PBD ~ ROUND TWO ~, Submissions CLOSED Options

[evlpez]

Congratulations to our Round Two winner, Timeturner!

For Round Two:
TimeTurner recieves 10 Ferret Points!
Anhaire recieves 8 Ferret Points!

Total thus far for all Rounds:
Anhaire - 18 Ferret Points
TimeTurner - 10 Ferret Points
Andi - 8 Ferret Points
Cherabela - 6 Ferret Points


Go Ferrets!!!



In the winning chapter Prefects, Portraits, and Pandemonium by Anhaire, Harry and Dobby flew to the Prefects' Bathroom to find the mermaid missing, the faucets out of order, Peeves behaving strangely and a mysterious parchment with the location and password on it. On his way back to Gryffindor Tower alone, Harry saw the mermaid and Sir Cadogen out of their paintings and roaming the halls. Dobby is guessing that things are very wrong at Hogwarts. What happens next?



For your convenience, this mission is posted in the Guidelines & FAQ Topic as well as here.

~ Round Two Mission: ~

• Harry is unable to question the mermaid and Sir Cadogen before he's greeted by friends (your choice), whom he takes to the Prefects' Bathroom to show them the evidence and reveal all he knows. One of them has a theory.
  
  
• During breakfast, Harry & Co. visit Dobby in the kitcken and ask a favor.
  
  
• They meet a creature somewhere (in the Lake? through Hagrid? Accidentally?) that gives an important clue to the solution.
  
  
• Appearances must be made by a canon but obscure character (the more obscure, the better), two professors of your choice and three portrait subjects (in or out of their paintings, your choice)
  
  
• This chapter ends after lunch but before supper.
  
  
• The following words must be used in context: mew (not the sound a cat makes), perambulate, inure, piggin

The deadline for Round One submissions noon Central Time, Tues. Sept. 21.

All submissions posted in the submission topics will be anonymous. The identities of the writers will only be revealed after voting has concluded and prizes and Ferret Points are awarded. You won't have to do anything special to post anonymously, it will be automatic.

Good Luck, Fellow Ferrets!




Re-read and rate the submissions HERE.

[anhaire]

Water Worries

Harry gaped at the Mermaid and Sir Cadogan. Could he be seeing things?’

“What--” he began, not sure what he wanted to ask.

The two portraits ignored him. They seemed uncertain on their legs, as if they were still unused to walking.

Harry heard other voices coming from the opposite direction. He whirled, expecting more portraits, and saw Ron and Ginny, dressed in their Quidditch robes.

“Harry!,” Ron exclaimed, running towards him. “There you are! We were looking all over for you.”

“You were looking for me?” Harry looked from Ron to Ginny, baffled. “Why were you looking for me? Did Peeves-”

“You forgot Quidditch practice,” Ron informed him. “Saturday morning at dawn, remember? I told them to practice dodging Bludgers and came to look for you, mate.”

“What happened?” Ginny looked concerned. “You look worried.”

“What happened? You can see as well as I can.” Harry gestured to the walking portraits.

The other two looked down the the corridor, then back at Harry.

“Uh, Harry? Do you feel OK?,” asked Ron.

Harry turned to look back down the hall. The portraits were gone.

“You’ve got to come with me,” he said. He still wasn’t sure if he could trust any of the Prefects, but it seemed he had no choice. Ron and Ginny looked unsure, but followed as he led them down the hall and up to the fifth floor. He stopped outside the Prefect’s bathroom.

“Spring Flower,” Harry said, before Ron or Ginny could. They both stared at him.

“Who told you the password?,” Ron wanted to know. “We’re not allowed to tell anyone”

Ginny said nothing, but watched the door open. She had been named a Prefect only a month ago, but that had not stopped her from breaking school rules.

“Come on,” Harry told them. “I got in here this morning because Dobby woke me up. We flew, and Dobby opened that window up there.” He pointed to it, then went on. “I think Dobby used a charm to get it open.”

“Wait,” Ginny said. “Look, Ron, the Mermaid- she’s gone.”

“So? Portraits are always popping in and out, you know that.”

“It just seems odd,” Ginny answered. “She’s never been gone while I was here.”

“There’s more,” Harry announced. “I tried the different taps, to see if the bath was working, and- and Peeves came out.”

“Nasty surprise for you,” said Ron, chuckling, but Harry cut him off.

“Yes, but Peeves was different. He was serious! He seemed hurt or something, if anything can hurt a ghost.”

Ron and Ginny now stared at him, a bit disbelieving.

“I found some parchment,” Harry continued. He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to them. They read it silently.

“It’s got to be Malfoy,” Ron said immediately. “He must have told someone-”

Harry cut Ron off a second time.

“So I went back to the dormitory, and I met two portraits. At least, that’s what I think they were. The Marauder’s Map said that they were Sir Cadogan and the Mermaid from this bathroom- but they were walking. They looked solid, and they made noise. I don’t know where they went, it’s like they disappeared when you came near.”

Ron now stared at Harry, open mouthed.

“I think I have an idea,” Ginny said slowly. Harry looked at her curiously.

“You do?”

“Whoever broke it wasn’t a Prefect,” Ginny said. “That’s clear enough. I’m not sure if it was a student, or someone from outside Hogwarts, but there’s a pattern to what they did. The portraits, you said, and Peeves- they seem to be able to affect things that are only half alive. Something scared or hurt Peeves, so they must have been able to hurt ghosts. I’ve never heard of a spell like that, but it sounds like Dark Magic to me. And the portraits- they’re like the ghosts, only half alive, and this person somehow changed them. Both sound like Dark Transfiguration.”

Ron glared at his sister. “And you know all about that, do you?,” he wanted to know.

Ginny was still looking around the room. She didn’t appear to hear Ron.

“Harry, you said Dobby brought you here? Can we go talk to him?”

“Sure,” Harry began.

“No,” said Ron. “I have to go call off Quidditch practice, and Ginny and I should change.”

Harry and Ginny nodded, and three left the bathroom, closing the door carefully behind them.

On the second floor they saw a man walking toward them.

“That had better not be Snape,” Ron muttered.

As the man neared, they saw he had a long, gray beard and was dressed in black magistrate’s robes.

“It’s not,” Harry said grimly. “That’s another portrait, just like I told you.”

The man- the portrait- walked past them without speaking, staring haughtily into space.

Ron and Ginny looked shocked.

“You could see the brushstrokes,” Ginny whispered.

They set off again at a faster pace and reached the Entrance Hall without meeting anyone. Nearly all of the students were still asleep. They passed many paintings with their subjects still in them, but passed just as many which were blank.

Once outside, they agreed to split up. Ron and Ginny set off in one direction, to cancel practice and change out of their robes. Harry walked in the other. He wanted to perambulate and think through everything he had learned. Lost in his own thoughts, he came to the lake. He kept walking, then stopped and blinked. The lake wasn’t there.

Harry looked down. At his feet was a grindylow. It lay writhing in parched sand, keening in a tiny voice. Around it were brown, dry reeds. Harry bent down and reached to touch the pale green form, then jerked his hand back, not wanting to get hurt for his trouble. He checked his watch. It was time for him to meet Ron and Ginny. He hesitated, but the grindylow had convinced him that he had to investigate the lake. Stepping cautiously around dying creature, he walked through what he now realized was the lake’s dry bed. He had only been walking for a few minutes when he came to what was left of the lake, now more of a pond. Harry stared into its murky water.

“What could have done this?,” he wondered out loud. While researching in the library for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, he had discovered a spell called the Drought Charm, to dry up water, but even then he had realized that it wasn’t nearly strong enough to dry up the lake.

A smoky, transparent form rose from the water, disturbing Harry’s thoughts. It was the ghost of a short, slender woman. Her robes were trimmed with old-fashioned lace.

“What are you doing here?,” she demanded suddenly.

“I’m- I’m a student,” Harry said, a bit startled. “Do you know what happened here? Where did you come from, anyway?”

“I am Elladora Kettleridge,” the ghost replied. She glanced around worriedly before continuing. “I usually stay in the lake- it’s fitting. That’s where I spent most of my later life.”

“You’re the witch who discovered the use of gillyweed!,” Harry exclaimed. “But can you tell me who did this? What happened to the lake?”

“He dried it up,” she replied, “He’s taking all of the water away.” She was looking more worried than ever. “I can’t stay here,” she said, and drifted away quickly without another word.

Harry was now more confused than ever. Looking at his watch, he realized it was past ten o’clock. He needed to talk to Ron and Ginny.

Half an hour later, Ron, Harry, and Ginny were walking through the entrance hall, discussing the grindylow and Elladora Kettleridge in quiet voices. The castle was now full of students, some enjoying the last of the fall weather, others studying frantically. Harry spotted Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall walking together at the other end of the hall.

“Do you think we should tell McGonagall about all this?,” he asked the other two.

It was Ginny who replied. “No! That would get Dobby in trouble!”

“They’ll notice by themselves soon enough,” Ron added.

Harry glanced sidelong at his friends, his suspicions roused again. Just then, however, he spotted two portraits at the far end of the entrance hall. They were from a painting of a wedding which usually hung by the Charms classroom. The young bride, dressed in a frothy white wedding gown, had eyes only for hew new husband in black dress robes. Harry had become almost inured to the appearance of portraits, but every other occupant of the Entrance Hall jumped, stared, or started screaming when they saw the walking portraits.

Watching closely, Harry saw Flitwick and McGonagall exchange what looked like stricken glances before drawing their wands and advancing on the portraits. Flitwick performed a complicated swishing movement and muttered a spell that none of the students could hear. The portraits were forced back and flattened until they hit the nearest blank canvas and sunk in. The groom glared at Flitwick.

“You can mew us now, but just you wait!,” he said. “We’ll get out again, and soon you won’t be able to touch us!” Taking his bride’s arm, the two fled down the row of portraits and out of the Hall.

All the students suddenly began to talk again, discussing the incident excitedly. Harry was interested to see McGonagall and Flitwick hurry off together, still looking very worried. He sighed.

“We should see Dobby,” he said. “We’ll have to skip breakfast, but it would be over soon, anyway.”

The three walked the twisting, winding route to the entrance to the kitchens. They stopped outside its door.

“Wait a minute,” said Harry. “Why is this painting still here?” The fruit bowl painting did not appear to have moved even an inch.

“Maybe because it’s not a person?,” suggested Ginny, and tickled the pear.

Entering the kitchen, the three looked around for Dobby. Suddenly, a small form threw itself on Harry, hugging his legs. Harry felt something wet trickling down them as well. Looking down, he saw that Dobby had hugged him while still holding a piggin. The water in the pail had spilled all over his robes.

“Harry Potter came to see Dobby!,” Dobby exclaimed happily. “Dobby knew he would fix things!”

“Actually, Dobby, we wanted to ask you a couple questions,” Harry told him. “Are you too busy?”

Dobby shook his head.
“Dobby has already made lunch, Harry Potter, and served it too. He does not have to make dinner yet, Sir.”

“We missed lunch?,” Ron wanted to know.

“Dobby will get lunch!,” the house elf said, smiling. Already the smiling house elves were passing a tray to them. On it was the jardiniere Dobby had mentioned that morning with some bread, cheese, and pumpkin juice. The three accepted it gratefully and followed Dobby over to a tiny table in the corner. For a moment they said nothing, but ate heartily. They had all gotten up before dawn.

It was Ginny who spoke first.

“Dobby, I wanted to ask you something. Exactly what did you do this morning before you woke Harry?”

“Dobby told Harry Potter- he was taking a bath, miss,” Dobby said, his voice low. He looked a bit guilty. “Dobby knows the bathroom is only for Prefects, but Dumbledore lets the house elves go there at night, miss, and Dobby does love the bubble bath.”

Harry and Ron blinked, a bit surprised that Dobby bathed at all. Ginny, however, pressed on.

“And before that? What else did you do?”

“Dobby cleaned the trophy room and armor gallery.”

“We should go there, then,” Ginny said. “There might be something-”

“Why would there be something where Dobby was cleaning?, demanded Ron.

“I’m not sure,” Ginny answered, “But it can’t just be chance that it was Dobby who discovered all this. Anyway, do you have a better idea?”

Ron didn’t, so he and Harry finished their lunch in silence.

“Thanks, Dobby,” Harry said. “We’ll let you know if we find anything definite.”

“Thank you for coming to visit Dobby,” the elf squeaked. The other house elves smiled, bowed, and curtsied as they left, Harry walking with difficulty because of his sodden robes.

Ginny led the way up to the third floor. Once there, they found the trophy room.

“There’s nothing in here!,” Ron complained. Harry and Ginny looked carefully, checking each shelf for clues. When Harry looked inside a large silver cup in a corner, he heard voices. He bent close to the wall to listen.

“--know why they’ve called the Council, Sir Nicholas?”

“I heard it’s Peeves.”

Harry didn’t recognize the first speaker, but he thought the second voice belonged to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost.

“Up to his tricks, is he?”

“No, I saw him, he looks awful. He--”

“The Council will come to order.”

The new voice was deep and ringing.

“That’s the Gray Lady!,” Ginny whispered. All three of them clearly heard the buzz and chatter in the next room die out. “They must be having a Ghosts’ Council!”

[McGonagall's Cat]

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[timeturner]

Round Winner!

THE SHADOW OF RESENTMENT

Harry was still in shock when Ron and Hermione found him, the Marauder’s Map dangling from his hand. The portrait subjects had just rounded the corner and were out of sight. Upon seeing Harry, the Mermaid and Sir Cadogen had simply turned around and went back in the direction from which they came. Harry began to follow them when Ron called out to him.

“Harry, wait for us!” Ron and Hermione hurried down the corridor towards Harry. “Where have you been,” Ron asked. “I woke up early this morning and your bed was empty.”

“And why are you wandering about in your dressing gown,” Hermione questioned, somewhat concerned.

Instead of answering their questions, Harry ran down the corridor, beckoning Ron and Hermione to follow.

Harry turned the corner following the path he thought he had seen the Mermaid and Sir Cadogen take, but they were nowhere to be found. He pulled out the Map, scanning it quickly, looking for the two labeled dots in his vicinity. Nothing.

“Impossible,” Harry mumbled. “Where could they have gone.”

“Who are you looking for mate,” Ron asked, leaning around Harry to peer at the map.

“The Mermaid and Sir Cadogen,” Harry answered, his eyes now frantically searching the old piece of parchment. “I saw them walking down the corridor- out of their frames! They were labeled on the map too, but now they’re gone. I don’t understand.”

“But Harry, that’s not possible. Portraits can’t manifest themselves into a physical form, not like that. Can they,” Ron directed the question at Hermione.

“They can’t manifest themselves, but a powerful witch or wizard could give them form,” Hermione recited. “I’ve read about it. It is possible, but very dangerous, not to mention strictly forbidden by Ministry law. This is bad Harry, very bad.”

“Yeah, well that’s not all. Come with me,” Harry said.

Harry led Ron and Hermione to the Prefect’s Bathroom. When they reached the Portrait of Boris the Bewildered, who was still in his frame, to everyone’s relief, Harry pulled out the piece of parchment he had found earlier.

“Spring Flower,” Harry called to the portrait, causing it to swing open, permitting their entrance.

“Where did you get that,” Hermione asked sharply, pointing at the parchment. She turned to glare at Ron with suspicion.
“Don’t look at me Hermione! I didn’t give the password to Harry or anyone else,” Ron cried, defending himself against Hermione’s unspoken accusation.

Though normally inure to their arguing, after the events of this morning Harry felt no patience for it. Before Ron and Hermione could continue, Harry launched into his story, beginning with Dobby waking him and ending with a description of the solid portraits.

This doesn’t make sense,” Hermione said, biting her lip. “Who would want to change the structure of the castle…and why? I mean really, what purpose would it serve?”

“I don’t know,” Harry said. We need to find out which Prefect wrote that password down, that may be the best place to start.”

“Well isn’t it obvious,” Ron asked, as he began to perambulate the perimeter of the tub searching for an additional clue. “Malfoy! It has to be. He’s the worst excuse for a prefect this school’s ever seen. I’d bet a hundred galleons he’s behind this somehow!”

“I don’t know Ron,” Hermione said uncertainly. “I’m not sure Malfoy is smart enough or powerful enough to mastermind something like this.”

“Well maybe he had help or something, but I’m telling you, this whole thing stinks like Malfoy,” Ron declared.

“Maybe we could talk to one of the professors. Perhaps something like this has happened before, they may know a counter-spell,” Hermione suggested.

Harry hesitated, if he told a professor it may cause trouble for Dobby. After all, that was why Dobby came to him not someone else. Suddenly an idea came to him, he knew just which professor to visit.

“Hagrid! We’ll go see him,” Harry decided. “Everyone’s probably at breakfast right now. We could stop in the kitchen on the way and ask Dobby to keep an eye on Malfoy, in case he is behind all this. Maybe Dobby can stop him before he causes more trouble.”

Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement and the three of them left the bathroom. Wanting to change out of his dressing gown, Harry arranged to meet Ron and Hermione at the entrance of the kitchen, then rushed up to Gryffindor Tower. When he arrived, he was so happy to see the Fat Lady within her frame, he listened to her shrill voice peel off a few notes of her favorite song before calling out the password.

Harry changed quickly and hurried downstairs. He had almost reached the kitchen when he heard the clatter of hooves coming down the corridor. Harry turned around in time to see Sir Cadogen charging towards him. The tiny knight was brandishing his weapon and shouting threats. Sir Cadogen took a swipe at Harry’s leg with his small sword as he passed. Harry dodged him easily and watched the knight continue loudly down the corridor.
Harry continued on, finding Ron and Hermione beneath the familiar picture of fruit. Seeing him approach, Hermione tickled the pear and they all made their way into the busy kitchen.

The house elves were working quickly, cleaning breakfast dishes and beginning the preparations for lunch. Dobby hurried over to Harry when he saw them enter the kitchen.

“Harry Potter! Did you fix Hogwarts,” Dobby asked his eyes wide with hope.

“I’m afraid not Dobby,” Harry replied. “We might have bigger problems than we thought.”

“What will we do Harry Potter, sir,” Dobby fretted.

“We’re going to see if we can get some help, but we need you to do something while’ we’re gone,” Harry said.

Harry bent close to Dobby and whispered their request in his floppy ear. The tiny house elf appeared anxious, but excited to be given such an important task.

“Dobby will make Harry Potter and Hogwarts proud,” Dobby declared.

“I know you will Dobby. Just be careful,” Harry warned.

On their way out of the kitchen, Harry described his encounter with Sir Cadogen to Ron and Hermione. They all looked nervously about expecting another attack, but the corridor was deserted with the exception of another student.

“Who’s that,” Ron asked.

“Mark Evans, second year,” Hermione replied sounding preoccupied.

Harry could tell Hermione’s mind was racing to find an answer to all of the puzzling events that had occurred. He hoped she came up with something soon, because he felt thoroughly confused.

As they made their way across the grounds they were greeted by Professor Sprout. She waved at them cheerfully nearly spilling the piggin of water she was carrying. They all returned the greeting and quickened their steps when Hagrid’s hut came into view.

Fang began barking when Harry knocked on Hagrid’s heavy wooden door.

“Com’in,” Hagrid called. Hagrid pulled the door open only a crack peeking out to see who was knocking. “Good, its only you three. Hurry up come in, come in.”

Harry, Hermione, and Ron hurried into the house. Harry wondered why Hagrid appeared so nervous, but realized instantly what the cause of his anxiety was. Sitting in the middle of Hagrids’s kitchen table was a very big snake. Hagird had him sitting upon a blanket inside a large handmade basket. The snake was coiled but looked very long and thick. Hermione gasped and Ron let out a strangely feminine sounding scream. The snake’s forked tongue made an appearance as it hissed and swayed within the basket.

“Hagrid, wh-what’s that,” Ron stuttered.

“Why he’s a snake Ron. I found him in the Forbidden Forest. He had a cut by his eye so I brought him home and fixed him up. I think I’ll call ‘im Wilbur.”

“Wilbur,” Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows. “Hagrid, are you sure keeping him is a good idea? He could be dangerous.”

“He’s not dangerous! He’s harmless,” Hagrid cried. “Besides, I couldn’t leave him there. The creatures have been telling tales of something strange living in the forest. He could get hurt.”

“Something strange, like what,” Harry asked.

“Another unicorn’s been killed. Somethin’ feasting on its blood, no doubt. Even Aragog is scared, says there’s somethin’ dark and evil lurkin’ out there, he does. Strange happenings. That’s no place for Wilbur,” Hagrid said, reaching into his favorite mew behind the fireplace stones and pulling out a treat, which he tossed to the snake.

Harry wasn’t sure what kind of treat it was but it appeared furry and the disgusted look on Hermione’s face left little to the imagination. The hunger pains from missing breakfast and now probably lunch as well, faded and were replaced with nausea as Harry watched the lump slide down the snake’s throat.

To replace the image, Harry began telling Hagrid about the events of the morning. Hagrid shook his head when Hermione asked if something like this had happened before.

“Never,” Hagrid said. “Do you three have any ideas who might be behind all this?”

“We’re not really sure,” Harry replied.

Wilbur finished chowing his treat and began making hissing noises, looking directly at Harry. The noise the snake made sounded like only hissing to everyone in the room, except Harry. Being able to speak Parseltongue gifted him with the ability to understand exactly what the snake was saying.

“Sssssso, trouble at the castle assss well. You sssay you are not sure who it issss, but you’re wrong. You know. You know. After all it isss your fault she issss out there. You and the girl,” the snake added swinging his head towards Hermione. “You left the monster in the forest. I saw you leave her to be punished by the Centaurs. Well she has lived in pain and has returned to wreak vengeance upon usssss all.”

Harry didn’t want to believe it, didn’t want to say her name out loud, but he did anyway.

“Umbridge….”

This post has been edited by evlpez: Oct 1 2004, 12:30 PM

[evlpez]

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