THE CRYSTAL BALL
The trio came out of the herbology lab and went towards the dormitory. But as they walked, they started thinking of some unpleasant things.
"Why would dad not tell us about the letters?" asked Alex.
"Its obvious that he does not want us to know anything that has been discussed amongst our parents", said Rose.
"But he gave us hints right?" asked Alex. "I mean the part of stay away from Scorpious Malfoy and not to go into the dungeons".
Just as Rose was about to reply, Albus interrupted. "Exactly!" he cried out. "The dungeons! Professor Longbottom said not to go into the dungeons, it completely means that there must be something in it that they do not want us to know about".
"Or we may just go to Malfoy and ask him", said Rose, being logical
Alex looked at sarcastically and said, "Oh! That is a lovely idea. We can simple walk to him and ask him about his father and his wicked plans and how to defeat him. And he would simply just tell us everything he knows in a second, like we are the best of friends".
Rose turned pink and said, "I was being realistic".
"No....you were trying to be smart, like always", said Alex and walked with Albus.
Rose was fuming by now but stayed calm and cool. Afterall, she was getting carried away.
"So we are going to the dungeons?" asked Albus.
Rose and Alex looked at him in surprise. "Are you serious ,Al?" asked Rose.
"She's right", said Alex. "We know nothing about this place remember? What if we get caught?"
"But we just have to have a look", demanded Albus. "I mean....if we do find something, something that's important, it'll be good to solve our parents' problems".
"Albus, they are wise enough to solve their problems on their own. Atleast your father is", said Rose. "He once defeated and killed the most darkest wizard of all times".
But Albus' mind was made up completely. He wanted to go into the dungeons no matter what happened.
"I don't care what happens, I'm going to take the risk", said Albus. "If you feel I'm doing something wrong, you can simply stay away. Or else, meet me in the common room when everyone's asleep late at night".
And saying this he darted off, leaving very confused Alex and Rose behind who simple looked at each other and roll their lips.
Albus marched in top speed towards the dormitory but did not enter. The thought that Rose, his cousin and Alex, the one whom he thought was a good friend had let him down, pricked him really hard. The next class was Defense Against the Dark Arts. He merely headed towards the room taking short and quick strides.
Just as he turned round a corner, he bumped in to someone, and fell. His books slipped from his hands and he looked upto see who it was.
The person whom he bumped into was also lying on the ground. Hogwarts robes with a emerald and silver tie and emblem, with long plain black hair and a pink blush under the eyes layed a Slytherin girl.
Albus managed to get up and take his books to a corner of his head said that he should help the girl as well. He picked up her books and was about to help her when she suddenly snatched her books from him and got up looking tensed. "Um...sorry about that", she said in a vibrating tone.
"That's okay", said Albus. "Are you hurt?"
"Not really", she whispered looking around.
Albus looked around curiously and then asked, "Is it a problem if someone sees you here with me?"
The girl looked at him surprised and said, "Not really. Slytherins and Griffindors generally don't stop by and talk".
Albus chuckled. "Humorist".
"Thanks", she said and looked down.
"I'm Albus, Albus Potter", he reached out his hand.
The girl reached out and gently gripped his hand and said, "Ellen, Ellen Page".
A pause followed. Albus found it very uncomfortable
"So.....Defense class?" she asked.
"Yup! Professor Avalon", said Albus.
"Oh! He's a lovely teacher. He explains things really well." said rose.
Albus' brows deepened. "Howe did you know that? We did not have class with him once".
The smile on Ellen's face vanished and she was left numb. "Well....um.........er.......I....went to him to ask him about.......phi-lix curse. Its something really complicated and you don't really get to know much about it in your first year."
"Did he help?" asked Albus.
"Like I said, not until you pass your first year" said Ellen.
Just then, Rose and Alex came and saw them.
Ellen seeing them, turned around and said, "I'll see you later Albus Potter" and marched straight ahead.
Albus turned around and saw them. "Well?" he asked.
Rose took a deep breath and looked at Alex and then said, "Albus we were talking...a lot....and we decided to accompany you to the dungeons tonight."
A smile appeared on his face. "Thanks".
"But what if anyone sees us? What if dad sees us? He always takes a walk to the herbology lab to check on his jafroot plants" asked Alex.
They started thinking hard.
Then Albus' face glowed. "Invisible cloak", he muttered.
Rose looked at Albus as if she had just seen the most fearful thing in her life. "You actually brought it with you to Hogwarts?"
Albus nodded with a twinkle in his eyes.
"And does your father knows about it?" Rose asked.
"Well, I did leave him a letter on James' study table", Albus said.
"So, tonight?" confirmed Alex.
"Tonight", Albus replied.
Time really seemed to drag along the way. They had five classes all morning including Defense Against the Dark Arts and Albus had really stingy feelings regarding professor Avalon-the way he spoke, the way he demonstrated with practical explanations and the way he looked at Albus during classes seemed very strange indeed. But Albus had his own excitement. He was very desperate about the following night. Rose had negative feelings but she had volunteered already. Alex' sarcasm regarding her being the daughter of two brave parents like Ron and Hermione fetched her anger really spontaneously.
Evening was mostly spend for prep classes. The fifth years were preparing for their OWLS and the seventh years were busy with their final courses. Dinner was served at the Great Hall. Albus ate heartily and it was announced by professor Mc'Gonagall that no one was to wander about the corridors late at night. This brought in tension to Rose as well.
The night seemed to be long and it took ages for the clock to struck twelve at midnight. Albus and Alex caught up with Rose in the common room who, was apparently, loitering about the room in tension.
"Albus, are you sure you want to do this?" asked Rose, one last time.
"Yes", said Albus, sarcastically.
"Lets go before any of the prefects come to check us out", advised Alex.
Albus took out the invisible cloak, it still had the aroma of that wild adventure into which hs father had got himself into. long time back. The three fitted i perfectly well.
"Lets move", said Albus, and the three slowly walked together, fully covered.
The corridors were dark and deserted and there was no one to be seen.
"Everyone's probably sleeping, even the prefects", whispered Rose.
They got to the staircase and just as they were about to walk down, it started to move.
"What's happening?" asked Albus.
"The stairs keep on changing, remember?" said Alex.
The stairs joined the other end of the floor and stopped moving. "Maybe we can look here a bit and then figure a way out", said Albus.
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[EDITED: 03/04/2010]
"I am not liking this guys", said Rose. "What if a professor finds us and expels us?"
Alex looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "Its hard to believe that your parents are the ones who stopped the darkest wizard of all times. Are you sure you're their daughter?"
That's exactly what Albus wanted to say all along.
Rose looked away.
The corridors were dark, only some light was coming from the moon outside. "Okay, professor Longbottom told us to stay away from the dungeons."
"The dungeons was the place where Professor Severus Snape used to teach potions. Apparently, Professor Merchant teaches Potions in the second tower now", said Rose.
Albus remembered that it was this Professor Snape after whom he had got his middle name, Severus.
"We can't afford to waste any time", said Albus.
The two somehow got through the deserted corridor and hurried through the different chambers full of books and other things necessary for teaching. And finally, they got to the Grooms Room (Alex had told Albus and Rose that there was a short cut to the Dungeons which he had seen in the map his dad had brought home last summer to show to his mum, indicating how Hogwarts had actually changed). "This is it I suppose", confirmed Albus from Alex who nodded.
Grooms Room is used for restricted material like dangerous potions and plant scalps and confidential documents, Alex reported. It was one of the most restricted sections of Hogwarts Professor Mc'Gonagall had told them in the dinner Hall the first time they had come.
They saw the Dungeons and the door-a thick brown rusty, crummy and worn out metal where some black insect like thing were growing. Albus and Alex turned the knob and......it wouldn't turn. "Its Locked!" cried Albus.
Rose tried to open the knob with a spell but it would not work at all. They tried very hard on it but failed. After almost twenty to thirty minutes, they gave up hope and anticipation.
"Its no use Al, The door's dead locked", said Alex.
Albus sighed and decided to retreat. Somehow, he felt he had terribly disappointed himself and his parents, thinking that they would have come up with a cleverer option. But then, a different part of his head said why was he doing all this? Was he trying to prove a point, so soon? He wasn't even sure whether anything was there on the other side of the door. Maybe he was just trying to be a hero... a stupid and immature hero who did not even know why he was doing all this?
Just as they were about to leave the Grooms Room, Rose shrieked. the boys looked at her out of fright. She pointed to a round silver glowing object that was filled with a cloud like smoke and a possible figure was appearing in it. "What's that?" Rose asked.
"A crystal ball....a prophesy sort", Alex said.
"Can you read what it says?" asked Albus out of curiosity.
"No mate, am not in Divination in the 1st year", Alex said.
"Albus, lets just get out of here", said Rose.
Alex agreed. But Albus kept staring at the ball and suddenly, reflex, his hand automatically lifted the object and headed towards the exit door. "What are you doing? You know nothing about this thing. Maybe its not ours to keep, its the restricted section", said Rose, freaking out.
But Albus said nothing, he just picked up the object and moved on.
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