Chapter 15: Visit to the Manor

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” asked Harry.

Ron shrugged, “Better than what you had in mind. It’s just too dangerous to go without knowing what lies ahead.”

Harry didn’t say another word. He remembered the dangerous predicament he had gotten Dobby into, and he wasn’t about to risk it again. It was the first time that Harry felt very appreciative of Hermione's S.P.E.W badges.

Harry, looking up at Ron, said, “What if he gets into trouble? What if they kill him?”

Ron shrugged again, saying, “Better him than us.”

Harry frowned and replied, “I knew you would say that.”

They sat in the kitchen for, what felt like, a couple of hours, and Kreacher still did not return. Ron kept shooting nervous glances at Harry because it was all Ron's idea to send Kreacher. Suddenly, after a few more moments of silence, Harry stood up and said, “That’s it. I’m leaving!”

Ron, looking up at Harry, said, “I’m coming with you, mate.”

Harry shook his head at once and replied, “No!”

Without waiting for Ron to reply, he hurried to the room upstairs, picked up his wand from the bedside table, and stowed it in his jeans. He scanned the room to make sure he was not missing anything and then, hurried downstairs. Passing Ron without even glancing at him, Harry fled out of the house.

At first, his strides were quick, but suddenly, he came to halt: he remembered something. He wasn't good at apparition. He turned around and was about to walk back when a voice inside him said, “No! You’re not going back for Ron. You don't need to make a fool of yourself.”

Harry shook his head vigorously to empty his head of the voices. He began walking unconsciously, but suddenly, he found himself in a circular room.

He could see millions of doors in the room but all were blurred. Only the one in front of him was clearly visible He moved forward and turned the knob: it was locked. He tried various attempts to break it open, but it didn't. He wondered if there was a key to it. However, quite abruptly, he heard the same voice from his dream saying, “Where's the Challenger?”

Harry screamed in fury, and then, felt his face on soft, wet grass. He got up and looked around reprehensibly. He was still at the outside of the Burrow. But, he thought, he still had to go to the Malfoy manor no matter what. He took a few steps and stopped. He looked around to see if anyone was in sight, but it was quiet. He took a deep breath and concentrated hard on the Malfoy manor.

He immediately felt the world revolving around him. Slowly, breathing was becoming harder and harder. Then, quite abruptly, he felt something pulling him back. He tried to shake himself to get rid of the feeling.

Just when he thought he might choke, he felt himself slamming hard onto rough ground. He got up and ran around, taking huge gulps of air. His throat was sore from coughing. He spit blood out of his mouth. When he felt his breathing come back to normal, he looked up.

It was dark, but he could clearly see the haunting, Malfoy Manor. He moved slowly towards the huge gate of the manor, which stood ajar. He knew it was a trap, but he had no choice other than presenting himself in the hands of trouble. He took a deep breath and entered. Even before his eyes could get accustomed to the dimness of the light, he heard someone whisper, “Psst… in here.”