Chapter 7 Kingdom of the Past
With
those three little words, Harry became the Protector’s hands, eyes and ears
within the Hogwarts grounds. He had been given two tasks... to keep a close eye
on the movements of the people in the school, paying close attention to
Arrowny, and gathering ingredients for a spell to break the barrier that’s
preventing the Protector from entering the grounds.
Harry
spent the next two weeks collecting the necessary supplies for the spell... and
he spent the entire time wishing that he still had his invisibility cloak and
Marauders Map. He had to gather more than a few herbs from Snape’s personal
supply cupboard, as well as one or two magic talismans from Flitwick office.
Beyond the fact that this was very, very hard to do, Harry just didn’t feel
right taking this much stuff without the teachers knowledge... but the
Protector assured him that in the end, they would know he had done the right
thing.
Almost
as hard as actually taking the materials, was hiding them from his roommates.
The only real solution he could come up with was to hide everything under his
bed, covered in one of his old sets of school robes... but they weren’t going
to stay hidden there for long. Eventually, somebody... be it Dean, Seamus, Ron,
Neville, or even Dobby... it wouldn’t matter who, but somebody was bound to
find the stuff.
This
past weekend, however, he had a much easier time getting around the school
after hours. He still had to deal with the normal teacher’s rounds... but not
with the all present Mister Arrowny. As part of the current History of Magic
curriculum, the sixth years were going on a class trip. First up was the
Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws... and Arrowny had gone, along with Professor
Flitwick, as chaperones. Without the young Canadian’s constant eye watching
him, he had managed to gather all the spell ingredients, save one. Trouble was,
he wasn’t going to be able to look for the remaining item next weekend, as it
will be Gryffindor and Slytherin’s turn to take a trip. So, not only does Harry
lose out on a good weekend of study, he gets to spend it surrounded by
Slytherins, Arrowny, and the other chaperone... none other than Professor
Snape.
The
only thing Harry could think of that would make the field trip worse would be
if Lord Voldemort were to attack during it.
* * * * * *
The
following week was spent with all the sixth year Gryffindors and Slytherins
asking all the sixth year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws what the field trip had
been like. Unfortunately, a very handy charm that Flitwick had cast prevented
those who had already gone from talking about it with those who hadn’t... a
damned effective charm too. Harry and Ron had actually managed to talk Hermione
into trying to reverse it... resulting in a very nasty case of laryngitis for
one Justin Finch-Fletchley.
Soon
enough, though, it was Friday morning, and the sixth years were gathered at the
train station in Hogsmeade, along with Professor Snape, Arrowny, and Hagrid.
The giant had only accompanied them to give a loving farewell to Harry, Ron,
and Hermione... but Harry very much wished he could have joined them for the
entire trip.
There
was a great amount of noise from the students before Arrowny shouted over them.
“OKAY...
QUIET PLEASE!” It took a few minutes for the talking to die down. “Okay then.
We’re getting on this train,” he motions behind him to a large, black train
that looks much more modern than the Hogwarts Express, “and we’re taking it to
a place called
But, I
do understand the fact that children of your age like to make lots of noise...
so, I promise that Professor Snape and I will stick to our won compartment on
the train. I’m asking any Prefects that are here to just make sure things don’t
get too far out of hand... ‘kay? Don’t kill anybody... and we won’t bother
you.”
“Unless
you bother US!” Snape’s dark voice let the students know that he was quite
serious... he, apparently, very much did NOT want to be disturbed during the
trip... and gods help the person that does something to force the Prefects to
make a report.
Even
though there were enough compartments on the train for there to be only three
or four students to each, when they all boarded there quickly became a
Gryffindor side, and a Slytherin side of the train... leaving most of the
middle compartments completely empty. Even the famous Gryffindor trio, who
usually liked to have a section to themselves during train rides, had decided
to socialize with their housemates.
But,
even with the various games of Exploding Snap and Wizards Chess... not to mention
the rather loud conversation, Hermione just couldn’t, much to Ron’s distaste,
keep her mind off of Draco.
“I hope
he isn’t just sitting alone in one of the empty compartments. I doubt the
Slytherins would allow him to sit with them.” She gives a pleading look to her
two friends. Ron just shakes his head.
“Hermione...
NO! Look... it’s one thing for me and Harry to hang out with him... but if
you’re thinking about asking him to come and join the entire house... what
makes you think that the rest of them would even tolerate him being around?”
“Well...
at the very least... we should make sure they aren’t tormenting him, right?”
She turns to Harry... “Well... shouldn’t we?”
Harry
just sighs... he knows what Hermione wants. Since the only person the Slytherins
hate more than Draco right now is ‘famous Harry Potter’... she wants him to go,
just to take some of the heat off of Malfoy.
“Alright...
fine. I’ll go see if I can find him.”
Harry quietly picks his way through his active
classmates... he really isn’t ready to tell them that he’s going to see if a
Malfoy wants to join them when they ask why he’s leaving.
A quick
glance into the compartment that the Slytherins were gathered in told him that
Draco was not present... his bleached blond hair is rather easy to see among
the much darker browns and blacks that the majority of his housemates had
inherited from their parents. Deciding that he best not stay within striking
range of these particular people for long, he quickly continues down the narrow
hallway that runs along the one side of the car.
In the
next compartment he finds the chaperones, Arrowny and Snape, playing a game of
Wizards Chess... and by the looks of it, Snape was winning. The small black
chess men were all shaking their fists and shouting at Ryan. Harry turns away,
and takes a look in the next compartment, in which sits the very lonely looking
Draco. He’s just about to head in and talk to the Slytherin boy, when he hears
the voices of the teachers coming from the slightly open compartment door.
“I’ve
got no problems killing people, Severus... at least... no more than you do.”
Arrowny’s tone was rather bland... at least, it was bland compared to anybody
else’s voice that Harry had heard when they were talking about killing people!
Harry watches them through the small window on the door... taking great care
not to be seen.
“I’ll
have you know, Mister Arrowny... that I have not taken a human life in some
years now. I’d appreciate it if you could keep my name as far away from yours
when it comes to that respect.” Snape calmly points to one of his Bishop’s, and
instructs it to move across the chess board.
“Whatever
man... I think you miss it.”
“I most
certainly do NOT! I am not one of these psychopaths who get a power trip from
taking another human’s life. I have only killed when it is necessary... never
in cold blood... and, unlike others, never without knowing everything there was
to know about the circumstances.”
“...
low blow...” Ryan picks up one of the small black knights, who promptly pokes
his finger with the tiny sword, reminding him that he need only give orders...
not actually move the pieces.
“Well...
I believe I made my point. Now... to more modern matters. Any new clues?”
Ryan
leans back in his chair and folds his hands in front of his face thoughtfully.
“Just
what I already told you... it’s not a muggle born... they said it was somebody
with a long reaching wizard family line when they sent me. Beyond that... I’ve
got nothing new.”
“But...
if you had to make a guess?”
“Then I
would guess Potter.”
Now
Harry’s interest was really peaked! He watches as Snape nods slowly...
“He
does seem to fit, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah...
he does. He keeps beating the Dark Lord around... he thinks he’s above
everybody else just because he’s the ‘boy who lived’... he needs to be knocked
down a couple of notches.”
“Oh...
and I suppose you’re willing to do that, are you?”
“Damn
right! Shoulda been done a long time ago.”
“That’s
what I keep telling Dumbledore... but he seems to think that the young mister
Potter should be given some slack. But... there’s something else that you need
to think about. What if somebody figures out what you’re up to? Somebody
like...”
“The
Granger girl... yeah, I’ve thought about that. If she figures it out... things
will be fine as long as she keeps outta my way.”
“If she
doesn’t?”
Ryan
leans forward... a very, very serious look on his face...
“I kill
her... I can’t have her screwing up my plans. Hell... I’d do it now, just to be
safe... if it wouldn’t cause so much trouble. I shoulda just let the Retorak
take her.”
“Why
didn’t you?”
“Don’t
know... bad judgment... I guess. Maybe Dumbledore’s philosophies are rubbing
off on me.”
“I
would be careful not to let that happen too much. You must remember that you
and the Headmaster are not on the same side in this fight.”
“I know
that... and hell... if I’m forced to kill off his best and brightest student...
he might just realize it too.”
“Harry?!”
He snaps back to reality, turning swiftly to find Draco standing in the doorway
connecting this compartment to the next. He lets out a small sigh of relief,
and quickly moves away from the window.
“Damn
it Draco... you nearly scared me to death.”
“Well...
why are you here in the first place?”
“To
find you, actually.”
The
weight of what Harry had just overheard was quickly settling on him, and he
really feels the need to sit down. He gives Draco a quick run of why he’s here
to find him, and after a little convincing (the Slytherin didn’t really want to
spend time with the whole of Gryffindor any more than they would want to spend
time with him), they found themselves back in the compartment amongst Harry’s
housemates.
Needless
to say the compartment became much quieter... only Harry and Hermione were
willing to talk to Draco in any kind of civil tongue. Luckily, Arrowny’s
magically amplified voice soon sounded throughout the entire train...
“Ladies
and gentlemen... we’re here!”
The
train comes to a bumpy stop, and the students clamber to the exits, finding
that their luggage (the one very small bag that they were each allowed to pack)
had already been taken off the train.
The
students gather behind Arrowny, who just keeps looking out across the vast
desert to the horizon. He raises his hands out to either side, taking in the last
few rays from the setting sun. Letting out a great sigh, he turns to face the
students.
“I
welcome you all... to Figaro Castle.”
But all
Harry sees is a lot of sand... in fact, after only a few minutes of standing
here, his shoes are completely filled with the stuff! He’s just about to make
some offhanded comment to Ron about Arrowny’s mental health, when he feels the
ground begin to shake.
Great
stone walls were forcing their way up out of the sand, causing great clouds of
dust and dirt into the air... the students had to half hide their eyes against
the attack of the ground. Slowly, full great towers emerge, as high as any at
Hogwarts. Soon enough, the shaking subsides, and the students uncover their
eyes to find themselves standing before a large double door, set right into the
stone wall.
The
door swings open, and a tall man, dressed in lavish robes of red and green
steps out onto the sand. He holds out his arms as if to embrace the entire
group within a welcoming hug. He’s smiling, and looks completely too friendly.
“Friends!
You are most welcome! I am the Chancellor of Figaro. I will be tending to your
needs while you are staying within these walls.”
Arrowny
motions for the students to follow him into the castle. As they walk, the
Chancellor points out various places of interest, like the engine room (“don’t
go in there, it’s dangerous!”) which allows the castle to burrow, and move,
underground, and the prison (“we don’t have any prisoners right now... but if
we ever get any, that’s where they’ll go.”). They make their way into what
appears to be a courtyard of some sort, and come upon what Harry considers to
be a rather odd scene.
There
is a large metallic wall erected at the far end of the yard, with a small red
and white target painted on it, and a group of people dressed in muggle like
lab coats were standing around a table set up at the opposite end. Harry was
just about to ask the Chancellor about this, when Arrowny beats him to it.
“What’re
they doing here, Chancellor?”
The
very friendly man stops and turns suddenly to the teacher... a very large grin
on his face.
“Actually,
Ryan... within the last few days, we were able to perfect the firing mechanism.
The weapon works now!”
Arrowny’s
eyes light up.
“Really?!
Can I see it? Can I try it?!”
“Why,
of course... we were actually waiting for you to return before conducting our
first field test. We were hoping that you would be willing to lend us your
marksmanship.”
Arrowny
nods, and waves for the class to follow him up to the table. Harry tries to
push his way forward, wondering what ‘weapon’ they could be talking about. As
if on cue, Ryan raises it above his head.
“This...
is a prototype model of an auto-crossbow.”
It was
a sleek metallic silver crossbow, with a somewhat larger base than it seems it
should have... and no string at all. The curved bow part was projecting from
halfway down the base, rather than on the top as with Hagrid’s favourite
weapon.
“Prototype?”
Hermione’s questioning voice sounds over the low chatter of the other students.
“But... didn’t I read that King Edgar used an auto-crossbow during the war
against the Empire and Kefka?”
The
Chancellor steps forward, only all too pleased to answer.
“Yes,
he did. However, the plans for those technologies were lost to us shortly
after, in a war against remnant Imperial forces. At one time, Figaro lead all
the world in its technological advances... but since that war, it has been a
long and hard road to re-create them. This is the first auto-crossbow that has
been made in nearly nine thousand years. And, as I said... it will fire a
projectile... but it is far from complete.
The
final version of the weapon will have the capacity to hold a large number of
bolts... right now, it can only hold one. You see...” He points to the bow part
of the weapon, “we use a strong magnetic force in the curved part to accelerate
the bolt... it works quite well. But, we have not figured out a way to house
more than one piece of ammunition without having the extras affected by the
magnetic field.”
Most of
the students have absolutely no idea what the Chancellor’s talking about...
Harry figures they just don’t get anything that has to do with muggle
technology.
The
crowd watches as Arrowny raises the weapon to eye level, and takes aim at the
center of the target on the opposite wall. The students gasp in awe as he pulls
the trigger, and a faint blue light flashes from the bow... the magnetic field,
Harry reckons.
The
bolt shot out far to fast to see, but the sound it made upon impact was
unforgettable... the excruciating scrape of metal piercing metal. The bolt had
hit its target, dead center... and the people in the lab coats couldn’t be
happier. Harry actually sees one jumping up and down, clapping his hands in
joy.
Arrowny
sets the auto-crossbow back down on the table.
“I like
that... can I have one of the finished ones?”
“You
may have two, if you wish.” The Chancellor smiles wide as he bows his head in
thanks. “And now... children... we shall move on to the planned festivities of
the day!”
And apparently,
when the Chancellor plans festivities... he really goes all out!
There
was a grand banquet, with just as many lavish dishes as there ever was at a
Hogwarts feast. For entertainment, the Royal Guard performed a complicated,
choreographed fight scene. During dessert, the Castle Librarian recounted the
stories of Figaro’s involvement during the Imperial Wars... Harry had the
nagging feeling that the lucky student who drew ‘Figaro Castle’ as their
project topic was going to have a rather easy time. They were regaled with
tails of the kingdom’s most storied ruler, King Edgar, and his brother, Sabin.
Even Professor Snape seemed to enjoy it all... Harry was pretty sure he saw the
surly potions master smile! And, the Gryffindors didn’t even seem to mind that
Draco was sitting with them.
When
the party was over, they were escorted to their sleeping place... an army
barracks with about forty beds... plenty of room for the students and the two
teachers. After about an hour of cheerful talk about all that they saw, it was
time for bed. Harry closes his eyes, and drifts into a peaceful sleep.
* * * * * *
“Potter...
wake up!”
Snape’s
harsh, urgent whisper rouses Harry. He looks around the barracks, but without
his glasses he can only see deformed coloured blobs moving around franticly. He
could hear a few muffled sobs... and from further away, a number of painful
screams.
“Professor...
what’s... going on?”
“Figaro
Castle is under attack... it’s the Death Eaters. We have to go... now!”
Harry
blinks in shock... Death Eaters were here! He quickly finds his glasses and
wand, and jumps out of bed, ready to fight. But Snape’s forceful hand on his
shoulder holds him in place.
“It’s
not your place to fight... not now.”
“But, I
have to do something!”
“Yes...
you must live! We need you, Harry... the wizarding world needs you! Please...
do as I say.”
Reluctantly,
he nods. He scans the crowd of students, finding Hermione and Ron off in the
distance. They wave to him...
“Harry...
it’s the Death Eaters.” Hermione was panicking... just a little.
“I
know... Snape told me.” He looks around the room again, mentally checking his
class mates off to make sure they’re all still around. He notices one missing
person...
“Hey...
where’s Arrowny?”
Ron
shrugs...
“He
left right after the screaming started. Hasn’t been back since.” Harry is
pretty sure why, too... he’s probably taking part in the attack. A sick thought
crosses his mind... on that he wishes he could share with his friends... what
if Arrowny had set him up... promised to turn him over to Voldemort? What if
the class trip was all a hoax to get Harry out of the protection at Hogwarts?
“Okay,
everybody follow me. You’ll have to leave your luggage here... we need to
travel fast. Keep up... but if I get too far a head, tell the person in front
of you, and they can pass it up the line.” Snape’s instructions are clear
enough to everybody, and they all crowd behind him as he presses his hand to
one of the bricks on the wall.
A small
door opens in the grey stone... a secret passage!
“Under
no circumstances are you to shout... or make any loud noises that may attract
the attackers.” The fact that Snape was suspiciously eyeing about half of his
own house as he said this was not lost on Harry. He notices that some of the
Slytherins are far too comfortable for such a tense situation. Particularly,
Crabbe and Goyle.
“Okay...
let’s go!” With this final order, the group heads out through the passage. They
follow its twists and turns for more than an hour, until finally ending up in
the court yard. Snape makes a quick check to make sure they didn’t lose
anybody.
“We’re
all here. Good. We need to get to the prison... there’s a passage out of here
in the back of the last cell. We’re going to,” But his sentence is cut short by
the electric sound of a curse flying over his shoulder, narrowly missing its
target.
“Damn,
they’re here!” He sends a curse of his own back at the Death Eaters who had
just entered the court yard from one of the offset rooms. “Scatter! Get to the
prison!”
And scatter
they did! All in the general direction of the prison, but in far too random a
way for the Death Eaters to get a clear shot at any group of them.
Harry
finds himself separated from Ron and Hermione, with two rather nasty sounding
Death Eaters following him. They effectively block his attempts to get around
them and back on course to the prison... but years of Quidditch training had
taught him that if somebody is blocking his path to the snitch, you draw them
off before going for the win.
He
takes off running in the opposite direction, and they give chase. He leads them
through one of the many doors off the yard, and runs as fast as he can, idly
tossing a few low level curses and jinxes over his shoulder. Just as he’s about
to turn the corner, a rather powerful spell hits the wall just in front of him,
knocking him off of his feet, and his wand out of his hand.
The
Death Eaters advance, with their wands trained on him.
“Our
Lord will be pleased that we were able to catch you. We weren’t even expecting
you to be here... we’re just after the statue. But, none the less... STUP...”
But he
doesn’t finish, because at that moment, a large, blood red robed figure appears
between Harry and the Death Eaters, startling them. Harry recognizes the figure
immediately... it’s the Protector.
“Harry...
you have to run.”
He
doesn’t need telling twice!
As
quickly as he can, he picks his wand up from the stone floor, and runs around
the corner, hoping to find a different path to the prison. With each step, he
feels luckier and luckier that he hasn’t yet run into any Death Eaters... and
after a short while, he comes to a large open room. The strong scent of copper
hits him as he feels his foot step into some thick, sticky liquid... and he
fights back the sudden urge to gag as he sees...
Fifteen
bodies... or so, judging by the shear number of limbs... and the amount of
blood that had pooled on the floor. There was not a single whole corpse in the
entire room... rather a few arms here... some legs there... half a head and
part of a torso... something cut these people apart... and he could tell by the
remaining bits of clothing on the arms that they were members of the Castle
Guard. Harry never thought he’d get the chance to see what the human lungs look
like in real life... but here they are... in all their pinkish brown glory.
And
standing in the center of the room, covered in splashes of crimson liquid...
holding a blood stained sword... is Arrowny.
There
eyes meet... and as rage fills the boy up, blood drains from the teacher’s
face... and Harry knows why Arrowny has suddenly become so incredibly pale...
he’s been found out!
“Damn
it Harry!”
The
teachers blood stained face has a look of shock upon it. The young boy doesn’t
wait for any more words... when Arrowny makes a move toward him, he runs (he’s
been doing that a lot in the past little while...) across the room, slipping
and sliding in the blood, through the large door on the other side of the room.
The
first thought that crosses his mind when he steps through the door is that old
muggle phrase... ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire’.
The
room is large and round, with a slightly larger than life size grey stone
statue of a monstrous looking demon,
complete with claws, wings, and a large axe, in the middle... and filled with
black robed, white masked Death Eaters.
He
seems to have come in just in the middle of a ceremony of sorts. Each of the
Death Eaters in the circle around the statue is chanting in some odd
language... but the one in the middle is drawing his wand lightly across the
surface of the grey statue... right along the neck. Just as the chanting comes
to a stop, a bright blue light flashes from the tip of the wand, and spreads
across the path it just traced. When the light fades, the head of the statue
falls off, gently landing in the Death Eater’s open hands.
“We
have it.” Harry easily recognizes the voice of Lucius Malfoy. “Let’s return to
our Lord and give him his...” Lucius slowly turns... the hollow black eyes of
the Death Eater mask meeting Harry’s emerald green... “... gift.”
The
other Death Eaters slowly turn to face the young Gryffindor, each one has their
wand aimed at him.
“I
believed that we would only be able to present our Master with a small piece of
the Poltergeist statue... but it appears as though he will be receiving an...
unexpected present on this evening.” Lucius’ voice sounds cold... but at the
same time, highly amused.
They
step toward him... and before he can even think to react, he feels hands on his
shoulders, pulling him... away?! Yes... he’s being pulled away from the Death
Eaters, and back through the door, which promptly closes, separating him from
the attackers. He turns to see who had saved him... and is met once again by
the deep, crimson red robes of the Protector. Harry allows himself a small sigh
of relief.
The
Protector lifts open a fold in his robes, and motions for Harry to step under
the smooth fabric. The boy only hesitates a second before doing so. The robes
are dropped around his body, effectively blocking his view of the outside
world. He’s aware a slight sound... like wind blowing through field... and then
the robes are pulled away.
Harry
blinks his eyes in surprise... he’s standing just outside the one of the rooms
the Chancellor had shown them earlier... in fact, he’s standing directly
outside of the prison.
The
Protector places a hand on his shoulder.
“I
believe your friends and professor are waiting for you in there, young Harry.
Go to them... I will do what I can for the people of Figaro Castle before
returning to the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts.”
And
with a small pop, the Protector is gone once again.
Harry
looks toward the prison door, mentally readying himself for the bombardment of
questions he knows he’s going to receive when he enters... from Hermione (‘how
did you manage to escape’), Ron (‘you-know-who wasn’t here, was he?’) and Snape
(‘WHY DID YOU GO OFF ALONE?! FIVE HUNDRED POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!’). But, the
thing he dreads the most... is having to tell Dumbledore that Arrowny... a man
that the headmaster trusts... is a murderer.
He
sighs again... not out of relief, but rather out of tension. It’s going to be a
long journey back to Hogwarts.