[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
The Crossing of Paths



Pop! Pop! Pop!

Harry, Ron, and Hermione apparated into the lane leading from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts, just outside of the enchanted barriers that kept intruders from apparating into the grounds of the school itself.

“Lumos!” All three of them uttered the spell nearly in unison, lighting the tips of their wands. They walked quickly toward the big wrought iron gates, guarded by giant stone beasts, and Harry swept his wand through the air, “Expecto patronum!” he announced and the stag burst from his wand. “Go and tell Hagrid that we’re here, ask him to let us in the gates,” Harry instructed it, and the stage cantered through the gates and off across the lawns toward the soft glow of Hagrids hut, which spat smoke from the squat little chimney.

“Feels funny being back,” Ron commented, “The three of us, out in the dark, goin’ to visit old Hagrid, huh?” He looked around at Harry and Hermione.

Harry nodded, “Speaking of which, when we’re finished here, I need to pop home real quick and get the invisibility cloak. That’ll be mighty useful I imagine.”

“If I had an invisibility cloak I’d carry it around with me day and night,” Ron whispered.

“I used to,” Harry admitted, “But Ginny thought it would be safer at home with some protective spells cast ‘round it so that nobody comes searching for it.”

Hermione nodded, “That’s what’s best. Honestly, Ronald, carrying a Hallow along with you every place you went. You’d end up robbed or worse --- ”

“Expelled?” Ron interrupted, finishing her sentence with a smirk. Harry chuckled.

“I was going to say dead, but since the matter is funny to you --”

“Look,” Harry said, pointing through the gates, stopping their argument in it’s track (they were so good at arguing it was a wonder they had anytime to be in love). “There’s Hagrid coming.”

Sure enough, across the grounds there bobbled a lantern, higher than any normal sized person could’ve toted it. Hagrid was running across the grounds toward them. He was panting as he reached the gates moments later. “Blimey, Harry, yeh’r here late,” he said. “Jus’ let me find the righ’ key here on me rings…” and he pulled out a loop of keys so thickly populated that it must’ve had a thousand keys upon it if it had one.

Ron’s eyes widened. “Hagrid, you’ve a key for every door in the world.”

“E’ery door in Hogwarts,” Hagrid corrected.

“That’s a lot of doors,” Hermione said.

“s’what I’m sayin’,” Ron agreed.

Hagrid spent several moments picking through them, examining the keys as he dug one by one, holding them up to the moonlight. “What brings you lot ter Hgowarts anyway?” he asked.

“We need to talk to Xenophilius,” Harry explained.

Hagrid looked up, “Xenophilius,” he said, “What’re yeh talkin’ ter him fer?”

While Hagrid searched the remaining keys, Harry quickly filled him in on the appearance of the magpie the day before and the message she’d carried and what that could possibly mean in the case of Lysander Scamander and the brush with the gorgon that he and his men had earlier that day. Finally, just as Harry was concluding his story, Hagrid stuck the right key in the lock of the gate and the old thing creaked forward slowly.

“Can’t be a gorgon,” Hagrid said nervously, “Yeh looked in ter her eyes yeh say? A true gorgon would turn yeh ter stone with a look in the eyes.”

Ron clicked his fingers, “That’s it. That’s the bit of the story I forgot.”

“She’s not a proper gorgon,” Harry said, “Or maybe the myths got it wrong, I don’t know. You know how muggle mythology compares to the real world.”

Hagrid led the way across the grounds toward the castle. “I can’t stay with yeh, I’ve got ter get back ter me cabin, I’ve got comp’ny.”

“That’s okay, Hagrid,” Hermione said. She smiled, “Is it a lady friend?”

Hagrid blushed, “No it's not. It’s Andrew Weasley, actually. Got him ‘n his friend Ermalene here. She’s takin’ care a bit o’ business up in the castle an’ goin’ ter be comin’ down ter get us at the cabin after she’s done.” Hagrid’s hands moved nervously, flapping at his sides. “Welp better git back down there. Stop by after yer talk with Xeno’s done, I’ll have some rock cakes ready like the old times.” He looked hopeful.

“I’m afraid we don’t really have time, Hagrid,” Harry said, “I’m sorry. We’ll visit soon, I promise.”

Hagrid looked disappointed. “I understand,” he said anyway. “Well good luck ter yeh and stay safe ‘round that gorgon there ain’ no tellin’ what kind of danger them creatures pose, proper or not.”

“We will Hagrid,” Hermione promised.

“Say ‘ello to Andy for me,” Ron said, “Tell him to come ‘round the shop again. George and I were let down to find out he’d been ‘round when we weren’t there.”

“Aye, I will,” Hagrid nodded.

“Thanks again Hagrid,” Harry said, “Goodnight!”

The three of them waved to Hagrid, who started off across the grounds with his lantern, back toward his cabin, as they climbed the stairs up to the great entrance hall.

Ron groaned as they entered the hall and saw the emerald and silver decorations. “Course the Slytherins won again.” He frowned as they came to a stop, looking around them.

“So where do we look for Xenophilius?” Harry asked. He and Ron both looked at Hermione.

“Don’t look at me,” Hermione said.

Harry looked up at the ceiling, “The one time Peeves isn’t hanging around playing practicals on us,” he commented. “Well, I s’pose we just wander ‘til we find one of the ghosts or someone who can tell us where to find him. I know Luna as Ravenclaw, but what house was Xenophilius?”

“Seemed like a Hufflepuff to me,” Ron commented.

“Certainly not Gryffindor,” Hermione added, thinking of the time they’d spent with Xeno when they’d accidentally blown up his house and he’d called for Death Eaters to come and collect Harry because he was afraid of what they’d do to Luna if he didn’t.

“So Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, then,” Harry concluded, “He certainly wasn’t Slytherin. C’mon, we’ll go ‘round the common rooms and see if we can’t find him there.” He led the way through the great hall and down a corridor to where the Hufflepuff common room was, near the kitchens. Several busy-looking house elves wandered the halls down this way, and Ron stared around at them as they walked past, carrying freshly laundered sheets and pillowcases.

They rounded the final corner before getting to the door to the common room when the Fat Friar came around the bend, gliding through Hermione, who shrieked in surprise, making several house elves drop their wares. “Sorry,” she gasped, rubbing the cold from her arm, “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Friar!” Harry called, stopping the ghost before he could glide through the far wall of the corridor. He came to a stop and turned to look at Harry expectantly, “We were hoping to run into someone! Do you know where Xenophilius is?”

The Fat Friar thought for a moment, “Last I saw of him he was haunting around the herbology greenhouse, trying to talk Professor Longbottom into teaching the students about how dirigible plums enhance the mind to accept the extraordinary and gurdyroots ability to ward off the gulping plimpies.” The Friar uncharacteristically rolled his eyes. Clearly, Xenophilius hadn’t given up his unusual beliefs, even as a ghost.

“Thanks,” Harry said, and the trio turned back around and headed up to the great hall once more. They were on the way to the doors to head out to the greenhouses to find Neville when Ermalene Talon came racing down the grand staircase and quite literally ran right into Ron, who only just caught her as she bounced off his chest.

“Bloody hell,” he exclaimed, “Hasn’t your mum ever told you not to run indoors?”

“Sorry,” Ermalene gasped, “I’m sorry, I’m just --” her eyes found the flaming red hair atop his head and she realized at once who he was and she looked at Harry and Hermione standing a couple steps away. “Oh my stars!” she cried, “It’s all three of you!” Her eyes were about as wide as saucers.

Hermione said, “You must be Ermalene, Andrew’s friend that Hagrid was telling us about?”

Ermalene nodded. “Yes,” she barely was able to squeak out. Hermione Granger knew her name. She could’ve fainted on the spot. She’d dreamed for years about what it would be like to meet Harry Potter and his friends and within a 24-hour period she’d not only met Harry, but met the other two parts of the Trio as well. She could barely believe it and couldn’t help but stare.

Harry mistook her look of awe for one of expectation.

“I’m sorry, Ermalene,” Harry said, “I know you’re waiting to find out about your family, but I haven’t had a moment yet to look into it, I’ve been on this Lysander Scamander case all day, and we’re actually here to find out more about it from one of the school ghosts ---”

“It’s okay!” Ermalene said quickly, “I know who my family is! I’ve just been talking to Albus Dumbledore --”

“To Dumbledore!?” Hermione’s eyes flashed.

“You said he was missing!” Ron turned to Harry.

“He was,” Harry said, “Where did you find Dumbledore?” he asked her.

“The Hall of Ancestors,” Ermalene answered, “I was to talk to Dumbledore - he told Hagrid - and Hagrid brought me here and --”

Harry was looking very confused, “Wait, Hagrid knew where Dumbledore was all this time?” He felt offended Hagrid had never told him where to find Dumbledore’s portrait, despite all the times he really could’ve used the help of Dumbledore’s wisdom down at the office.

“Well he knew in a way, but not really. The Grey Lady - Helena - she had to show me exactly where the Hall was at,” Ermalene explained, “Well I guess I could technically call her Gran.” Her face flushed, “And I want to help you find my father.”

“Hang on,” Ron said, “Your father?”

“Lysander Scamander,” Ermalene nodded, “According to the tapestry in the Hall of Ancestors, I’m his daughter. And I want to help you find him.”

Harry let the information flood him for a moment, steeping his brain in it all, trying to absorb everything she’d just told him. It was a lot to find out all at once.

Hermione looked around between Harry and Ron. “Well we can’t let a child go to the Great North Woods,” she said hotly.

Harry looked at Ermalene, “Hermione’s right,” he said. “I’m sorry Ermalene, but I’ve already lost one young person to this cause, I’m not losing another. But if you want to help, you could help us find Xenophilius so that we can try and figure out how best to go help Lysander.”

Ermalene nodded, though she wasn’t pleased with the choice. She hoped they couldn’t see in her eyes that she’d already planned to rebel against this command. She knew she could get Andy to go along with her to the Great North Woods if she’d just ask right. They’d apparate there themselves, with or without the aurors, and they’d find Lysander Scamander.

“The greenhouses are this way,” Hermione, who regularly made trips to Hogwarts on Ministry business, led the way through the dark. “Hopefully, Neville won’t mind a bit of company at this hour.”