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Harry Potter and the Silent Guardian : Ch. 195
🕑 Added 2024-08-05 19:18:32 +0000 UTCChapter 195: "Halloween Havoc Part - 1"
The Great Hall was alive with the festive spirit of Halloween. Enchanted pumpkins floated above the tables, their carved faces grinning and grimacing at the students below. The ceiling, bewitched to reflect the night sky, showed a full moon peeking through wispy clouds. The air was filled with the delicious aroma of roasted meats, pumpkin pies, and various magical confections.
Conspicuously absent was Harry Potter, who had chosen to dine in the kitchens as usual. Unlike the previous year, however, he had insisted his friends remain at the feast.
"There's a high chance the Azkaban escapees might try something tonight," Harry had explained to a concerned Roger earlier that day. "I'd feel better knowing you're all safe in the Great Hall."
"But what about you?" Reggy had pressed, his brow furrowed with worry. "Shouldn't you stay with us for safety?"
Harry had simply smiled with confidence in his eyes. "I can handle myself. Don't worry."
Now, as the feast was in full swing in the Great Hall, Harry sat in the cozy warmth of the Hogwarts kitchens. Surrounded by eager house elves, he had a barely touched plate of food in front of him. His attention was focused on the Marauder's Map spread out before him, his eyes scanning every corridor and secret passage.
"Master Harry is not eating," Pinky, a particularly attentive elf, said worriedly, his large eyes fixed on Harry's face. "Is the food not to Master Harry's liking?"
Harry smiled reassuringly at the elf, tearing his gaze away from the map for a moment. "The food's great, Pinky. I'm just... preoccupied."
As the feast in the Great Hall began to wind down, Harry's vigilance was rewarded. A familiar name appeared on the map: Peter Pettigrew. The dot was moving swiftly through the dungeons, not far from the kitchens. The other three names were missing, but Harry knew they had no means of hiding from the map. The moment they entered the castle, he would be alerted.
Harry leapt to his feet, startling the house elves. "Sorry, I've got to go," he said hurriedly, already moving towards the exit. "Thanks for the delicious food!"
He raced through the corridors, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallways. The portraits on the walls watched curiously as he passed, some calling out questions that went unanswered.
As Harry neared the spot where he'd seen Pettigrew on the map, he slowed, wand at the ready. But the corridor was empty, just like the last time.
Frowning, Harry checked the map again. Pettigrew's dot had vanished from the whole map as if the man had simply ceased to exist within Hogwarts.
Determined not to let the rat escape this time, Harry began a thorough search of the area. His persistence paid off when he discovered a small hole in the wall, barely noticeable unless you were looking for it.
"So that's how you've been moving around," Harry muttered, his mind racing with the implications. He could see that the hole led to the pipes, the very pipes the basilisk had used the previous year to move around the castle.
As Harry tried to move closer to the hole, to attempt to see if he could widen it and enter himself, a deafening explosion rocked the corridor. The force of the blast sent him stumbling backward, debris raining down around him.
Harry's training kicked in instinctively. He dropped to the ground, casting a quick shield charm around himself. Chunks of stone and dust bounced off his magical barrier, creating a cacophony of noise that echoed through the now-damaged corridor.
As the dust settled, Harry could hear the sound of approaching footsteps. Multiple sets, running fast. The professors had arrived, likely alerted by the explosion.
"Mr. Potter!" Professor McGonagall's voice cut through the settling dust, her Scottish brogue more pronounced in her concern. "Are you alright? What happened here?"
Harry picked himself up, dusting off his robes. He quickly assessed the situation, deciding how much to reveal. "I'm fine, Professor. As I was leaving the Hogwarts kitchen after my meal, I saw a rat running in the corridors. Thinking it might be Pettigrew, I followed it into this corridor. He must have set off the explosion to cover his escape. Or this might have been a trap designed for me. I'm not sure."
Professor Flitwick, who had arrived with McGonagall, began examining the blast site. His small form moved nimbly over the debris as he cast various detection spells. "Curious," he muttered, his brow furrowed in concentration. "This doesn't seem like a typical explosive spell. It was surely a trap for you. Looks like Pettigrew underestimated you. Good that you used my training well and are unharmed."
Lupin, who had joined them, moved to the place Harry had indicated Peter's escape route. He started investigating, his wand moving in intricate patterns as he cast detection spells. His face was grim.
As the other professors joined in the investigation, Harry was dismissed. He walked away, his mind whirling with thoughts and theories. The explosion seemed pointless, a waste of effort that achieved nothing except to alert the castle to Pettigrew's presence.
On his way back, he pondered the purpose of the explosion. It seemed so ineffective... until a sudden vibration from the map in his pocket jolted Harry from his thoughts. He pulled it out, his heart sinking as he saw new names appear: Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange. They were heading towards the moving staircases.
It didn't make sense at first why they were going there until Harry saw a group of people heading in that very direction: Charles, Neville, and a small group of their Gryffindor friends. The objective of the Lestranges became painfully clear.
"A diversion," Harry thought out loud, the pieces falling into place. Now the explosion in the dungeons made sense. With no Professors near the group of Gryffindors or himself, he would have to deal with this on his own. There was no time to delay. He sprinted towards the Lestranges.
As he ran, Harry couldn't help but accept that the Death Eaters were intelligent and very nothing like villains in stories. They had thought of traps and distractions to move the professors away from their target. It was a well-executed strategy, one that might have worked perfectly if not for Harry's vigilance and the Marauder's Map.
