Once again, it was time for Warren's annual argument with the trolley witch.
"Dear, I've told you every year. You can't buy all the Chocolate Frogs I have, I need to have some to sell to the other children," the trolley witch said as she stood at the door to Warren's compartment.
"Madam, this is benefiting my fellow students in the long-run," Warren countered. "I'm always able to provide them with that missing card they've been searching for."
"Must we do this every year?" the witch lamented.
"You're the one who insists on not selling me what I wish to purchase," Warren replied. "Are you here to make a profit, or are you here simply to spread fairness and cheer?"
The trolley witch's expression darkened.
"Listen to me. You're not getting all the Chocolate Frogs and that's all there is to it."
"I'll pay you twice the cost," Warren said.
"What am I supposed to tell the other children?"
"Tell them you sold out, and they should have gotten to you sooner," Warren insisted. "I do not intend to drop this issue."
"They'll be so disappointed."
"This is the only time during the year that I purchase my Chocolate Frogs from you," Warren said. "The rest of the year I get them from Honeydukes. I don't even buy any from you on the way back from school."
The trolley witch sighed. She knew when she was defeated.
"Alright, but I'm telling everyone who bought them all," she said.
"If you feel that's what you need to do, I consider that a small price to pay."
The trolley witch gathered up her supply of Chocolate Frogs and dumped them onto the seat of the compartment.
"What else would you like?" she asked.
"I'll take one small box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, two packs of Drooble's, four cauldron cakes, two pumpkin pasties, and eleven licorice wands. I would also like some pumpkin juice," Warren requested. He fished out her money from his midnight blue drawstring money pouch, while she handed Wilbur the treats.
"Every year, the same thing," Warren said, as the witch moved on down the aisle. Wilbur organized the treats, separating the Chocolate Frogs, while Warren pulled a large leather book out of his school trunk. It was the official Chocolate Frog Cards keeper, and as he opened it he admired the neat rows of cards in their plastic slots. He was proud of the dedication he'd put into his collection.
"That has to be the biggest collection I've ever seen," Fuzz-Head remarked as he marveled over Warren's cards. Warren smiled with pride.
"Do you collect?" he asked.
"I sure do, but nothing like this."
"I have many duplicates, if there's ones you'd like to trade," Warren said.
"I have been looking for a Cliodna," Fuzz-Head said.
"I have five," Warren answered, to Fuzz-Head's amazement. "I'll just have to let you look through the collection later, see what you want. For now, I need to go through my new Chocolate Frogs while Wilbur discusses our basic plan of action."
Warren began opening up the Chocolate Frogs one at a time. He'd inspect the card, place it with the ones he already had, and feed the Frog to Felix, who enjoyed playing with them first.
"Please keep an eye out for Mopsus," Wilbur said.
"I remember," Warren replied. "Start the discussion."
"Alright," Wilbur said, opening his notebook. "Our general outline for this year's mission consists of four key parts. First of all, we made a list of the secrets we already know about. There's the passageway Fuzz-Head mentioned from the library to the broom cupboard, of course, and the Chamber of Secrets. There's the secret passageway behind a tapestry that leads down a staircase with a trick step, and a passageway behind a suit of armor that goes between the seventh and third floors. There is also a mysterious magical room that Warren mentioned reading about, but we still need to find it."
"Ah, yes. This room was referenced a few times in The Authorized Biography of Harry Potter," Warren said. "In his fifth year, Harry Potter started Dumbledore's Army, which met and practiced secretly in a mysterious, magical room. It was mentioned again the night of Dumbledore's death. There was a vanishing cabinet in the room whose match was in a shop down Knockturn Alley, and that was how Death Eaters were able to get into the school the night Dumbledore died. Then once again, the mysterious room is mentioned again during the Battle of Hogwarts, when it was used to smuggle students in and out of the school. Seems like a loophole in Hogwarts security, if you ask me."
"Are you sure that it's the same room being referenced each occasion?" Wilbur asked. Warren nodded as he tossed Felix another Chocolate Frog and slid another card into his book.
"Yes, there's no doubt about it," he said. "However, no mention is made as to the whereabouts of the room, what makes it so magical, and why few people know about it."
"Well that doesn't give us much," Fuzz-Head said.
"I already had a lead to follow up on when we get to the school," Warren said.
"What lead?" Wilbur asked.
"Professor Longbottom. He's the same age as Potter, was with him the entire time they were at school together, he was a member of Dumbledore's Army, and he fought at the Battle of Hogwarts," Warren pointed out. "If anyone knows about this room, it's him."
"Yeah, but will he tell you?" Wilbur asked.
"I won't stop trying until he does."
"Alright. Moving on, our next step was to compile a list of former students who may be able to tell us some secrets about Hogwarts," Wilbur said. "So far, it's a short list. Once we get to the school we'll have more leads. There's the trophy room to get names from, and maybe we can hunt down lists of former staff and students in the archives, although how we'll do that I'm not so sure of."
"Professor Longbottom we've already mentioned, Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sinistra, they've all been here since Harry Potter. Some of the newer staff, Madam Davies, Professor Tuttle, Madam Perks, and Professor Hooper may have also attended Hogwarts and might have some slight information to provide. This is all assuming we can get any of them to tell us anything. Then there's the known ghosts: Professor Binns, Nearly-Headless Nick, The Fat Friar, The Bloody Baron, The Grey Lady, Moaning Myrtle, and others. There also might be things the portraits can tell us, especially if they're hiding a secret passageway. Known former students would be those mentioned in connection with Harry Potter, and the parents of other students. Not to mention the possible information current students themselves may have, like you, Fuzz-Head."
"Our next plan of action, while we're gathering information from different sources, we'll also be searching the castle and grounds ourselves for anything noteworthy, secretive or unknown in nature. We should try and find some other likely recruits as well for this part of the process."
"And finally, we will also be going through known books for clues, leads, and facts regarding the school and it's secrets. As you already know, we have several books on the subject already, and quite possibly will find more in the school library."
"Ah ha!" Warren cried, holding up a Chocolate Frog Card . "I have indeed found Mopsus for you, Wilbur."
"Oh, wonderful. Thank you, Warren," Wilbur said, taking the card and putting in his trunk. "Now, Fuzz-Head, do you have any questions about the plan?"
"I think I've got it," Fuzz-Head replied.
"Do you have any ideas of who might like to join us on our mission?" Warren asked.
"There is this girl in my house, Kendra Kettleburn, I kind of like. She'd probably help us."
"Oh? Good. It might be nice to have some female perspective on things," Warren said. "Be sure to talk to her as soon as you're able."
Warren went back to unwrapping his Chocolate Frog Cards while Wilbur passed around the other treats to enjoy, and gave Fuzz-Head the book on Hogsmeade to flip through. He himself had a cauldron cake and started reading Hogwarts, A History. A few minutes later, Warren realized that his partners had started the mission without him and picked up The Dark Heart of Hogwarts. His chocolate frogs could wait until later.
As the Hogwarts Express passed through the countryside, the three boys sat hunched over their books in deep concentration. Warren read something noteworthy in his, and decided to interrupt the silence.
"Rita Skeeter has some interesting questions about the Whomping Willow," Warren said. "The tree is really a rather new addition to the Hogwarts grounds, having been planted around 1971. Skeeter points out some odd details about the planting of this tree. For one, it's extremely valuable. Who paid for it and why? Why was it decided that at that time the Whomping Willow was a needed addition to the grounds? Who decided that? And why in that particular place? It's been said that it was put there on the grounds so that it would be far from everything else, but it still seems like an odd place to put it. And what purpose does it serve? Why does Hogwarts need a violent potentially dangerous tree on the grounds?"
"Does Rita have any theories?" Wilbur asked.
"Indeed, many of them. One is that it's hiding something: a secret passageway, a buried treasure, or a dead body. Another is that it was a gift to the school from persons unknown. Really just a bunch of speculation," Warren said. "It is strange, though. Perhaps Professor Longbottom knows something about that, too, since he does teach Herbology."
They continued flipping through their books until there was a loud rapping on the glass of the compartment. They looked up, and saw the faces of several unpleasant Slytherin boys, one of whom was Warren's arch-nemesis, Augustus Gravelle. Gravelle slid open the compartment door.
"Hello, what are you lot up to?" he asked, smiling down at them.
"What do you want, Gravelle?" Warren said.
"Just wondering what has you three so fascinated," Augustus said. "Preparing for your new mission?"
Warren scowled. Augustus Gravelle had been tormenting him ever since he started the Hogwarts GSA (Group for Slytherin Acceptance) in his first year. Having heard the general opinions regarding Slytherins from his family and classmates over the years, he thought it was ludicrous to categorize all Slytherins as unpleasant, backstabbing, destined-for-evil criminals, and formed an organization to bring awareness to the positive traits of Slytherins. Just because they've been determined to be cunning and ambitious doesn't mean they are bad. These weren't bad traits at all, and Warren thought it would be a good idea help them be more accepted by others.
The first meeting of the Hogwarts GSA had four members. Warren, Wilbur, a pleasant Slytherin girl Warren had met named Delilah Booth, and Augustus Gravelle.
While Warren had started the meeting off with suggesting a discussion of positive traits of known Slytherins, Augustus would interrupt, arguing that these were traits of the individual, and that Warren was simply making his own positive generalizations instead of the usual negative ones. Augustus argued that perhaps no matter what house a student is in, they should be appreciated for their own merits and traits, and not just assumed to be a particular way because a magical hat told them it was so.
Warren, growing quite agitated, told Augustus that the Sorting Hat didn't make generalizations. The Sorting Hat determined which characteristics of the person are more prominent, and then attributed them to the house where those characteristics were most valued, as determined by the founders. Unfortunately, the reputation of the Slytherins has been overall negative for some time, and Warren felt it would be a progressive step forward to make people aware of the positive traits that Slytherins possess, and how they can use them for greatness.
Augustus continued to argue. He started attending every meeting, questioning Warren's motives, debating his every comment, and flustering him in general. In the meantime, Augustus heard of Warren's mission for that year (the portraits), and decided it would be amusing to make it more difficult for him. He went around to portraits telling them that Warren wanted to sell their secrets for profit, and that they should never speak to him. Warren would often see Augustus hurrying down a staircase to talk to a portrait before him, and he began to realize that he had a real problem on his hands.
Warren assumed that the reason Augustus was lashing out against him was simply because he hadn't gotten to know him well enough, and so Warren was determined to make Augustus his new friend. He brought Augustus a bag of sweets from Honeydukes at one of the GSA meetings, only to have Augustus reprimand him for not bringing candy for everyone. Augustus then shared his bag of candy with the other group members, who were now rather disgruntled towards Warren. Exasperated beyond belief, Warren at last confronted Augustus after catching him spreading rumors about him to the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.
"What is wrong with you? What have I done to you? Why do you defy me at every turn?" Warren demanded.
"Because I know it will drive you insane, you mad little do-gooder," Augustus had replied.
With the start of their second year, their war against each other became official.
"What is it this time?" Augustus asked, leaning into their compartment. Behind him were other random Slytherins. Augustus was popular, and seemed to be friends with most of his fellow Slytherins. Warren only knew one, Travis Digby, and only because he had locked him in the girl's toilet last year.
"Like we'd tell you," Warren said. "Why don't you go beat up a Hufflepuff?"
"Are you making more generalizations, Warren? Suggesting that all Slytherins are merely petty thugs?"
"No, just you. Have a nice day."
"I actually stopped by to find out when the first meeting of the GSA will be," Augustus said. To Warren this sounded more like a challenge than an inquiry. Warren smiled up at Augustus.
"Thursday, after classes, in the library," Warren said.
"I'll see you there," Augustus said with a smile, and he and his group moved on down the train. Warren scowled.
"He seems pretty nice, for a Slytherin," Fuzz-Head said.
"Well he's not," Warren said. "He's dedicated to undermining me at every turn. Oh, and Fuzz-Head, that was just the sort of negative generalization that we try to discourage in the GSA. Since you'll be joining us on our mission this year, you will also be expected to attend the GSA meetings." Fuzz-Head sighed.
The thing that really bothered Warren about Augustus Gravelle was that he was a nice guy to everyone but Warren. He was like the Slytherin version of Warren, determined to be successful and popular. Only Augustus was better at it than Warren, as Warren had yet to make any lasting friends other than Wilbur. Augustus didn't scare people away. He was a very good student, extremely intelligent, good-looking, and all those things combined to make Warren despise him all the more. He knew he shouldn't let it bother him, because that was the point of Augustus's own personal mission. But it did. He couldn't help it.
"Oh, and we now have a new side-mission," Warren said. Wilbur looked up from his book.
"You're spreading yourself a little thin this year, Warren," Wilbur said.
"I don't care. Our new side mission is to ruin Augustus Gravelle."
"Do you have a plan for that too?" Fuzz-Head asked.
"We'll make it up as we go along."
The Astronomy Tower by Moon110581
Chapter Notes: Warren, Wilbur, and Fuzz-Head discuss their mission for the year aboard the Hogwarts Express, and also meet Warren's arch-nemesis, Augustus Gravelle.