LLD Round ONE Mission & Submissions, Topic Closed - Winner announced! Options

[evlpez]

Congratulations, Moonbeam3423!

Without Warning wins Round One and Moonbeam will receive an owl from the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures regarding the Weekly Writers' Prize!


Here was the mission:
ROUND ONE MISSION:

February 29th is a special day in the Muggle world. Things normally out of bounds are acceptable (it is Sadie Hawkins Day afterall!). Similar things are afoot at Hogwarts! On Magical Leap Year, any doorway or small passageway in Hogwarts could become a portal to another place for a brief period. One could find oneself a room or even a town away from where one wants to be. Going through the door to the Transfiguration classroom could land you in the middle of Professor Snape's private store room. Walk into Zonko's Joke Shop and you could suddenly find yourself at Madam Malkin's in Diagon Alley.

Read the Prologue, found in the Leapin' Leprechauns Story So Far topic.

It is February 28th, 1996 - Harry Potter's 6th year.
Professor McGonagall has warned Gryffindor of the dangers of Magical Leap Year. She has specifically warned Harry and his friends that they are not to go anywhere by themselves.

On the way to breakfast on February 29th, Harry's group (whoever you decide is with him) must have a run in with Draco Malfoy. Malfoy intimates arrogantly that Voldemort may soon know how easy it will be to get to Harry on this day. The group must go through the door to the Great Hall only to find themselves somewhere on Hogwarts Grounds they should not be. Draco must be transfigured into a ferret at some point. Another character must use or be afflicted with an Alliteration Hex (interpret it as you will).

Your submission must make use of the following words:
anchoretic, valetudinarian, clamorous, obtest



The deadline for Round One Submissions is Wed. Night (Nearing midnight) Mar. 3, 2004.

Please post only Round One Submissions in this topic. Post any questions you have about this mission in the Round One Discusssion Topic.

Writers are not required to post Author's Notes at the end of their submissions, but are welcome to do so. If the winning submission has author's notes about where they see their story going, these ideas may help the Admin Team write the mission for the next round.

[moonbeam3243]

Round One Winner!

Without Warning
“Oh, and Potter,” McGonagall said softly, so none of the other students could hear her, “Would you mind staying behind a moment? Yes, yes, you two may as well stay, too.” Hermione and Ron shot each other wry looks.

“Harry, I know you were raised by muggles. Do you understand the importance and--er--danger that Leap Year Day can pose?” she asked.

Harry looked confused for a moment. This thing about doors going to random places would be annoying yes, but dangerous? Beside him, Hermione gave a little groan.

“You don’t mean… Voldemort?” she said in a low whisper. McGonagall’s mouth tightened into a grim frown.

“I do, Miss Granger. You all know from experience how desperate he is becoming. I wouldn’t be surprised if he took advantage of the situation.”

“But what can we do?” Harry said, a bit defensively, “You’re not going to keep me up here all day tomorrow or something, are you?”

McGonagall snorted. “I doubt we could keep you anchoretic if we tried,” she said, “but we will not, Mr. Potter. As Dumbledore has said before, we cannot live our lives in fear. You shall continue as normally tomorrow. Just be prepared, that’s all I meant to warn you of. And you should perhaps consider moving about in large groups. The spatial dislocations tend not to act up as much in large groups.”

As she left the common room, Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. “Do you think this thing is serious? I’ve never heard of it before,” he said.

Ron shrugged. “It’s real enough. When I was a kid, I walked out of our bathroom at home and wound up locked in the attic. Mum couldn’t find me for hours.”

Hermione still had that concentrated brow-wrinkling look she usually reserved for class. “It must be serious if McGonagall warned you specifically. I’m sure there’s charms--oh, I suppose they’d use the Permanendus Charm at least--but still, it would be the perfect time for--"

“Yeah, you’re right,” Harry said, cutting her off. They headed for the stairs, Ron and Hermione still talking about Leap Year’s Day. But all Harry could think about was the fact that, for once, his scar had not hurt him and his dreams had not disturbed him for weeks.

They’re taking this too seriously, Harry thought as he and Ron left Hermione and turned to their own dorm room, If Voldemort were going to attack, I’d know.

~*~*~

Ron tried to wake Harry up early the next morning, but Harry refused to get out of bed.

“Come on, mate,” Ron said, knocking Harry with a pillow, “Neville, Seamus, and Dean have already gone down; how are we supposed to walk around in large groups if you sleep until everyone’s already left?”

Harry smiled and stretched. That was part of the plan. Dumbledore had said that he shouldn’t live his life in fear, and he wasn’t going to. He wasn’t going to walk around with a mob surrounding him, especially if he hadn’t even felt a twinge from his scar to warn him.

Harry got dressed slowly as Ron bugged him to hurry up. By the time they made it to the Common Room, the only ones left waiting were Hermione, Neville, and Ginny.

“They don’t know about you-know-what,” Hermione whispered hurriedly, “They just waited because I told them about the spatial dislocation being less likely in groups.”

“Do you really think we may end up somewhere dangerous?” Neville asked nervously. He started to push open the portrait door but seemed reluctant to. Ron rolled his eyes and pushed the door open for him. When the hallway through the door was the normal hallway that was always outside the Gryffindor Common Room, more than just Neville breathed a sigh of relief.

“Come on,” Harry said. They started down towards the Great Hall, Ron telling Neville about his unexpected trip to the attic and Ginny interjecting with re-enactments of Ron’s screams when he found how hospitable the attic was to spiders.

“Well, I should have expected that the loudest, most clamorous sounds in the entire castle would be coming from you,” a voice drawled behind them.

“Draco,” Harry said in a low monotone, “What are you doing here?” Harry knew from experience that the Slytherin Common Room was on the other side of the castle.

“Why Potter,” Draco said with feigned innocence, “I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I didn’t see you at breakfast.”

“I slept in,” Harry growled.

“Oh, good,” Draco said, sneering, “I’m glad to know you were safe.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ron said, stepping forward.

Draco gave a false sound of surprise. “Nothing. Nothing at all. Just,” he said softly, “that doors around here don’t always go both ways.”

“Good job, Captain Obvious,” Harry said angrily, “It’s Leap Year Day. Of course the doors are acting weird.”

“Maybe you’ll fall through a door and not find your way back out again,” Draco shot back, “I can only hope that this time the Dark Lord doesn’t let you slip through his fingers!”

Several things happened at once. Harry and Ron both bounded forward, fists raised, shouting angrily. Almost at the same time, Ginny grabbed Harry and Neville grabbed Ron, holding them back. “It’s not worth it,” Ginny panted, jerking Harry back with all her strength, “It’s what he wants you to do.”

Meanwhile, Hermione had slipped to the side, unnoticed until a jet of light sprang out of her wand and hit Draco fully in the chest.

Harry and Ron stilled immediately. Five sets of Gryffindor eyes dropped to the ground where a scrawny, slightly valetudinarian white ferret stood on its hind legs, squeaking angrily.

“Hermione…wow…” Ron said admiringly. Harry just grinned.

“He really just looks so much better this way,” Hermione said casually, slipping her wand back into her robes. The others agreed and strolled back down the corridor towards the Great Hall. Behind them, a nasty bit of fur raced in the opposite direction.

Just as the five reached the Great Hall, there was an angry shout behind them. Neville stumbled forward, as if knocked gently from behind. The others whirled around.

“Hey,” Crabbe grunted.

“Yeah,” Goyle growled.

“Regular pack of animals,” Ron whispered to Harry. Harry had to agree this was an accurate way to describe them. Crabbe and Goyle were lumbering towards the Gryffindors like apes, and at their feet scampered the ferret Draco.

“Turn ‘im back,” Crabbe threatened, “or we’ll hex you again.”

“Again?” Hermione asked, confused. Surely Crabbe and Goyle weren’t so stupid as to think they'd hexed someone without actually doing it.

“Oh, bugger off,” Harry said impatiently. “Come on. They won’t follow us into the Great Hall. Draco wouldn’t want anyone to see how patchy his fur is.”

The ferret gave a hacking sort of hiss that sounded more like troubles with a hairball.

“You better not turn your back on us,” Goyle said. He took two giant steps and grabbed for the neck of Harry’s robe. Harry ducked and pushed the doors of the Great Hall open, sliding into the hall backwards. He pulled Neville out of Crabbe’s way with him, and Hermione, Ron, and Ginny dashed in behind him. The ferret started to make scurrying, snicking sounds. Goyle stood stupidly, staring at the ferret, but Crabbe grinned maliciously and shut the doors of the Great Hall in Harry’s face.

“What was that about a hex?” Hermione said, still staring at the doors.

“I felt a frantic fluttering full in my front,” Neville said.

“Great,” Hermione muttered, inspecting Neville. “An Alliteration Hex.”

“Help me no longer harbor this horrifying hex, Hermione!” Neville obtested.

“We’ve got bigger problems than that,” Harry muttered. Hermione looked up. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were looking around them with looks of mingling fear, confusion, and shattered resolve.

“Where are we?” Hermione whispered.

“The Chamber of Secrets,” said Harry. “And with the entrance closed in Myrtle’s bathroom, I’ve no idea how we’re going to get out.”

This post has been edited by evlpez: Mar 6 2004, 01:15 AM

[zymurgy]

"Oops"

Hermione, Ron and Harry were on their way down to breakfast.

“But, really,” said Harry, morosely, “It’s as bad as having Moody again. ‘Constant vigilance!’ Honestly, you’d think I was walking around with my eyes shut…”

“Banging off walls,” finished Ron and Hermione together.

Harry stopped and grinned at his friends. “I know that Voldemort is dangerous, even though he’s valetudinarian at this point. And I know that with a magical leap year things could get complicated. But the rules hold for Voldemort, too, right? So if he tried to come at me, and opened the door to his secret hidey hole, he’d probably end up, say, in Dumbledore’s office.”

Ron sniggered. “In Dumbledore’s office?” he laughed, “That’s rich. Or… in the prefect’s bathroom!”

“Ron!” said Hermione, “That could be really dangerous! Imagine the havoc the Death Eaters could wreak of they ended up in Hogwarts.”

“And imagine how little havoc the Death Munchies would be able to wreak if they ended up in Hawaii,” answered Harry, shaking his head at the mental image of Lucius Malfoy opening the door to Hogwarts to murder Harry, and suddenly finding himself on a beach full of hula girls.

“Ah,” sneered a voice, “You think it’s funny, do you?”

It was Malfoy. “You do realize, of course, that the Dark Lord’s intelligence force will soon find out just how unprotected the castle is, and that when they do, you will be the last one to laugh.”

Harry sighed and turned to Malfoy. “Shut your gob,” he said, shortly, “Or we’ll be late for breakfast.”

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I don’t think you’ll want to go to breakfast, will you?” he said, silkily, “After all, a great big door like that, who knows what could happen?”

Hermione drew her wand. “I’m warning you, Malfoy,” she said, “One more word…”

“Now look here, Mudblood, no magic in the hall-”

Draco got no further with the sentence. There was a flash from Hermione’s wand, and Draco was a ferret once again.

“Ah, ickle students practicing illegal magic,” cackled Peeves, materializing over the statue of Boris the Bewildered, “Should Peeves keep his mouth shut?”

“Please,” obtested Harry, knowing how much trouble he’d get into for fighting when he’d been warned to keep a low profile, “Don’t say anything…”

“Peeves is sure that Filch would like to know this,” said Peeves, nastily, standing on his head in midair, “I think I’ll tell him…”

“Ah, shut up!” snapped Ron, “Alliteratio!”

Peaves was shot by the blue jet before he could move. “Weasley was wrong to wreak magic,” he said, ominously, “It’s not wise for young wizards to have wands with which to woosh a wraith.”

“Ron,” said Hermione, franticly pocketing Draco, “that was a very stupid thing to do!”

“RULE BREAKING!” shrieked Peaves, floating down the corridor, “BANGS OF BUNGLED MAGIC ARE BOUNCING AROUND THE BORIS THE BEWILDERED CORRIDOR!”

The trio exchanged a glance. The glance said, quite clearly: Run.

And run they did. Far from Peeves’ clamorous cries, they jerked open the door to the nearest closet, hoping to hide their until Flich had come and gone.

Except for the small fact that they weren’t in the closet at all. They were in a room they had never seen before, obviously the bedroom of one of the teachers. It was pretty bleak, and anchoretic. A small bed lay in the corner, neatly made, with crisp white sheets. Bookshelf after bookshelf lined the walls. A cauldron sat near a desk, full of student papers. There was a loud sound of running water, and somebody was singing very, very, off key.

“Er…” said Harry, “I think I understand about magical Leap Year now.”

“Worse still,” added Ron, “We are never going to make it to breakfast in time.”

“Worse still,” added Hermione, “We are obviously in one of the teachers’ room, and they aren’t going to like this, especially after they’d warned us.”

“But,” protested Ron, “I don’t understand! She said that in groups it wouldn’t work…”

“She just said it would be less likely,” reminded Hermione, “It’s also safer.”

“Stop with the logistics, Hermoine,” said Harry, backing towards the door, “We have a really, really big problem.”

“What?” asked Hermione, looking around for any sign of approaching danger.

“Er, we are in Snape’s room, for starters,” said Ron, indicating the cauldron.

“And we are going to get into trouble because of hexing Malfoy, and not following McGonagall's instructions,” added Hermione.

“And to top it off, Snape is obviously still in the shower,” finished Harry.

The three shared another glance. It said, clearly, “Oops.”

[bakbam]

The Beginning of a Bad Leap Day

Meeting February 28

The Gryffindor Prefects, along with this year's head boy and girl. were all crowded into Professor McGonagall's small office.

"I am sorry for pulling you out of your classes. This is urgent." McGonagall was very stern in her words. "As I am sure most of you have realized by now this is Leap Year. Unfortunately with everything that has happened in the past few months we teachers have not been able to prepare the school with the necessary precautions for this mysterious holiday. I am leaving you all in charge of informing the students about some of the basic rules for this day." The Professor handed each of the students a piece of parchment with a list of rules and emergency procedures listed.

Hermione clamorously raised her hand high in the air. "Professor, I read about this my second year, and I am certain that we (meaning herself) will be able to handle this situation very well. I also wanted to ask, without any protection isn't it possible that we could accidently leave the school altogether. " Hermione asked insistently.

"Yes Hermione, That is why it is important that no one in the school is to wonder around alone. I also urge you all to look into every room before you step into it. I you do happen to leave the school or enter an unknown room, I insist that you stay put and wait for help." Professor McGonagall opened the door. "That will be all. I need you, you, and you to stay here a momment." Professor McGonagall tapped Ron, Hermione, and Ginny on the shoulders as everyone was leaving her room.

The Professor shut the door after the other students left. "It is very important that you three stay with Harry at all times. Encourage him to stay in safe areas. I can not express how utterly important that this is."

Hermione interrupted, "Why do we need to stay so close to Harry?"

McGonagall paused before she replied, "Think about that question, Hermione. You mean to tell me that the thought has not crossed your mind?"

Hermione had a realization, "Do you think that Voldemort knows that the school isn't protected?"

McGonagall cringed at his name. "We haven't any information on whether or not he believes that the school will be unprotected. It is simply a precautionary measure. You-know-who is not anchoritic, and it is possible for him to enter the school undetected." McGonagall didn't seem to want to tell the three any more than that.

Later that Afternoon.

"Harry has enough to worry about without having to be afraid Voldemort will attack him in his own bed," Ginny said angrily.

Ron looked worried "Here he comes. Hermione, you tell him."

"Fine, I will." Hermione took a deep breath. "Harry I, We have something to tell you. Please don't get angry and fly off or anything. It is not our fault just remember that. "

Harry gave Hermione a confused look. "Fly Off! You act like I get angry at you guys for everything."

"Harry, have you forgotten? It is Leap Year, and with all of the Order's work Dumbledore was not able to get the school fully secured. The doors will lead to other rooms if you don't watch what you are doing. They could even lead to other places." Hermione fell silence while all the information she had given Harry could sink in.

"OK, so the doors won't always lead to the place they are supose too.

"That's not the biggest problem, mate." Ron squeaked.

"You don't get it. it also means that other people could open a door and end up in the Library." Hermione didn't want to come right out and tell Harry about Voldemort.

"You act like it is going to be possible for Voldemort to walk up to me in the halls and kill me or something." Harry began to chuckle until he noticed the looks on the other's . "He could, couldn't he? Do you mean he will be able to get into the school? Undetected?" Harry started to get very aggitated. "How could Dumbledore overlook something so important? How could he put us all in danger?

"Just maybe, Professor McGonagall was wrong. She didn't seem sure whether or not he could open a door to the school." You could hear the worry in Hermione's voice.

"I doubt he can, mate. I just think they want to make sure we don't take advantage of the situation, and get ourselves into trouble." Ron's voice was cracking as he talked.

"The Professor wouldn't have told you if it weren't possible. They don't need to bother with me. What about everyone else? Do you know what Voldemort would do if he ever had the chance to roam these halls again?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down. Everyone can here you." Ron begged Harry.

"I don't care. Everyone needs to hear me," Harry began shouting, "Everyone needs to know that it could be possible for VOLDEMORT to get into the school. Everyone needs to be prepared, not just me. I am tired of it always being ME." Harry was turning red in the face.

Hermione pulled Harry through the portrait hole into the hall. "Harry,I new you would be mad. I wish she would have told you herself instead of having us tell you. You are going to cause all the students to panic if you don't settle down. It is better that they not know about Voldemort. This is going to cause enough trouble for Dumbledore without them knowing about Voldemort. Just think of all the parents who would pull their kids out of the school if they thought it possible for Voldemort to be here. Dumbledore would loose his position."

Harry calmed down, "You are right. It would just frighten them, and they would be no good if they were all scared. I don't want Dumbledore to leave the school either. Sorry I yelled at you. I know it isn't your fault."

Morning February 29

Ron and Hermione were keeping a close eye out for Harry. Harry was leery about leaving the Common Room. He wanted to stay curled up on the cozy chair by the fire all day, but knew he must be fully alert.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were just standing up to get ready to go to breakfast. Suddenly the stairs to the girls dormitory folded in and turned to a huge slide. The girl's who had stepped up on the bottom stairs stumbled to the floor. You could hear a faint squeal and then a dull thud.

Hermione started giggling, "One of the boys tried to get into the girls dormitory again." Hermione looked to the staircase ready to punish the boy who was sliding down them, "Neville!"

Neville had slid all the way down from the Fifth Years' room. His bottom hit the floor with a bang. Neville had a sour look on his face as he stood up rubbing his bottom, "Oh that hurt," he looked up at Hermione who was more shocked than angry. "I-I-I just woke up and went to the bathroom. When I walked through the door I found myself at the top of the stairs in front of the girls bedrooms. I tried to get away before the staircase gave way, but I just wasn't fast enough."

"We told you to look into all rooms before entering them even the bathroom, Neville. If you don't be careful you will end up somewhere you don't want to be." Hermione was trying not to laugh. Harry and Ron where standing on either side of her cracking up.

"Neville, I am sorry, but it is so funny. "Ron was almost in tears, he was laughing so hard.

"Neville, just be more careful will you?" Hermione told Neville as he went up the boys' staircase.


Ron, Harry, and Hermione finally left for breakfast. Harry and Ron were discussing all the cool possibilities of the school being unprotected from Leap Year's unpredictability.

Hermione started lecturing the two about how dangerous the holiday could actually be. "You might be able to go to all those places, but how on earth would you get back from them? You know you could get stuck in between places, and when you were finally found it would be too late because your mind would already be gone."

"If you asked me, that would be a great improvement." Draco mouthed as he strolled up beside Harry.

"I don't remember any of us asking for your opinion, Malfoy! " Ron popped off before Draco could say anything else.

"You might want to watch your tongue Weasley. In a few hours my opinion will count. The Dark Lord will make sure of that." Draco said with an eery grin.

"What have you done?" You could see the anger building up in Harry.

"Oh I just sent an owl to inform my family of Dumbledore's incompetence during this *frightening time*. They will make sure Dumbledore is gone for good after today." Draco had a sense of pride in his words.

Harry had hit boiling point by this time. He pulled his wand from his robes and pointed it at Draco. Hermione and Ron reacted accordingly and were at a ready stance along side of Harry.

Harry sent the first spell toward Draco. Draco dropped to the floor squirming as he was changing into a ferret. Hermione sent an alliteration spell toward Crabbe. Unfortunately as soon as Hermione chanted the curse Professor Snape walked into the middle of the chaos. The spell hit the Professor instead. Crabbe and Goyle ran the other direction while Draco the ferret danced at the Professor's feet. Harry, Ron, and Hermione lowered their wands. They had a look of defeat on their faces as the Professor picked the ferret up by the back of his neck and stuffed him into his pocket.

"You three tawdry, trouble-making, teenagers, through there!" The Professor grabbed Harry and Ron by the scruffs of their necks and gave Hermione the evil eye, warning her to follow. Hermione begged Snape not to enter the Great Hall without checking it out, but the Professor was so angry he didn't think twice about throwing open the door to th Great Hall and slamming it behind them.


Hermione was still standing in the hall just outside of the door. She grabbed the handle of the door hoping that they had entered the Great Hall and not somewhere else. Hermione took a deep breath and slowly turned the knob. She peered in the room and saw the long tables filled with students. She then entered and carefully looked around to see if Harry and Ron were there. Hermione was disappointed when the boys weren't . She frantically ran to the head table in hopes of finding Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore.

The only teachers in the room were Hagrid, Professor Flitwick, and the valetudinarian Professor Goodsman who was new this year. Hermione had no choice but to go to Hagrid. He would understand just how important it was to get Harry back safely.


Meanwhile Harry, Ron, Professor Snape, and the infamous ferret Draco had entered into a whole other room. Professor Snape looked around vigilantly as Harry and Ron pulled their wands out and lit the ends.

The room smelled of mold. You could hear mice crawling around on the floors. There were boxes stacked everywhere and old portraits hanging on the otherwise bare walls.

"Where are we Professor?" Ron asked with a little fear in his voice.

"We are wearily walking in a weathered-down room." Professor Snape replied without thought to his speech pattern.

Ron nudged Harry who was awestruck by the Professors response.

"But Professor..." Harry got cut off as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Patience Potter, I am properly pondering the precise point of this particular predicament." Snape had now noticed the way he was talking. This seemed to make him angrier than before.

"Horrendous Hex Hermione has hatched. " Snape getting more and more aggravated, "Blasted bothersome brunette!" Snape was now trying to collect his wording so he could reverse the spell.

Harry and Ron were looking about curiously " I think we are still on the school grounds. Look!" Harry pointed to a box of old school robes.

"Bloody hell! These are worse than the ones I've worn in the past." Ron picked one of the robes out of the box. It was a black robe with the Slytherin crest embroidered on the chest. It was a bit moth eaten and torn.

Snape walked back over to the boys after finally lifting the hex Hermione put on him. "This is a storage room. It hasn't been opened in over two decades. The door is protected with many powerful curses." The Professor looked around as if he were frightened of the room.

"Why would a storage room have curses put on the door?" Ron asked skeptically.

"Not why, Ron, but what sort of storage needs that kind of protection?" Harry cut his eyes in the Professor's direction, waiting for an answer.

This post has been edited by bakbam: Mar 4 2004, 12:00 AM

[McGonagall's Cat]

T h e 2 9 th

When it first occurred it had been kind of fun. Hermione pulled aside the tapestry to the third floor and suddenly they were all face-to-face with Hagrid who was cooking breakfast in his hut.

“Good to see yeh!” Hagrid greeted them enthusiastically.

“Erm… We were on our way to breakfast. Sorry to intrude.” Harry explained.

“Oh.” he seemed disappointed, “Oh, righ’ then. Jus’ close the door an’ try again. Best hurry. Woon’t want yeh to miss Care of Magical Creatures today. ‘S going t’ be very interestin’,” Hagrid smiled.

Hermione dropped the tapestry back into place, took a deep breath and cautiously lifted it again as Ron mumbled to Harry, “Interesting like a broom wreck.” The third floor hallway looked just as it usually did.

However, as they stepped through, the hallway suddenly spun knocking all three to their knees. When the place stabilized again the trio found themselves looking up at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle in what seemed to be a hallway outside the Slytherin Common Room.

“Isn’t that just perfect, “ Malfoy sneered.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry jumped to their feet drawing their wands. “We don’t want any trouble. One of the random spatial relocations put us here.” Harry said determinedly, “Let us leave quietly.”

Draco stared coldly at him in response. With his mouth a thin tight line he finally said sarcastically, “He wants US to be reasonable, Goyle. I wonder how reasonable my father would be – if he wasn’t in Azkaban because of this little git… We will see how reasonable he wants to be once Voldemorte arrives today.” The last words hung between them in what seemed an interminable silence.

What happened next was tough to define. Crabbe flinched. Maybe he was going for his wand, maybe he just shifted his weight, in either case Ron and Harry both hit him with an “Immobilus” curse. Hermione froze Goyle the same way. Malfoy succeeded in pulling his wand, only to have Hermione turn him into a little white weasel, which went into a frenzy trying to bite whichever of the trio was closet at the time, until he was also immobilized.

“This is ridiculous. What do we do with them now?” asked Ron, frustrated at how it had all transpired.

“For today,” Hermione said as she transformed the two bodyguards into ferrets, then conjured a cage against the wall and secured all three in it. “Let’s try the same doorway that brought us here.” She sighed, turning back the way they’d just come.

The three peered through the opening to find they were in the doorway at Snape’s end of the teachers’ table. The Great Hall was clamorous, a tumult of discussion going on about Magical Leap Year day. Relieved, Harry, Ron, and Hermione dashed to the Gryffindor table before anything else could go wrong.

“I’m beginning to understand,” Hermione’s trepidation was obvious, “why Professor McGonagall was so concerned about this.”

Before the food was on the tables Luna Lovegood floated over to where they were seated. “Harry, I need your help.” The three of them looked at her suspiciously. “I’ve found a Crumple-Horned Snorkak, but I need eyewitnesses with credibility to confirm it.” She smiled airily at Ron, Hermione, and Harry.

“Can’t this wait for a better time?” Hermione asked with an edge to her voice.

Luna’s big eyes blinked in a non-registering manner, “You don’t understand! This is the only time. Father and I have looked for years, and it is here, now, today!”

With a resigned sigh the trio agreed, insisting upon the stipulation they all stick closely together. Following Luna to a dumbwaiter standing open in the corner, “Usually only the House Elves use this, but look where it goes today.” She disappeared through the small opening. Ron could barely fold himself up enough to fit through it, but eventually managed to follow her. Harry and Hermione shrugged and squirmed their ways through, the door banging shut behind them.

They found themselves in a huge room with a ceiling vaulted so high that it was impossible to see it clearly. Luna was already quite a bit ahead, her footsteps echoing as she hurried away. They caught up in time to duck through an archway which lead to a very tiny cubicle. An ancient wizard in neon blue robes sat on a tall stool, pouring over old manuscripts.

“Shhh!” Luna said indicating the wizard, “He values his anchoretic lifestyle. Don’t disturb him.” They all hurried past, the wizard took no notice.

Entering an identical chamber, this time with a Wizard in maroon robes lying upon a fine bed, Luna again shushed them. “Don’t get this one started, whatever you do! He’s so valetudinarian we’ll never get away.”

The Wizard’s imploring, obtesting voice followed them as they hastily left the room. “Please, petite princesses, pals! Perchance pitying this poor pallid person.”

“It’s just a little farther,” Luna motioned ahead with a casual flick of her hand. Reaching a solid-looking wooden door, she jerked it open with some effort. It lead right back into the Great Hall where everyone was eating. Luna looked confounded. “Let me try again. I’ll come get you if I can re-find it,” she said turning back.

“Wait, Luna. It’s not safe to go alone today. Stick with us, we’ll help you look after we eat,” Harry told her as he pulled her into the Great Hall.

The Hall was almost completely empty by the time the four finished breakfast. Luna had sat on the Gryffindor table, lotus-position, chattering away about the many places she’d gone with her father in search of Crumple-Horned Snorkaks. She was very excited to finally have found one, delighted at how happy her father would be…. if she could only find it again. All four of them rose to leave as one: Ron wanting to get away from Luna’s exuberant rant, Harry to finish the obligation he’d volunteered them for, Hermione hoping to get to class before her brain exploded from the lack of logical conclusions in Luna’s discourse, and Luna totally oblivious to the others’ attitudes. Without thinking the boys pushed open the massive doors and all four stepped through.

Hermione was startled to find her feet on snowy ground rather than flooring. She looked down, perplexed. Ron grabbed her shoulder, speechlessly pointing ahead. Harry froze in place. Not ten feet away stood a hairy beast as large as a rhinoceros, though not looking anywhere near as pleasant. It dropped it’s ugly head down the way a bull does prior to charging, and growled.

Luna let out a squeal of delight. “The Snorkak!”

[ronsmyman]

Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Oh What a Horrible Day.

The bright sunlight crept through the window, next to Harry’s bed, spotlighting his face with the bright morning light. It was a beautiful morning, almost mystical in quality, but Harry didn’t look as if he cared or even noticed. Huge circles rimmed his bloodshot eyes, which were opened, staring at the ceiling of the sixth year boy’s dormitory. He didn’t blink, and if it weren’t for the steady rise and fall of his chest, anyone passing by would have thought he was petrified.

The sun continued to rise and it soon filled the room with its glory. A lump in the bed next to Harry’s gave a loud grunt and rolled over. Ron took a few minutes to disentangle himself from his nest of sheets, then poked his head over the top of them, squinting like a weasel who had just dug himself out of the ground.

“Whussa time?” he grunted, his voice still filled with sleep.

Harry continued to lay on the bed, but blinked his eyes and turned his head to face Ron. Harry’s appearance shocked the last bit of sleep out of Ron and he hoisted himself out of bed, going to sit on the side of Harry’s.

“Didn’t you get any sleep?” Ron asked.

“No,” Harry forced, lack of sleep had caused his vocal chords to become raspy and tight. “I couldn’t stop thinking about what McGonagall told us last night. Once midnight hit I was afraid to sleep, because of all of the doors I have in my dreams. I even tried practicing my Occlumency, but I couldn’t get my mind off it.”

“It’s only one day mate, 17 more hours and it’ll all be over, and I’m not going to leave your side for an instant, wherever you go, I’ll be there for back up,” Ron assured Harry.

“That’s what I’m most worried about,” Harry cried, grabbing Ron’s arm. “Last time I did something that transported me to an unexpected place, the person who went with me was killed!”

Harry hadn’t talked about Cedric’s death in a few months, so Ron was taken aback by Harry’s fear.

“That’s not going to happen. The chances of you ending up in a place with You-Know-Who, are one in a million.”

“But there’s still a chance,” Harry said, turning his head back to face the ceiling.

“You know what, let’s go down to the Great Hall now, have a spot of breakfast, then we’ll go talk to McGonagall about letting you, and perhaps me, skip classes today and just stay in the common room until this wretched day is over,” Ron suggested.

“Do you really think she would let us do that?” Harry asked incredulously.

Ron looked around the room, to make sure the other boys were still asleep, then lowered his voice, “She’s in the order, she has to protect you. It would be much easier to protect you if you just stayed in one place all day. Plus if you obtest and cry enough, who’s going to say no? ”

Harry’s face brightened a little, and he consented to get out of bed and get dressed for breakfast. As they were getting ready the other boys awoke, and they decided to have a sixth year boys’ breakfast.

“Ya, and if we all go together, then wherever we end up, if we go through a door, we will all be together,” Neville said, rather hopefully, twisting his hands.

So, Harry, Ron, Dean, Seamus, and Neville, braced themselves and approached the door to their dormitory.

“You open it,” Dean said, elbowing Seamus in the ribs.

“Nah, you do it,” Seamus replied, pulling back.

“I’m not going to be the one responsible for us ending up in China,” Dean asserted.

“I’ll do it,” Ron sighed and pulled open the door, he grabbed Harry’s arm and stuck his head out into the hallway, other people were doing the same thing. He saw that it was their hallway, and pulled Harry out behind him, the others followed in suit.

They made it all the way into the common room without a single incident. They then proceeded to the portrait hole, and after five minutes of squabbling about who was going to open it, Harry grabbed Ron and Seamus, and pulled the group through the portrait hole, forgetting to check first.

“Harry!” Ron cried, but it was too late, they exited into a part of the castle that only Harry and Ron had been to before, and they weren’t keen on admitting it. It was the corridor in the dungeon that held the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

“We should probably get out of here pretty fast,” Harry said, doing a quick about face, and leading the group away. But not soon enough. The wall behind them opened up issuing forth the vermin that dwelt within, and of all the vermin, it was the one that they least wanted to encounter, Draco Malfoy. Harry heard his name hissed at him from behind. He turned around, putting on a smug confident guise.

“Well, well Potter. I’m surprised you even got out of bed this morning,” Draco scoffed. “I would have thought that you would have been afraid to get out of bed, what with today being an easy day for the Dark Lord to finally put you out of your misery. He could be arriving at any moment, any door in his home could lead him straight to Hogwarts.”

“Sorry Malfoy, unlike you I’m not so helpless that I can’t protect myself,” Harry shot back, confidently though a little shaken by the sense in Malfoy assertion. “Speaking of protection where are your two henchmen?”

Malfoy rolled his eyes, “Crabbe was a little shaken by something last night, and has decided that he’s ill, and Goyle has opted to skip classes and take care of the valetudinarian.”

“Oh no,” Ron said, nonchalantly. “Who’s going to be your buddy then? McGonnagal said no one is to walk anywhere without a buddy today.”

“I’ll walk wherever I please, with whomever I please,” Malfoy said, putting his face right next to Ron’s.

Ron’s hand clenched the wand in his pocket.

“Back off Malfoy, we’ve been learning animal transfiguration and I’ve been dying to try it out,” Ron said, a growl lying just beneath his voice.

“Well, the Slytherin DA, has been working on a few new hexes,” Malfoy said smugly.

“The Slytherin DA?” Harry said, interrupting their little spat.

“Oh yes, The Slytherin Dark Army,” Malfoy cackled.

Harry immediately jumped to the conclusion that Malfoy had found out about the reformation of the D.A. and had created his own to counter it.

“Why you little...” Harry yelled, whipping out his wand and shouting a spell. Malfoy managed to reel off one of his own before the spell hit him, and he shrunk once again into a small white ferret. Harry managed to deflect the spell that had been thrown at him, but instead it hit Neville square in the chest. Nothing happened immediately and they could detect no change in him.

“What happened Neville? What sort of curse was it?” Harry asked worriedly as he bent over to rudely swing the ferret into his pocket.

Neville remained silent for a moment, assessing his current condition and taking inventory of all his body parts. Testing each arm leg, and toe to make sure they still performed their appointed tasks correctly, he shrugged and opened his mouth to speak.

“All alright, assessment achieved,” he then clapped his hands over his mouth, cleared his throat, and tried again. “Feeling fine, fresh and funky.”

The boys stared at Neville.

“It’s the alliteration hex,” Dean said, finally. “I read about it for an extra credit assignment in Charms, it’s the main cause of anchoretic lifestyles, because only the best wizards can remove it. I sure hope Dumbledore is one of those wizards.”

“Well, let’s get to the Great Hall then,” Harry urged. The boys rushed through the corridors and up to the Great Hall, completely forgetting what this day was, and what their lack of care could result in. They rushed through the entrance, tripped and fell down a flight of stairs that usually was not there, shouting clamorously as they tumbled. Finally they came to rest in a heap on the landing.

“I don’t remember there being any stairs into the Great Hall,” Seamus’s muffled voice shouted from the bottom of the pile. Harry rolled off of Neville looked around himself.

“We’re not in the Great Hall,” Harry said. “Quick, move, we’ve got to get out of here!”

The boys quickly stood up and surveyed their surroundings, they were standing at the bottom of what appeared to be a large amphitheatre. It was surrounded on all sides by huge trees and dense foliage.

“Where are we?” Ron asked, continuing to survey the area around them.

Harry put his hand on the crown of Ron’s head and directed his gaze in another direction.

“Oh,” Ron gasped, the color draining from his face. The other’s followed Ron’s stare and gasped likewise, because on the stage of the amphitheatre, were no less than thirty Centaurs.

[evlpez]

Round One is now closed to submissions.

Good luck to all the authors - this was a great round!