HP/LOTM: Visionary - 447

Chapter 447: Back to Hogwarts, Edmond Takes the Lead

While Aiden was busy pushing the conversion plan forward at full speed, Harry and Edmond prepared to slip into Hogwarts in secret.

They were still missing the final piece of the puzzle: female Tom’s most capable right-hand man, Severus Snape.

The four of them arrived at the Hog’s Head. Aberforth hated that people kept treating his pub like a secret base, but for Dumbledore’s sake, he pinched the bridge of his nose and put up with it.

He led them to a portrait, the painting of the sister they all loved most: Ariana Dumbledore.

The girl in the portrait turned and walked down the little path behind the frame. Harry, curious, asked, “Where’s she going?”

Aberforth ignored him, lifted his kerosene lamp, and walked away.

But far down the painted path, a light was swaying closer and closer, a kerosene lamp moving toward them.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione drew their wands at once. Edmond already knew who it was, so he lifted a hand to stop them.

A moment later, the portrait swung open, revealing a hidden passage.

Neville Longbottom stepped out, holding the lamp.

“Neville!” the three of them cried, delighted.

“You look…” Harry started, then the words stuck.

“I know. I look awful, right?” Neville gave a dry, self-mocking smile. “Seamus looks worse than me.”

He waved them along, and the four of them squeezed into the narrow, dark tunnel behind the portrait.

“There’s no passage like this on the map,” Ron said, his voice echoing along the stone.

“Because it didn’t exist before,” Neville replied. “The other seven passages have been sealed. This is the only way in now.”

With a quick Transfiguration, Neville turned the kerosene lamp into a torch.

“Death Eaters and Dementors are everywhere in the school.”

“How bad is it since Snape became Headmaster?” Hermione asked.

“We hardly ever see him,” Neville said, glancing back. “The Carrows are the ones we have to watch.”

“The Carrows?” Harry repeated, confused.

“Yeah. Brother and sister. They run the place. They love handing out punishments.” Neville pointed to the bruises and marks on his face.

“They did that to you?” Edmond asked. “Why?”

“In Defence Against the Dark Arts today, they ordered us to use the Cruciatus Curse on first-years,” Neville said, spreading his hands. “We refused, so we got punished.”

Harry’s expression darkened.

Neville noticed and hurried to add, “It was Filch who carried it out. I don’t know how he does it, but he can make us look absolutely miserable without actually hurting us.”

They reached the end of the tunnel. Neville pushed open a concealed door and called into a cellar packed with students.

“Oi. I brought you a surprise.”

“Don’t tell me it’s food from Aberforth again,” Seamus complained. “That stuff isn’t fit for humans.”

Neville laughed, stepped aside, and Harry walked out from behind him.

“Harry!”
“Harry Potter!”
“Edmond?”

The cellar was packed with students from every House. It looked like everyone except Slytherin had been shoved down here. The living conditions were terrible, and they were even crammed together without separating boys and girls.

“So what’s the plan?” Seamus asked, buzzing with excitement. He looked ready to set the world on fire.

“We need to find Voldemort’s last secret weapon,” Harry said, looking around at all of them. “But we don’t even know what it is. I’m hoping we can put our heads together.”

Click.

A door opened overhead.

A figure came running down.

“Harry!”
“Ginny!”

Two voices rang out at once. The students quickly parted to make a path. Harry and Ginny locked eyes, neither willing to look away first.

“Uh, hey, Ginny,” Ron said, but she didn’t even glance at him.

He turned to Hermione with a wounded look. “I’m her brother. She hasn’t seen me in six months, and she doesn’t even say hello.”

“Brothers are easy to come by,” Seamus said, grinning. “There’s only one Harry.”

“Shut it, Seamus,” Ron snapped.

Ginny’s face tightened. “Snape’s calling a full assembly. They already know Harry slipped into Hogsmeade.”

Every gaze turned to Harry, waiting.

“Right,” Harry said calmly. “Let’s go meet him.”

He was not afraid. Dumbledore had already shown him the truth about Snape.

Soon, the Carrows’ summons spread through the castle by magic. Students had no choice but to pull on their uniforms and head for the Great Hall.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville used a Doubling Charm to get extra robes and blended into the crowd, while Edmond peeled away alone, heading off to take a walk through the school.

In the Great Hall, Snape paced on the raised platform, sweeping the students with a dark, predatory stare.

“I have heard that Harry Potter may have entered Hogsmeade,” he said.

“Now…”

“Any teacher or student who dares to assist Harry Potter will receive…”

“A punishment equal to their actions.”

Whispers spread instantly. Ever since the Death Eaters’ reign of terror began at Hogwarts, Harry’s name had only grown louder.

“Silencio!” Snape barked, instantly crushing the noise into silence.

After a moment, he released the spell and spoke again. “If anyone knows something and fails to report it, they will receive the same punishment as those who help him.”

He stepped down from the platform and walked into the middle of the crowd.

“Now then,” he said softly. “Does anyone have something to say?”

A hunched figure stepped out from among the students, head bowed. He lifted his hat.

“It seems you failed to stop me getting into Hogwarts, Headmaster,” Harry said, smiling.

A sharp breath went through the hall. Students backed away, clearing a wide circle between Harry and Snape.

“Harry Potter, you’ve walked into a trap!” the Carrow siblings shrieked, reaching for the alarm.

But the doors did not open.

And none of the Death Eaters stationed at Hogwarts responded.

“Oh, are you looking for them?” a voice said.

Space rippled.

A young man in a suit and heavy overcoat stepped out.

Dozens of pale-blue bubbles floated above his head. Inside each one, Death Eaters and Dementors hung frozen, suspended in place. Around the bubbles spun a ribbon of light, etched with strange runes.

“How…” the Carrows’ eyes widened.

Edmond’s hand drifted gently onto their throats.

“Good night.”

The bubbles expanded from Edmond’s hand, inch by inch, sealing the Carrow siblings inside. Time was completely forbidden within the spheres. Anyone weaker than Edmond simply could not break free.

Edmond turned, one hand resting over his chest, and gave a slight bow.

“Professor Flitwick. It’s been a long time.”

In the dim Great Hall, his golden eyes shone like lamps.