Harry Potter and His New Standards

A/N: This chapter is packed with massive plot bunnies... they're so big that they are very hard to miss.

And I'm going to take THIS TIME to thank anyone who has ever been so courteous as to review. Ha, that's right! Even if they've ceased to review since chapter 2 (just quit reading and forgot about the story, which I am notorious for) they'll be on here. Alright, here we go: THANK YOU to neha_dkulkarni, hermione512, JeaniyTheScienceGuy, Eerie, Melissa Wood, Ann, SlowFox, yohannayork, Hermoninny, peach brandy, Ophira, FirePheonix, wrenbirdy, Srox4690, Sparkles, eloisamuggle, Kilkieran, NecessaryEvil, MadAboutHarry, Katie Weasley, Phire Freak, Kenshin42, Lilia, gilaesther, and Gryffinpuff.

So the number isn't excessive, but new reviewers pop up every now and then, so I'll just add one of these each time. If you read the story - - at least give me a one word review? :puppy eyes: Pleeeease...? Its you who determines a lot of what's to come, so I'm always open for suggestions (with some backup, of course)!

And another thank you to everyone who's e-mailed or owled me instead of reviewing, that's appreciated as well.

Chapter 22 - Impigergra Veneficus

A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return.

*()%()*

Hermione didn't unroll the Evening Prophet, but rather paid the owl and watched it fly off before pulling the paper towards her and letting it rest near her plate. "Hermione," Holly said suddenly, looking up at the brunette sitting opposite her. She looked up at her and nodded. "We get to take magical language classes next year, right?" Holly asked, raising her eyebrows and drawing them together slightly in a hopeful way.

"That's right," Hermione replied, eyeing her cautiously.

Holly leaned forward. "What are our choices?" she asked slowly, her eyes not leaving Hermione's. This looked as though it was urgent information to her. Hermione glanced away for a moment.

"Um, there's Mermish, Gobblededook, Susurussi, Quenya-"

"Who's the Quenya teacher?" Holly interrupted, still leaning forward onto her arms. Harry looked back at Hermione for her reply. She stared at her for a moment before answering, a look of slight confusion on her face.

"P-Professor Sutorlond," Hermione stammered.

"Which one?" Holly asked, looking up at the Head Table. Hermione's eyes scanned the professors before replying.

"Three to the right of Professor Snape," she said. Harry counted three down from Snape and his eyes fell upon a professor he recognized but had never spoke with. Sutorlond was a man of about forty or so with blond hair lined with white here and there, and very dark blue eyes. From passing him once or twice recently in the corridors, Harry knew that he was an alert, tall, and relatively thin man. "Some people say he's part Elf himself. But I'd wager that he's a very small bit veela or something... it's a lot more likely than being an heir of an Elf."

"Why's that?" Ron asked, pushing his way into the conversation.

"Just seeing an Elf if very uncommon now," Hermione explained, "and if an Elf had ever had a child with any human, it would live to be about as old as Nicholas Flamel's wife without the Elixir of Life." Holly and Ginny looked at each other, both a bit confused, presumably about the Flamel-Elf assimilating comment, but didn't speak on it.

"But Hagrid knew that they lived in the Forest," Harry stated, seeing that it was safe to interrupt and not minding Ginny's presence but seeing her glance at Holly with wide eyes, "so if that's the case, how would he know?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw Holly give Ginny a meaningful glance and she stopped goggling at her. Harry didn't question it.

Hermione shrugged. "Hagrid wouldn't boast on meeting Elves, as they aren't fire-breathers with sharp talons and big pointy teeth," she affirmed.

"Or maybe the centaurs told him. I mean, the Elves have to play some part in how the forest works, don't they?" Holly added.

"I suppose - - why were you wondering about language classes and Quenya anyway?" Hermione asked her.

"I'm interested in learning Quenya, that's all. I wanted to see what the professor looked like, if it was taught here."

"So basically you're just judging a book by its cover?" Ron said in a low and matter-of-fact tone.

"No," retorted Holly smoothly, "and don't say it like you've never done that. I just wanted to see who it was so I could talk to them about taking their class next year, a'right?"

Ron gave her an incredulous look and was about to say something before Ginny piped up. "What's in the Prophet, Hermione? Let us hear the breaking news."

As she started unrolling the paper she added something to Holly. "I don't see the point of learning Quenya, really. The last time Elves and humans worked together in numbers and communicated regularly was when allies in extremely important magical wars or rebellions." Harry watched as Hermione looked down at the paper that was now flat in her hands and her mouth dropped open slightly. He looked from her face to the heading and read 'Ministry Member Found Dead '.

There were no pictures, thank goodness, but Hermione quietly announced the heading quietly to the rest, getting a response as her own was when reading the bold letters under the newspaper title. "Keep reading," Ginny urged softly.

"'Ministry member Vivienne Orrin, 44, was found dead this afternoon in her home in Chatham after a long absence from work. She had previously owled those she'd operated with in her department (International Cooperation) stating that she was ill, with instructions for a number of her peers.'"

"Sounds like what went on with Crouch 'couple years ago," Harry said in an undertone. Ron nodded in agreement.

Hermione's eyes hadn't left the paper. "It gets better, listen...

'After her letters ceased to appear in the office, Ministry officials were sent to her residence to investigate. Orrin was discovered lying on the floor just inside the front door, pronounced dead (and for at least a day). A magical autopsy followed shortly after, and medics found traces of an active potion still flowing in her veins and to vital muscles and organs.'" Hermione paused and looked up, four slightly dumbstruck faces gazing at her. '"A sample was taken, and a swift component detection determined only one ingredient.'"

"And it was...?" Ginny pressed. Hermione shook her head, eyes still on the text of the paper.

"It doesn't say. It seems that the Prophet has delved a lot of information from investigators already, though. But..." She paused, her eyes skimming the rest of the article. "All the rest of this is pretty much an obituary." She looked up and glanced around at the rest. "The people who are looking into her death must more know than we do, because it seems to be distressing them. Most potions that are still active after the taker's death are very recently taken health restorers, but apparently this one isn't, otherwise they'd overlook it. Those and the Polyjuice Potion."

"And she was found on the floor..." Ron said, "that's a little weird. She - - she'd be in her bed or something if she had just taken the potion if she were ill, wouldn't she?" Harry shook his head.

"Maybe she was just walking past the door to get there or something, we can't be sure of that. What do you know about these potions Hermione?" he added, looking at the smooth-haired brunette who was still gazing down at the Prophet with her bottom lip between her teeth. There was a long pause, and Hermione didn't answer.

"Considering the circumstances and the phase wizarding Europe is in right now," said Holly in a whisper, breaking the silence, "I think that woman was poisoned and dragged to her entryway."

"That's creepy," Ginny said, "and how do you figure? I'm with Harry - - I bet she was just walking past there on her way to lie down." She didn't look very sure of this.

Holly shook her head. "It doesn't say that anyone had checked in on her before!" she hissed, "She could have been out of her house and controlled by Imperius to send in those letters... and then brought back an poisoned."

"Do you think this is related to You-Know-Who, then?" Ron asked. Holly didn't say anything. Harry sighed and realized that there was a good chance that this was the case.

"No, no, don't be ridiculous..." Ginny began shakily.

"We all know he's back and trying to gain more power, right? Why couldn't it be him? Don't pull a trick like the Minister-" Holly started.

"Fudge realizes that Voldemort's back - - I mean - - we've given him a year and a half to see that. He just won't admit that the bizarre things that happen have to do with him and the Death Eaters, whether Voldemort was seen around or not," Harry explained. It's progress, I guess, he thought.

"I maintain that this lady was controlled by Imperius and then poisoned," Holly said obstinately leaning back to straighten herself up.

"Why though?" spoke Ron, "Why would she be poisoned, afterward? Was she fighting the curse or - -?"

Hermione finally looked up and stated, "Or was she being controlled by the potion that poisoned her?" They all stared at her and after a moment she elaborated. "If she were fighting the curse they could just wipe her memory and make her forget where she worked or what they were doing to her. I know I've read about potions that don't stop acting on the recipient until days after being taken. But there's one... oh but I can't be sure unless I have that book!" she explained in frustration.

"Which book?" inquired Harry.

"I remember Snape mentioning it - - it would be listed in one called Impigergra Veneficus, but it's in the Restricted Section." She looked around at them desperately for a moment.

Hurriedly Holly declared that she was going to go and talk to Professor Sutorlond, and scrambling out of her chair. After assuring Ron, who had commented that she had hardly eaten a thing, that she wasn't hungry (a lie considering that she hadn't come down for lunch either) she walked off, Ginny tailing her.

After they strode away, Hermione fixed her gaze on Harry meaningfully. He sighed. "And I suppose you want me to go and get it for you," he said in a dead, disheartened sort of voice.

"Oh could you?!" she replied happily, as though Harry had offered his assistance freely and excitedly. "That would be great, Harry! Thanks!" She smiled graciously at him before turning back down to her supper. He groaned inwardly.

Later on, when Hermione had hurried off to ask McGonagall about the next Hogsmeade weekend, Ron asked Harry when he was planning to pull through with this whole excursion.

"Considering that there are people milling around the library until about nine and Madam Pince leaves at around nine-thirty... I'd say ten," he stated simply, as though this whole upcoming bout of rule breaking didn't bother him. But it shouldn't - - he had done much worse.

"What about Filch and the prefects? Not to mention the new Invisibility-Cloak-See-Em-Through-Em-Ma-Bobbers... and some other spells done to prevent students from sneaking into the Restricted Section since the last time one of us went in there, two billion years ago." It wasn't that long ago, then Ron was good with exaggerations.

"Why didn't you offer to do it, then, if you're so worried?" Harry asked, looking up at Ron. He should have his legs amputated at the knee, for the sake of Harry's dignity. "She's your girlfriend."

"You're the one with the Invisibility Cloak."

"You're the one who should be kissin' the ground she walks on."

"What!? Since when?"

"Since... Sunday?" Ron looked blankly at him. "Er, never mind, I was joking. But, I said I'd do it, so I guess there's no turning back now, eh?" He shut his eyes for a second before Ron stated his agreement.

They entered the common room to plan out how exactly Harry was going to do this, and imagine what new precautions had been taken against people plotting to break the rules in the library in the middle of the night.

*()%()*

Holly measured out each step as she boldly (for her measure of bravery) walked in between the two House tables towards the Head Table. "You could just wait for Professor Sutorlond outside in the entrance hall if you wanted, since you actually are going to talk to him," suggested Ginny as she caught up with Holly and strode along at her side.

"I would have done that, but considering that I had to leave the table before the task of finding a book for Hermione was pinned on me... I'll talk to him right now, before he disappears though one of the doors behind the staff table or something," Holly said hastily. She glanced over to Ginny who grinned at her in a very effeminate way. "Do I have your support?" she questioned in a teasing key.

"Certainly." Holly stepped up onto the platform that raised the Head Table and walked along it, greeting the occasional professor that smiled at her and stopping at the man three seats down from Snape (but not before shooting the Potions teacher a very nasty look). Ginny stopped next to Holly and prodded her gently in the side to urge her on. Holly twisted her face into a honey-bearing glacé smile. The wizard looked up at her and raised his eyebrows in polite suspicion.

"Uh," Holly began, her words not being pulled through as smoothly as she wished they would have, "are you Professor Sutorlond?"

"I am," he said kindly, setting down his fork down on the golden plate with a soft click.

Holly sighed to herself, noting his kind tone and gentle eyes. "Oh good, I-I'm Holly Black, and I just found out from a Prefect that you teach the Quenya class, is that right?" The professor nodded. "Well, you see, I'm interested in taking that class next year, but I'd like to talk to you about it first. Could we possibly - - set up a time?"

"Oh indeed," he replied happily, and Holly exhaled in relief, "tonight would be fine, if you can find the time. I'm always up for recruiting a new student - - eight o'clock?"

"That would be great," Holly affirmed happily. They arranged for her to meet him in his office that night at 8.00 to discuss the class, although Holly had a different discussion in mind. After apologizing for interrupting his dinner, Holly and Ginny left for the entrance hall. Following their escape of the diminishing noise of the Great Hall, Ginny stopped Holly and looked her in the eyes. "Yes?"

"Why exactly do you want to learn Quenya?" Ginny asked sharply. Holly nonchalantly raised an eyebrow, but instead of the words she wanted from Ginny at this gesture, she just got a suspicious stare.

Holly sighed. "Gin, I just want to learn the language. I think it's very pretty, and those who speak it are fascinating." She stepped to the side but Ginny mimicked her, staying in her way. "That's all."

"You're lying." Holly made a noise whilst rolling her eyes and shaking her head disbelievingly. "You always have something up your sleeve, and this would be no exception! You know something about the Elves that has to do with you in some odd way, shape, or form and you know that they live in the Forbidden Forest..."

"And I also know that studies show massages can increase circulation, help heal tiny muscle tears, boost the body's immune system, and reduce sweat." Ginny narrowed her eyes. "I know a lot of things, Ginny, and most of them don't affect me, if they even matter at all." She quickly dodged around Ginny and started walking again, but the Weasley caught up with her soon enough, standing in front of her stoutly, her hands on her hips.

"Why, then, are you so anxious to learn this language, when you can't even take the class until next year?" she asked, giving Holly one of those looks your mother would have when she knew something was being kept from her.

Holly shrugged. "What can I say? I'm an impatient and ambitious person." She smirked, sidestepped Ginny, and hopped around her, striding forward again. She had reached the bottom of the grand staircase when Ginny skipped up a couple steps and stopped in front of her again, causing Holly to make an exasperated sound squeak up from the base of her throat.

"You're going into the Forest to see them," she stated with positive backbone, "I don't know the exact reason, but that's it, isn't it?" Holly looked at her emptily.

"Could you tell me why I would desire to go back in that forest ever again?" She sincerely hoped Ginny wouldn't say 'to see the Elves' because if she did, Holly may have just fallen flat on her back from being childishly outfoxed.

After a short pause Ginny sighed quietly, her expression softening. "I guess not." Holly smiled and treaded past her again, Ginny following and ascending the staircase at her side.

"I would never plan on doing something that big without informing my favorite redhead," she added with a chaffing wink. "What I'm going to do, tonight, is ask Sutorlond if he could give me a little tutoring one or two nights a week, so I can breeze through the class in the beginning of next year and the work load not be so much. I'd never learn Quenya in a year with everything else I have going on."

"Ah."

"Yup. And I was wondering, if the answer from him is yes, if you'd want to learn it with me," Holly added cautiously, hopping over a trick step.

"What?! You don't 'wonder', you assume!" stated Ginny.

"I don't assume! To assume is to make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. That's inconsiderate." Ginny mumbled something incoherent, and Holly chose that she didn't want to ask for an encore.

"I really don't want to learn Quenya..." Ginny said, "Not now anyway." 'Not now'... exactly. Holly knew that later on Ginny would want to know Quenya, but didn't tell her.

"Bonding time?" she suggested meekly as they reached the fourth floor.

"If we bond any further," Ginny responded, "we'll be permanently fused together." She pushed on the fifth brick on the left side of the corridor that was level with her shoulders, and they watched as it (and a large chunk of the stone-brick barrier) retreated back into the wall, then pulled itself in between a large gap in the stone on the right. They ducked into the hole, the section of stone resorted itself, and they continued down the relatively small, dank passage to the spiraling steps that led up to the seventh floor. A handy shortcut, this one was. They walked down a small hallway, lined with backdoors into two classrooms.

"Nox. Hey," Holly said as the light from her wand went out, "weren't you gunna give me a fighting lesson tonight?"

"Oh yeah, how to knock someone right to the ground with one punch instead of wasting your strength... a gift passed down from Weasley brother to Weasley brother until it finally reached the sister. I suppose we should do that tonight," Ginny said, forgetting about being permanently fused to Holly with excessive bonding time.

"Lubrico." A large square of the rough stone by the crawl hole became polished and shining. "Sounds great." Holly laid down on her back, put her hands through the space in the base of the wall, gripped the bottom of the bookcase, and pulled herself through on the slick spot of floor. Ginny pushed herself through after her, but came on her stomach instead.

"Hello Violet," said Ginny as they approached the portrait of the Fat Lady, who apparently had company.

The painted witch smiled. "Why hello, Miss Weasley, and - -?"

"Miss Black," Holly informed shortly, slipping her wand into her hip pocket, where half of it still stuck out. "Anthochaera."

*()%()*

After checking his watch (10.10), Harry threw his Invisibility Cloak around his shoulders and attached the clasp Sirius had given him for his birthday to the fabric hanging around his neck, pushing the button so it vanished as well. He activated the Marauder's Map, and held it with his thumb pressed over the bit of parchment that Hermione had written 'Impigergra Veneficus' on (and underlined twice) for Harry's reference. There was no way that he could remember that title on his own, let alone spell it out.

He slid past Dean, Seamus, and Neville who were ascending the stairs to the dormitory, wove his way through people moving around in the common room to Ron and Hermione who were sitting at a round table on their own. He knocked on the table, muttered that he was leaving, they both whispered 'good luck', and then he was off.

It was already dark outside the common room... although every torch lining the walls was lit. Harry ducked around a bookcase to get past the single Gryffindor prowler. She was holding a flashlight-like object in her hand, made of a bronze sort of metal, and giving off a soft, cerulean light. But, from what he could see, considering how small the light was, the beam spread far ahead and a good foot to either side. Silently, he slipped out onto the grand staircase and looked down at the map. There was a single prefect just outside each common room, including Draco Malfoy, Cho Chang, and Eric Hudson. The four resident house ghosts were gliding about, Myrtle was tucked safe in her bathroom, and Peeves was making his way to the kitchens (and it looked like Eric was following him).

All of the staff seemed to be in their offices, which was strange, because Harry was sure that at least five of them would be on the watch too, and not leaving it all to the caretaker and prefects. But, apparently that wasn't the case. Filch was on the first floor - - just outside the Muggle Studies classroom, and Mrs. Norris was skulking about on the Charms corridor. These were the floors below and above where he needed to be.

There were prefects in certain corridors, the entrance hall, and one outside the main doors. If Harry hadn't known that the only other students that would be outside their common rooms and dormitories were going to be prefects, he would be even more thankful for the little badges that floated next to their separate dots with a minute 'P' on each, signaling what they were. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs truly were geniuses. Well, maybe not Wormtail....

Harry began down the stairs as quickly as he could, ducking around the Fat Friar and jumping a trick step. If he were to get to the second floor before Mrs. Norris or Filch, he had to hurry. He didn't bother looking at the map, because that would just slow him down.

Out from behind a tapestry, through a door behind a sliding panel on the wall, he counted the flights of stairs he descended until he deduced he was on floor two. Harry hurried past Moaning Myrtle's bathroom (she could be heard wailing inside, but there was no water on the floor - - yet), down the corridor a ways, and into the library. He shut the door behind him very slowly, and checked the map again. There was no one in the library except for 'Harry Potter' so he walked towards the Restricted Section, which was in the very back of the library, not bothering to silence his footsteps. In years before there had only been a rope separating these books from the rest, but now there was an elaborate gate, which rose in twisting black-silver designs (versus plain bars), a large rectangular door with more curvy patterns atop it in the very middle. He tried the gate door - - locked. "Alohomora," he whispered. The lock clicked, and the door opened. He thought, Well that was easy enough, and entered. He wasn't thrown backwards, so the guards on this section of the library weren't at its most potent yet.

Harry glanced down at the piece of parchment in his hand... 'Impigergra Veneficus', and started forward for the 'I' section. He tucked the Marauder's Map into his pocket along with the parchment. It seemed to be going smoothly until something hard bounced off of his side, causing him to stumble slightly. Harry whipped around, and saw a large book flying back towards the bookshelf to his left, flapping its covers and pages on either side to fly like a somewhat uncoordinated bird. It fit itself into the open space from whence it came. That's never happened before. A while later, Harry discovered that every twentieth book down the line or so situated on the fourth shelf up would fly out of its space and back again in a straight line. Dodging these wasn't too difficult.

Then the obvious thing to do hit him. "Accio Im-impiger-gra... Venefi-cus." He waited for a moment, but nothing came. He tried again, this time saying the object he wanted clearly correctly and there was still nothing. The books must have some sort of anti-summoning charm on them, he figured, so he found his way to the section of shelves that contained the books whose titles began with 'I' and started reading down the line. He had just reached the I-Ms when he heard the sound of footsteps. He looked frantically toward the gates separating the main library from the Restricted Section, but saw nothing.

Harry heard a sliding sound on the opposite wall of the library. He slowly poked his head around the corner of the shelf nearest him, and to his horror saw Filch and Mrs. Norris both entering the Restricted Section through a sliding bookshelf. Filch looked completely ridiculous, holding a big lantern giving off the same aqua-blue light as the Gryffindor prefect's, its beam falling around on the floor about a metre and a half in every direction, and had another set of smaller blue lights attached to a band he was wearing around his head. He had a slightly manic expression, on his face; his eyes were wide, and his face was sweating slightly.

"This is where a room-guardian was disturbed, Mrs. Norris," he said, looking down at a band on his wrist, with a round, red light flashing in the middle of it, just like that on Hagrid's Clabberts' foreheads.

Room-guardian? he thought, That must have been that flying book that ran into me! Damn...

Harry dove back behind the bookshelf, trying to keep the sound of his hard breathing unnoticeable. He had been in trouble too many times to be caught tonight, and even worse, be caught under his Invisibility Cloak. It would be confiscated if he were seen... the only thing that he had inherited from his dad would be shoved in a cabinet drawer with Screaming Yo-yos, Stink Pellets, and Fanged Frisbees. And that simply wouldn't be fair.

Harry looked back at the books in frenzy. After tonight the library was bound to be better protected! Impigergra Veneficus, Impigergra Veneficus, Impigergra Veneficus, Impigergra Veneficus, where is it?! Blue light was filling the corner to his right, where Filch was approaching. Harry ran to the left, turning around the corner of another bookshelf, swiping the tip of Mrs. Norris' tail with his leg. She began meowing; her creepy, lamp-like eyes fixed on his.

Filch could be heard walking around the corner towards Mrs. Norris in front of him, and Harry started to the other side of the section. Filch began speaking again, but this time it wasn't to his cat. "Ah, Nott, you came." Taryn Nott, a Slytherin girl in his year, was entering the Restricted Section through the main gate.

"Certainly," she replied, shutting and locking the gate door. Her key which was usually smoothly uncaring was now bridging on annoyed. "I heard you call for assistance in the library, did I not?"

"You did. There is a student in here, I'm sure of it. I want you to check this side of the section... Mrs. Norris and I will stay over here."

Couldn't it have been a prefect from any other house? Taryn was a fast-thinker, and very sneaky, as were many Slytherins... not to mention the fact she hated Harry. Why did Filch want help anyway? Harry could have been far gone by now if he had found that stupid book.

Two blue lights were filling the far corners of the section as Filch and Taryn split up. Harry looked around for a way he could avoid being seen. Standing in between two bookcases wouldn't work... nor would streaking past them - - as even if he were moving fast they doubtlessly could tell it was Harry Potter.

It looked like there was only one way to go to not be caught, and that was up. Harry had always been very good at climbing, but he wasn't as short and wiry as before... and he could only hope that these bookcases were held upright by magic. There was hardly enough space for him to grasp onto each shelf, three inches at most, so he did his best to make haste as he contended up it, using the wall for support.

Atop the case he could see Filch's balding head looking from side to side, adorned with lights, and Taryn taking the spells off the flying books with her wand to get them out of her way. Mrs. Norris sniffed around the wall he had just used in his efforts to get where he was now.

He hurried along the wood silently, and found himself looking down at the 'I' section again. The books along the walls in the library were stacked twice as high as the rest of the shelves that stood in the middle of the room. More books started flying at him now, as he jumped from one shelf to the next. It wobbled slightly under him, and his heart started pounding harder. Now he was close to the gate, and a whispered 'Alohomora' unlocked it from within.

But Taryn heard it click. She alerted Filch before striding over to the gate casually and standing in front of it, her light raised high. She shut and locked the gates again, not about to let a student pass through easily when it could help Slytherin win the House Cup. Filch and Mrs. Norris split up, walking back and forth along the walls.

Harry saw a movement out of the corner of his eye, and upon turning his head, saw that a large book from one of the upper shelves was flapping right at him. He dodged it easily, but caught a glimpse of the peeling title on the cover. Impigergra Veneficus. Ugh. As it turned around to return to its right place, Harry decided on catching it.

But just as he did so he realized it was a bad idea. The book put up a mighty struggle, and it was a moment before Taryn noticed. Harry grappled at it, pulled out his wand and pointed it to the fighting book as best as he could. "Finite Incantatum!" he hissed in a frenzy, and the book fell open and stationary in his hands.

"Mr. Filch!" Taryn exclaimed, pointing her light up at him. Harry shut the book and quickly hopped over to the other shelf. "Mr. Filch, there's someone up there, they have a book." Harry froze as Filch's eyes fell on the book that, from his point of view, was floating in midair.

Screaming Yo-yos, Stink Pellets, and Fanged Frisbees, a voice in his head reminded him. Detention every night for a week. Fifty points from Gryffindor, minimum.

Then he remembered a Charms lesson in which he witnessed a pixie-sized Lavender shouting incomprehensible words at Neville, shaking her tiny fist. "Minuoutum," he whispered quickly, touching the tip of his wand to the heavy book, and it began to shrink. When it was about as big as his hand he pulled the wand away, and shoved the book inside his robe pocket.

This all happened so fast that Filch was only just lifting up his lantern. Harry launched himself off of the bookcase and grabbed onto the sturdy ladder on the wall. With this jump the bookcase was tipped backward, and accompanying its fall were the bashes of numerous books hitting the floor.

That didn't confuse Filch, as he was turning towards the ladder. Harry pushed hard against the wall, and silently thanked the rusty wheels on the bottom for simply being as he rolled to the other side of the Restricted Section with speed.

Filch followed at a mad trot, and it looked like Harry was caught as from one side came Taryn and the other Filch. But then muffled mewing came from the direction of the other corner of the section. Filch turned, and forgetting all about the alleged and present rule-breaker bellowed "MRS. NORRIS!" and sped off to the fallen bookcase.

Taryn raised her light slowly up the ladder, but Harry jumped down, ducked past her at a run, and to the gates. He unlocked them and bolted out of the Restricted Section, through the rest of the library, and into the second floor corridor.

Up the stairs he ran, not caring if his footsteps could be heard around half the castle because there was no way that anyone would catch him, regardless. On the fourth floor he used the passage Ginny and Holly had earlier, and after it shut behind him he started running down the damp hallway and, as it came to an end, up the spiraling stairs.

I'm never going to do a favor for Hermione again... EVER, he thought while ascending the steps. All was going well, and it looked as though he were home free, until he reached the top of the staircase and ran headlong into Snape.

*()%()*