Harry Potter and Future's Past

Chapter 6

"You stay here and make sure they don't leave," Draco Malfoy said to Gregory Goyle. They had followed Potter until they had started in the general direction of the Room of Requirements but stopped before going up the last staircase to see if other members of Potter's group would show up. Headmistress Umbridge thought for sure that Potter would try something near the end of the school year and she was eager to catch him. Draco had thought he would be giving Umbridge what she wanted when Longbottom and Lovegood had ascended the steps a little later, but then no one else came. Malfoy had been tempted to report what he knew to the Headmistress, but he was sure he would catch Potter and his friends doing something more.

When curfew drew near and Potter and the mudblood hadn't reappeared, Malfoy knew he had his nemesis. He moved up the steps and waited with his wand ready for the moment Potter came out of the door. Minutes passed and then an hour. Finally Draco knew it was time to report to Umbridge. Draco summoned Goyle from his place in hiding and gave him his instructions and then scurried to inform the Headmistress. They were back within ten minutes.

"Well?" Umbridge said to Goyle when she saw there was no door. "Where are they?"

"It…it just disappeared," Goyle replied as he pointed to the blank wall. "One minute there was a door and the next….."

"You let them escape?" Umbridge screeched.

"No….I…it was there," Goyle said. "And…and it just disappeared."

"Nonsense. Quit making excuses. You probably dozed off and they snuck past you. Well they won't get far," Umbridge said. "Fortunately for you I stationed a few Inquisitorial squad members at the entrance to Gryffindor tower. Now go tell Filch to search every inch of this castle until he finds that wretched boy."

"Yes ma'am," Goyle replied and hurried off.

"You," Umbridge said to Draco. "You come with me. We'll get McGonagall so she can witness her students aren't where they should be and can't argue about their punishment when they are found."

Umbridge moved off down the steps with a smile on her face. She wondered how Potter would do on his written exams after several hours of writing in his own blood.

*** E E ***

When Harry, Hermione and Neville walked through the tunnel door from the Room of Requirements into the boy's dorm the door disappeared. Neville turned to Harry, "So I really did all that stuff?"

"You did Neville, you really did," Harry replied patting his friend on the back. "I will show you every memory I have of what you told me and what others told me about what you did during your seventh year. While we were away working on how to kill Voldemort, you led Dumbledore's Army, you battled the Death Eaters who taught students here and saved those who were being tortured. Trust me when I say that besides my lovely wife here, there is no one I want by my side in a battle more than you."

"But I've never been that good with magic."

"We think it's your wand Neville," Hermione said. "When it broke in the Ministry you got a new one that matched you. One of the things that we learned in the next couple of years is how important it is to match a wand to a wizard."

"I had my wand broken that last year," Harry explained, "and when I had to use someone else's wand it didn't work nearly as well for me."