Chapter 35: Consequences
Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 35: Consequences
The following night, the four of them met near the entrance of the castle after dinner.
The potion vials were well secured inside Harry's robes, clinking softly against his chest as he walked.
Without wasting time, they made their way outside, towards the Black Lake, while making sure that no one had spotted them. An easy task, considering that the corridors were dark and empty at this hour.
The portraits had gone to sleep, their inhabitants snoring softly in their frames, and the only things looming in the shadows were old suits of armour, their silver spears glinting faintly in the torchlight.
Once they arrived at the shore, Harry took out the four vials and handed one to each of his friends. The glass was cold against his fingertips.
"Remember," he said, his breath misting in the freezing air. "The effect lasts for about ten minutes. Maybe a little longer if we're lucky, but we need to be fast."
They had no extra potions. If the effect wore off while they were in the cave, the freezing water would kill them before they could reach the surface. Harry did not say this aloud. He did not need to. Their expressions told him they all understood.
Draco turned his vial in his hands, watching the moonlight catch the shimmering surface. "What about Grindylows? Or the giant squid? Won't they bother us?"
"The giant squid didn't seem interested in Daphne and me when we dived last time," Harry said. "The Grindylows can be annoying, but as long as there are only a few, I have a spell to deal with them."
"Well… that's a relief," Crabbe muttered, staring into the icy black water. His broad shoulders were tense, but his voice was steady.
Pansy said nothing. Her pale face was turned toward the lake, her dark eyes distant, unfocused. Harry knew she was thinking of her brother...of seeing him again, of finally having a chance to say goodbye. He did not disturb her.
Crabbe checked his own vial and nodded. "Ready when you are."
Harry led them along the shore, past the frozen reeds and the skeletal trees, until they reached the gnarled old oak that leaned out over the water...the dead tree where they had found Alistair's tie.
"We just need to follow the roots," Harry said, pointing. "They'll guide us to the cave's entrance. It's not too far down."
Draco took a deep breath. "Let's do this." He pulled the cork from his vial.
The others followed suit. Together, they swallowed the Deep‑Water Draught in unison.
The cold, metallic taste flooded Harry's mouth. It was like swallowing liquid silver. For a moment, nothing happened. Then warmth spread through his chest, down his arms, across his skin. The invisible barrier formed around him, a second skin, a shield against the freezing depths.
He looked at his friends. Draco's eyes were wide with wonder.
Pansy's lips were pressed into a thin, determined line.
"Follow me," Harry said.
He stepped onto the ice, found the place where the surface was thinnest, and smashed it open with the largest rock he could find. The dark water churned, then stilled.
Without hesitation, he jumped.
The lake swallowed him whole.
Harry's wand tip glowed with a soft Lumos, pushing back the shadows.
The light reflected off the barrier around his face, casting faint rainbows on the murky water. He swam forward, his arms cutting through the dark like blades.
Behind him, he heard the splashes of the others entering.
Schools of silver fish darted past, startled by their presence, their scales glittering like scattered coins. Weeds swayed in the current, their long tendrils reaching for them like long fingers.
A Grindylow appeared from behind a rock...a small, horned creature with long, bony fingers and yellow teeth. Its eyes gleamed with malice. It hissed and lunged at Draco.
Harry spun, his wand raised. "Repello Minoris!"
A burst of silver light shot from his wand. The creature shrieked and fled, disappearing into the darkness.
Draco let out a shaky breath. "Thanks."
"Stay close," Harry said. "We're almost there."
They reached the cave entrance. A narrow gap in the rock near the dead tree's roots. Harry went first, squeezing through the tight passage. The stone scraped against his barrier, but the magic held strong. He pulled himself through and emerged into the chamber beyond.
One by one, the others followed.
Inside, the cave opened into a large, vaulted space. The walls were still damp, still covered in patches of glowing green moss that pulsed with a faint, eerie light. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like stone teeth, dripping cold water into the pool below.
But Harry knew immediately that something was wrong.
He waded to the flat rock where Alistair's body had been chained. His heart hammered in his chest.
The chains were still there...rusted and bolted deep into the stone. But the body was gone.
"What the… how can this be?" Harry muttered.
Pansy surfaced beside him. Her eyes swept the chamber, searching with desperation. "Harry, where is he? Where is my brother?" Her voice cracked. She looked at the empty chains.
Harry didn't answer immediately. He moved closer to the rock, reached out, and touched the chains.
"He was just here," Harry said, his voice hollow. "Right here. Secured with these chains."
Pansy's face crumpled. "No. No, he has to be. You said you found him here. You said—"
"I did," Harry said. "I swear. He was right here. Daphne saw him too. And his ghost…"
Draco surfaced beside them, his wand light sweeping the chamber. "Maybe we're in the wrong cave? Could there be another one?"
"No. This is the place," Harry said. "I recognise the runes. The shape of the walls. These chains. This is where we found him."
Crabbe had moved to the back of the chamber, his light playing over the stone. "Guys… there's something here."
They followed him. At the rear of the cave, behind a cluster of stalagmites, was a narrow crevice that Harry had missed during his last visit. A dark passage that seemed to lead upward, toward the castle. But the entrance was sealed. Glowing red runes covered the stone, forming a complex, interlocking pattern.
Draco studied them, his face pale in the wand light. "I think these are blood wards," he whispered. "I've read about all kinds of forbidden magic. But even among them, blood magic is one of the worst. Extremely illegal. Has been since the founding of the Ministry."
"Can we break them?" Harry asked.
"Impossible." Draco shook his head. "They can only be opened by someone with the right magical signature...the person who sealed them. Or someone who shares their blood. To break through this, you would need an expert of the highest calibre. The kind you can only find at Gringotts, if you're lucky."
Harry's stomach turned. "Dumbledore."
"Or McGonagall. Or someone close to them." Draco touched the runes gently, then pulled his hand back as if burned. "They're warm. Someone activated them recently. Within the last day or two."
Pansy's voice was barely a whisper. "They moved him. Someone came here and took his body."
"And the ghost is gone too," Harry said. "I think they put a spell on his body to prevent his ghost from wandering too far. Without the body… he could be anywhere."
They searched the chamber one more time, hoping for anything...a scrap of fabric, a torn page, a footprint. But the cold water had erased everything.
Pansy pressed her hand against the chains, her fingers curling around the rusted iron. "He was here," she said. "I can feel him. He was here."
"We need to leave," Harry said. "Whoever took the body might still be watching. If they placed a tracking charm on the cave…"
"They must know we're here," Draco finished.
"Let's hurry," Crabbe said.
They swam back through the narrow gap, out of the cave, and up toward the surface. The potion was beginning to weaken...Harry could feel the cold seeping through the barrier, pressing against his skin like icy fingers.
He broke the surface first, gasping for breath, and began to pull himself onto the frozen shore.
Then something hit him.
Magical ropes shot out of the darkness, wrapping around his arms, his legs, his chest. He was yanked backward, tumoring across the ice, and fell hard onto the muddy ground of the shore.
"Harry!" Pansy screamed from behind.
More ropes. Draco was bound mid‑crawl, his arms pinned to his sides. Crabbe was yanked backward before he could reach the shore, landing with a heavy grunt. Pansy was lifted off her feet and dropped onto the cold ground beside Harry.
Torches flared to life, illuminating the scene.
A ring of students in matching black robes with silver trim surrounded them. Junior Inquisitors...the most feared group of students in Hogwarts.
They had more authority than prefects and answered only to Minerva McGonagall herself.
The Inquisitors stared down at them with cold eyes and satisfied smiles.
Among them stood the Weasley twins. Fred and George grinned, their eyes glittering in the torchlight.
"Found anything interesting down there, Potter?" one of them said.
"Or maybe you didn't find enough," the other added.
"Trespassing," another member of the group spoke. It was a tall girl with long dark hair and cold, grey eyes. "Use of illegal potions. Swimming in the Black Lake without authorisation. Wandering the school grounds at night." She counted on her fingers. "You lot are in serious trouble."
"That's enough." A stern female voice cut through the night. "I will be the one to judge them."
The young Inquisitors parted, stepping back to let her pass.
Harry looked up just in time to see Professor McGonagall emerge from the shadows. Her dark crimson robes were immaculate, not a single wrinkle out of place. Her dark hair was pulled into its usual tight bun, and her wand was raised, pointed directly at him.
Her face was colder than the ice of the lake.
"Did you think you could sneak around Hogwarts at your pleasure without anyone noticing, Mr. Potter?"
Harry struggled against the ropes. They were enchanted, and the more he moved, the tighter they became, biting into his wrists and ankles. "Professor –"
"Save your excuses." McGonagall gestured to the twins. "Search them. Confiscate anything they are carrying."
The Weasley twins moved forward with practised efficiency. They found Harry's wand and his empty potion vial.
They found Draco's wand, a silver compass, and a folded letter.
They found Crabbe's wand and his mother's potions book.
They found Pansy's wand and a worn photograph. A picture of her and Alistair, arms around each other, both laughing at something out of frame.
George held up the photograph. "What's this, Parkinson? Do you really miss the loser that much?" He chuckled.
Pansy did not answer. Her face was white with rage and grief, her dark eyes burning.
"Enough," McGonagall said. "Bring them."
The ropes tightened, and the Inquisitors hauled them to their feet. Harry stumbled, his legs numb from the cold. Draco struggled beside him, but the ropes held tight.
They were marched up the lawn, past the frozen trees, toward the castle. The great oak doors loomed ahead, dark and forbidding.
Harry looked back at the lake for a second.
'They knew,' he thought. 'They knew we were coming and were ready to catch us.'
He was starting to think that this had all been a trap. And he had walked right into it.
The doors of the castle opened, and they were brought inside the Great Hall.
It was late, but there were still a few students there, sitting at the tables and murmuring.
They all stopped and stared as Harry and his friends were dragged across the room, bound and shivering, their damp robes clinging to their skin.
McGonagall did not explain. She continued walking at a brisk pace, her heels clicking on the stone floor.
This was a warning for those present. A show of what happened to those who broke the rules. Harry and his friends were being used as an example.
McGonagall led them through the hall, up a flight of stairs, and into a cold, stone corridor on the second floor. The torches here burned low, casting long shadows that seemed to writhe on the walls.
She stopped before a heavy oak door banded with iron.
"Inside," McGonagall commanded.
The ropes loosened just enough for them to be shoved through the door. It closed behind them with a resounding boom.
Inside this new chamber was a long, narrow corridor lined with countless small doors on each side. A holding cell block. Harry was at the front of the group, so he could not see what was happening behind him, but he heard the squeal of hinges and the sounds of complaints as his friends were tossed into their cells.
He was led further down the corridor. McGonagall stopped before one of the doors and opened it.
"In here," she instructed the Inquisitor who held Harry.
Harry caught a glimpse of a wand moving. A moment later, an invisible force pushed him inside the small room.
"Urgh!" He fell on his shoulder, hitting his head on the hard floor.
The door slammed shut behind him, the lock clicking into place.
"Damn…" Harry muttered as he fought against his restraints. But it was futile. He could only move his legs...his arms were tightly secured.
With great difficulty, he managed to sit up and look around.
He was inside something that looked like a medieval prison cell. The walls were rough grey stone, cold and damp. There was nothing in the room except a pile of mouldy hay in one corner...the bed, presumably, and a wooden bucket in the opposite corner. He did not want to think about what that was for.
The only light came from the moonlight piercing through the small, barred window at the top of the far wall. It was too high to reach, too narrow to squeeze through.
Harry leaned against the cold stone, his breath misting in the chill air.
"How long are they going to keep me here?" he muttered, dread pooling in his stomach.
He thought of Draco, Pansy, and Crabbe in their own cells. He thought of the empty cave and the Weasley twins' satisfied smiles.
He thought of McGonagall's cold eyes.
And he wondered...what fate awaited him now.
A.N: - Remember to comment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.
You can support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters. You can also find character images to view for free in Collections/Harry Potter: Mirror Images
-.com/Kriogenix
For donations and commissions, go to .com/kriogenix