Ron Potter and the Next Generation by PEMDAS
Chapter Notes: Wondering what the chapter title could mean? Read and find out when validated...
For the next few days, Ron and Harry tried to think of every possibility that Marilyn could have lied, but it was impossible...she had drank the Veritaserum; there was no way around the potion without a strong antidote, which they were certain Marilyn had none of...they finally had to drop the idea that it was Marilyn on the grounds.
But who else could it be? Ron was almost certain it was a Slytherin, because who else would dress up as a Death Eater? He decided to research some names of Slytherins, and see if there were any suspicious names, such as last names of former Death Eaters.
The easiest way to do so was to break into Snape’s office and steal the records of all the Slytherins at Hogwarts, which the Heads of Houses kept in private places. Although it was the easiest way, it still proved to be very difficult. Ron had heard that Snape kept all his private things in a hidden area of his office, but thus far, Ron and Harry had been able to dupe Snape to steal things, but they were still somewhat frightened of him.
Fortunately, another thing Ron had managed to sneak off to Hogwarts was the Marauder’s Map. From what he’d heard, the Map had an interesting history: first owned by his grandpa and his friends, then confiscated by Filch, then stolen by Uncles Fred and George, then handed down to Ron’s dad, and Ron “borrowed” it from his dad’s office. The Map would come in handy when attempting to take anything from Snape’s private office, and Ron would be sure to use it for precautions.
The only time to attempt such a raid would be in the dead of night. It would take far longer than simply opening a cupboard and taken out a potion, and Ron doubted they could distract Snape that long. All it would take is about an hour alone in Snape’s office under the Invisibility Cloak, and the Marauder’s Map to tell if anyone was coming. The perfect time would be the coming Friday night, when everyone was most tired and willing to go to bed sooner after a long week.
On Friday, after everyone in Gryffindor Tower had retreated to bed, Ron and Harry remained in the common room and pulled out the Invisibility Cloak and Marauder’s Map. Ron pulled out his wand and pointed it at the latter. “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,” he muttered, and the Map came to life. Ron and Harry were amazed at all the detail on the map, and pored over it for a few minutes before getting back to business.
“No one on the seventh floor,” Harry said, pointing to the map. “Oh, except for the Bloody Baron...he’s just wandering around, though...”
“Let’s go,” Ron said, throwing the Cloak over both of them. They pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady, who was dozing quietly, and began walking down to the dungeons.
Numerous times they had to take detours to avoid ghosts or teachers, but twice they had no choice. The first time they came across Peeves, who was writing a particular nasty word on the wall and laughing. With a wink to Harry, Ron pulled out his wand and muttered, “Reducto!” A vase right next to Peeves shattered, and the poltergeist went mad trying to find the source of the explosion, and Ron and Harry slipped out of the corridor. The second time, they met Professor Trelawney, who was pacing the corridors with a pack of cards, often bursting out in sobs at what she saw. “Does she ever predict anything pleasant?” Harry whispered to Ron, who shrugged.
Finally, down in the dungeons, they saw that no one was around, so they snuck into Snape’s classroom, and to the back corner, where the door to Snape’s office was. “Alohamora,” Ron said, pointing his wand at the lock, and it clicked open. It seemed so simple...
“Wait,” Ron said, stopping Harry before he could walk into the room. “Specialis Revelio!” Just as Ron suspected, Snape’s office was rigged with traps to keep out intruders...laser trippers, Sneakoscopes, Secrecy Sensors...it was unsafe to do enter the room yet.
But with a few well-placed spells, Ron Silenced the Sneakoscope, blocked the area in front of the Sensors, and Stupefied a control box that turned off the lasers. Ron and Harry walked into the office cautiously, looking around for anything suspicious. Harry searched in cabinets and files, while Ron searched the walls for any crevices or holes that could give away a hidden door or cabinet. Suddenly, he spotted a tiny metal ring in the concrete walls, and motioned Harry over.
“What d’you reckon?” Harry said, examining the ring.
“Dunno,” Ron said. He pulled out his wand and tried various spells, but none seemed to work. Frustrated, he turned to Harry.
“You know, maybe it’s not that complicated,” Harry said. “Maybe it’s as easy as just...” He grasped the edge of the ring and pulled, and a secret cabinet pulled out. Ron felt very stupid, while Harry was very pleased with himself.
“What do you know?” Harry said coolly, grinning.
“Yeah, yeah,” Ron said irritably, peering into the cabinet. It contained several files of interest, including detention records, personal letters/memos, and, in the very back, the item Ron was looking for: the records of all the Slytherins at Hogwarts. He pulled out the thick pile of papers, stuck together by a simple Sticking Charm in the corner.
“Well, what do we do now?” Harry asked. “Don’t you think he’ll notice it’s gone if we take it?”
“Who said we’re going to take it?” Ron said, smirking. He pointed his wand at the pile of documents and muttered a small charm. Every wave of his wand, and a sheet of the pile of documents copied itself, so within a minute, Ron had a set of the documents all for himself. He returned the original to Snape’s cabinet and closed it. Harry was awestruck and impressed.
“Now, let’s get out of he-” Ron stopped short; he heard a distinct thud in the distance. “Harry, get the Map!” he hissed. Harry had left the Map on the desk while he was searching, and he returned to fetch it.
“Oh, no,” Harry moaned, scanning the map. “It’s Snape. And he’s coming.”
“Quick, hide everything!” Ron said, and they went to work: he pushed the cabinet back into the wall, flattening the ring back into the groove in the wall. They exited the office, and Harry un-Stupefied the control box, and the laser trippers came back to life, and Ron closed the door. Behind them, he heard footsteps, approaching fast, and without turning around to see, he threw the Invisibility Cloak over himself and Harry, signaling for Harry to silently shuffle to their left.
Seconds later, Snape strode into the room, his narrowed eyes scanning the room. Does he know someone was here? Ron wondered, and he felt Harry quaking with fear. Snape strolled across the room to his office, opening the door and walking into it, his billowing cloak trailing behind him.
“Let’s get out of here,” Ron whispered, and he and Harry walked from the room. Once they were out of the dungeons, they scanned the Map for an open stairwell, then shed the Cloak and ran for it, making a dash for the seventh floor along a hidden stairway. Finally, they arrived, and gave the angry Fat Lady the password, and entered the common room.
“Thank goodness that’s over,” Ron said aloud as they entered, then Harry gasped: Professor Potter was standing before them, face unreadable. Ron’s stomach dropped, and an icy cold feeling crept up his back.
“Well, well,” Professor Potter said, as though amused by the sight of his son and nephew sneaking into the common room at midnight, “what brings you boys here so late?”
“H-hi, dad,” Ron stuttered nervously. Harry said nothing, but stared at the floor.
“Imagine my surprise when I came up here to commend you for following the rules and staying in the dormitories, but find two empty beds. Care to explain?”
“Er...” Ron tried to think of an excuse, but nothing came to mind.
“Detention, boys,” said Professor Potter, “both of you. My office, Sunday night, eight ‘o clock sharp. Oh, and I’ll be taking that.”
Professor Potter took the Cloak from Harry’s hands, and Ron’s stomach dropped when Professor Potter turned to him. “The Map, as well, Ron.” Ron sighed and pulled out the Map, muttering “Mischief managed” as he handed it over to his father, who put it in the inside pocket of his robes.
“Good night, Ron, Harry,” Professor Potter said briskly. “I trust you can find your beds?” With that, he turned and strode from the common room without another word.
This was even worse than yelling. The silent, almost amused reprimanding hurt Ron even more than any amount of shouting could’ve done. And as Ron and Harry walked up to the dormitories to sleep, they both knew their exploring days in Hogwarts were over.
Author’s Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed that chapter...I’ll post Ch. 11 as soon as it’s done being written. Thanks for reading...please, PLEASE review! All reviews will be answered! Thanks!