightly said, Muggles. However, not all wizards know about it because they don't concern themselves with such things or simply are not aware of it. According to my knowledge, most of these places were sealed decades ago and you could only find reference to such places in old books which are out of the market or in the restricted section of Libraries."

"Are you telling me that there are worlds beyond our world?" Harry gave Dumbledore a quizzical expression.

"Yes, there are worlds beyond ours and some of us have traveled to the other side too... Many years ago, in nineteen thirty-six to be exact, when Grindelwald was gathering power, the time when Dementors were with the dark side, a unique prison was invented by a council of wizards, belonging to the old school of learning. By using a fusion of ancient spells, they formulated 'the Prison Hollow' for enslaving the dark wizards--A world to imprison the wrong doers."

"A prison like Azkaban?"

"Yes. But with Grindelwald's fall, there was no need to continue with such tight security and the travel through the gateway was getting on many wizards' nerves. So, like all tiring and lengthy ways are forgotten and abandoned with time, the Prison Hollow also became obsolete and with the Dementor's alliance, the Ministry became over confident and formed Azkaban Prison for the Dementors' delight. After that the way to the Prison Hollow was sealed."

Harry had predicted that Dumbledore would clear off the topic, but too much information was making his head spin. Now there was some covert world to deal with.

"The Prison Hollow was not the only hidden world, because many wizards and witches have formulated their own worlds to leave their mark on this one; with the permission of the Ministry of course, to maintain tabs on them. The records are still stored at every Ministry Headquarters." With a pause, he continued, "With the course of time, these worlds became ancient and were finally abandoned, like old writings on walls. One thing that nobody observed was that many wizards were powerful enough to overwrite the Ministry procedures and many such worlds are still there which have never been discovered at all, except by their inventors or their predecessors."

"So, how do we find these undiscovered worlds?" Harry asked, totally engrossed in the discussion.

"There are explorers in our midst too, not the ones like Muggles wrecking havoc in ancient excavations of their ancestors, but the wizard explorers who find the Links scattered throughout to those undiscovered worlds. A whole branch of the Department of Mysteries deals with such portals, which are scrutinized by some handpicked Unspeakables."

Unspeakables?! "Err... what kind of Links?"

"To reach any place, you have to find the way leading to it. The Links are the portals to the worlds beyond, which are extended and are made enterable by expanding that point. The revolving gateway that you saw was doing just that--opening some other world's doorway for you."

"The portals can be opened anywhere?"

"Yes, except only in Hogwarts and you can consider Gringotts too because of too much bewitchment. The witch or wizard only needs to find that Link and summon it anywhere and expand it to enter the world beyond."

"This means that anybody can summon the Link to expand it to a Gateway?"

"Well, it requires quite an advanced magical technique and strength. That's why I was worried that a student doing that is a red alert for us."

It was becoming difficult to digest all this information for Harry, because with every answer, new questions came popping to his mind like some chain-reaction.

"Can it be Voldemort? Doing all this, I mean?"

"I don't see any other explanation for it, Harry. Maybe he has found that spell and has formulated his own world..."

The mere thought of which made Harry shudder. A world of Voldemort would mean death and everything dark ever thought of by wizard-kind, which reminded him of the night at the graveyard where Cedric had died and Voldemort was resurrected. Harry gave another involuntary shudder.

"... or maybe he has found a Link to some other world. As you were present both the times the portal was summoned, the probability of him trying to capture you is too immense to disregard."

With a sudden golden spark, Fawkes came fluttering towards Dumbledore carrying a piece of parchment in his beak.

Dumbledore stood up after reading the note and went towards his cupboard; detached some silvery strands from his head and placed them in the Pensieve.

"Well, it seems that we'll have to postpone our lesson." And before Harry could utter another word, Dumbledore was gone with a flash, leaving a single golden phoenix-feather floating behind him.

Harry closed the office doors with a sigh and trudged towards the common room, thinking about the reason, why everything happened to him, when he was shoved by the most unlikely person he could think of.

It was Colin Creevey who shoved him aside to a corner. Harry was amazed to see that a whole gang of gnomes, patrolled by Peeves were heading towards some specific destination.

Only the sound of left, left, left right left, left, left, left right left, was missing from their organized line.

"What are you doing, Colin?" Harry almost screamed. But he had to change his tone instantly by looking at Colin who was laughing manically.

"Isn't this just great?" Colin asked, laughing hysterically.

"What?" Harry was wrong-footed. What is it with him?

"Letting loose the gnomes after the house-elves?" Colin provided, grinning toothily.

"You are doing WHAT?!" Harry yelled, alarmed.

Between bouts of laughter Colin managed incoherently, "I dunno how; Peeves did it or may be it was because of Mrs. Norris? He just liked my idea and combined all the gnomes of Hogwarts to scare off all the house-elves from the kitchen."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. "But- but, what would you get from scaring off the house-elves?"

He tried to rationalize with him, while all along S.P.E.W. was circling his mind. Harry was never too vociferous about house-elf rights like Hermione, who kept badgering everybody who would listen to donate money for the cause. According to him house-elves liked the life they led but if they wanted wages like Dobby, there was no harm done in giving them the status they desired. But pranking them without any apparent reason was nothing but cruel.

"Colin! Are you out of your mind? You'll have detention for a whole month for only thinking of doing such a stunt. McGonagall will eat you for lunch! Come with me, we'll stop Peeves before he herds all the gnomes in the kitchen."

Colin looked at him in disbelief, like he was looking at him with a new light and didn't like what he was seeing--as though suddenly his Hero image of Harry was shattered.

"Why would I stop Peeves? It's such a great idea! The whole school will know what a superior prankster I am," Colin puffed out his chest and shook his head resolutely.

Harry didn't know how to handle this situation. If he ran to any professor, Colin would be in trouble and if he didn't do something about the situation, the house-elves will be in trouble and he didn't have any time to rationalize with Colin, who was still grinning broadly.

"Er... Colin, why don't you run along? I have to go to the Library, all right?"

"Yeah... erm ... okay. Why don't you announce to the students sitting in the Library that there's a funny show near the kitchen?" Colin asked hopefully.

"Err... I will see," said Harry, giving him a look.

Harry pelted towards the common room like an arrow, jostling people out of his way.

"Hey, watch where you going!" a Slytherin girl shrieked at him, but he pretended not to notice.

As predicted, Hermione was poring over an Arithmancy book in the common room. He ran straight towards his room for his invisibility cloak, hollering at Hermione, "Red Alert!"

She didn't understand but became ready for Harry to return. In a flash he was thundering down the steps leading to the Boys Dormitory.

"Let's go! We don't have any time to waste," Harry said hurriedly.

"What happened?" Hermione asked flabbergasted.

On their marathon towards the kitchen through tapestries and secret passageways, he was only able to utter, "House-elves in trouble."

"WHAT! But- but, who would--"

Harry cut off Hermione. "If we hurry, we'll still be able to reach the kitchen before them. We'll discuss the finer points later on, okay?" Harry finished between huffs of breaths.

"Them whooooo?"

Halfway through the way, they bumped into Neville and Harry availed the timely appearance instantly.

"Neville, do us a favor, will you? Find Nick and tell him to tip off any professor about Peeves disturbing the house-elves and don't go running to any professor yourself. Okay?"

Neville blinked like he didn't believe what he was hearing as his eyes narrowed, but by looking at their strained expressions, he replied, "Okay."

They bolted again. Harry pressed a block behind a moldy tapestry which slid halfway through to reveal a well-lit corridor, decorated by portraits of many exotic fruits.

"In the cloak!" Harry whispered, motioning to Hermione. They could hear commotion, near the stone staircase.

"Hermione, think of some trick to stop all the gnomes."

"Gnomes?!"

Before even hearing the response, Harry got an idea. "Blocus Cloturio," he whispered, directing his spell on the stretch of the corridor just beside the portrait containing the ticklish green pear.

A golden mist came out of his wand and sparkled that stretch of the corridor, its tiny particles catching the light of the torches.

"Harry, what did you--?" Hermione sounded amazed.

"Shush, Hermione. Just clear off Colin from there; he'll be in big trouble if he gets caught," Harry gave her directions to the stairways, dodging the golden mist.

Hermione was instantly on the case by the time first gnome flipped in the mist. He saw her drag Colin into the passageway. At that exact moment Professor Vidal jumped the steps to reach the corridor. He doubled over, laughing heartily on the scenario of the whole gnome army upside down, trapped in the golden mist. The bonus prize was, Peeves, also stationary and screeching madly--not at all his cackling self.

Trapping gnomes was all right, Harry smiled to himself, as he made his way towards the common room.

When he entered the common room, Colin was sitting subdued in a corner and Hermione was pacing in front of him, ignoring all other students.

"Was everything okay?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Yes, nobody kidnapped the house-elves," he said cheerily. "Professor Vidal came just in time." He wasn't sure to discuss any further.

Sensing his trepidation, Hermione started, "Colin's fine. He just wanted to stir things up a bit before everybody went for holidays."

"You all did troublemaking all the time!" Colin said defensively.

"Well, Colin, we never hurt anybody intentionally," Harry reasoned simply.

-*-

Not too distant from the window of the Gryffindor tower, someone was pacing a stretch of Hogwarts' ground, brooding and not at all happy.

My plans keep on failing. How will I go home this holiday and face... let's just not think about that right now...

Why does Harry slither from every trap I set? Why do his stupid lucky stars never leave him?

It's high time that I get some help... Reinforcements... YES!

-*-

Ron recovered in two days and he only had a day of practice for their next match against Hufflepuff. In their second match of the season, Gryffindors very predictably hammered the Hufflepuff team. The game was over in twenty minutes. The match only lasted that long because of the weather--it was gusty and difficult for Harry to glimpse the Golden Snitch in such conditions.

As soon as he did, he caught it without any trouble in spite of the fact that the Hufflepuff seeker had a Nimbus2003.

There was an all-night party in the Gryffindor Tower and a kind of farewell for the students who were leaving for Christmas holidays.

Mrs. Weasley had already informed them that they would be staying at Grimmauld Place for Christmas. Hermione would join them halfway through, as she would be staying with her parents for the first half of the vacations.

Hogwarts was again flowing with Christmas trees and dwarfs singing Christmas carols. Most of the students were packing their trunks, getting ready to leave.

It was the second year in a row that Harry was leaving Hogwarts for Grimmauld Place for Christmas. Hogwarts have always been his home--what he never got from the Dursleys, he got from Hogwarts. Leaving was not always easy and he still had some old memories to overcome.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were taking a walk near the lake. It was their last day at Hogwarts and their Defense Against the Dark Arts class was cancelled. So, they planned on enjoying themselves fully with a visit to Hagrid's hut. Ginny was still attending classes, as it was her O.W.L. year and no teacher was ready to compensate.

"It was a very nice cameo appearance, Hermione," Harry teased Hermione on her rescuing Ron. "Come-back with a punch." He grinned.

"Oh stop it, Harry!" she said going red, while Ron's grin widened.

"Whoa!" Ron exclaimed as Hedwig came soaring towards Harry. A small piece of parchment was tied to her leg. They joined their heads to read the scrawled writing.

"M eet m e in the Room of Requ irem ent, today at half past eight. - Cho"

Ron ahemed and Hermione went, "Oh dear!"

Harry was still squinting at the parchment while Hedwig was annoyingly nibbling his ear. However, except the writing the message was clear as daylight.

Harry patted Hedwig and told her there was nothing edible in his pockets, on which she huffily took flight, beating her wings on his face.

"Girls!" Harry rolled his eyes and was awarded with a glare from Hermione.

"What are you going to do, mate?" Ron asked uncertainly.

"Dunno... meet her, I guess?" He looked pleadingly at his friends for some words of wisdom but Hermione and Ron both became quite tight-lipped on the subject.

"Why don't we visit Hagrid?" Ron suggested, changing the subject.

They pounded on the hut's door and heard Fang's scratching. As they opened the door he launched himself on Ron, slobbering all over him.

"Good boy, Fang - now gerroff me!" Ron yelled from underneath.

Hagrid, as they found out, was not home.

"On some errand maybe," Hermione rationalized, looking disappointed.

"Visiting Grawp and Krucky, I guess?" Ron provided.

"Yeah, that would be it," Harry said detachedly, his mind still on Cho's note.

The afternoon wore on to evening. After eating dinner they were playing chess in the common room--Ginny verses Hermione--and Ron was whispering commands in Hermione's ear, much to the annoyance of his sister.

"Cheater!"

"Yeah, yeah." Ron grinned.

Harry was examining a particularly jagged part of his chair's handle. It was eight o'clock and Ron was signaling him to get a move on. He thanked Gryffindor, Merlin and his fates, as he went out of the common room, that Ginny didn't notice his departure.

He strode straight towards the statue of Barnabas the Barmy, surveying the corridor and Marauder's map for being absolutely sure. Except the dots reading Chang and Potter there was no one else on the floor.

He opened the door, with his heart doing a boom-doom beat against his chest. The first thing that he noticed after entering the room was a peculiar whiff of scent which wafted all over him. The room was not as big as he remembered but was welcoming in its own way, filled with dim wavering lights and drapes, and decorated with fluffy looking couches and colorful portraits.

"Er... Hi, Cho." He was feeling wrong footed from the beginning.

"Hello, Harry," Cho said shyly.

She was looking different somehow. It was her hair or clothes, Harry couldn't put his finger on it.

"So, you wanted to talk to me?" he asked, coming to the point.

"Yes, Harry." She looked nervous as she stepped closer to him, rubbing her thumb on the sides of her index finger.

"Harry... I was really insensitive last year... I- I just wanted to talk to someone... you know, really talk... and I was sooo torn, so torn between you and- and Cedric...." She sighed.

Oh boy!

"I didn't know what I was doing, whether I was right or not... it was very wrong of me to break it off with you like that... but it was never the same again, Harry... the way I felt with you... I have never felt with anyone," Cho came closer and Harry could see her shining eyes, shadowed by her silky hair.

Oh damn it!

"It was never the same again... Harry... I think I--I love you..." she trailed off as she came closer than Harry could handle.

-*-

In the Gryffindor common room Hermione check-mated Ginny. And Ginny pondered, why it felt like she was losing more than a game?

~*~