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They soared out of the window and into the night. It was thick and covered them like a blanket of fog. The wind was fierce and blew sharply against their sensitive skin. Millions of stars gleamed in the midnight sky around the crescent of a moon. Shadows lurked around them casting mysterious shapes. Below them was the lake, large, spectacular, and shining, like a fantastic mirror holding the secrets of that crisp October night.
They flew gently down and landed on the grassy meadows of one of Hogwarts large parks. Hermione, shivering from the ferocious wind, tucked her hand into her pocket. She gasped. All eyes turned to her as her mouth opened and took her hand out of her pocket. Within her fingers was a thin parchment. It was the Marauders Map.
Everyone held their breath. They had forgotten about the map. It had miraculously slipped their mind while they had been locked in the broom closet. Harry took it from Hermione and flicked it open. There it was, exactly like it had been. No line had been changed, no star had moved. Right in front of their eyes lay the floor plans of the notorious Durmstrang.
And still in one of the dungeons stood Albus Dumbledore, motionless and still. He was trapped within the darkest of the twelve in the famous school known to produce the most frightening Dark wizards in an unknown land. He was helpless, for no one but four elementary students knew his location, and none but them could ever hope to save them. The quadruple seemed to realize this...but knew their hopes were futile. Where would they every find the location of Durmstrang??? Hermione looked over the rest of the map. Several other stars caught her attention. There were students of Durmstrang, safely tucked in their blankets, there were teachers wandering the halls, and there was a small office to the right of the castle. In it stood a wizard by the name of Dandelis Madelin. Suddenly, Hermione gasped again. She covered her mouth with her hands. No one in the dark night knew what she was thinking.
"Harry! Oh my god! Dandelis Madelin! Its him! He must be the head teacher of Durmstrang! Oh my god! I think I know where Durmstrang is!!!"
Harrys eyes widened in surprise.
"Of course! Why did I never think of it?? Dandelis Madelin was in Hogwarts, a History! He worked with Dumbledore decades ago before he decided to create a school himself! He created it in west Scotland, in Irving! There, he decided to let Karkaroff be headmaster of his new school, the Dark Arts School! The location of Durmstrang was right under everyones nose, if only they knew who Dandelis Madelin was! Its in Irving! We can find it and rescue Dumbledore! We have to! Hogwarts has NEVER had a better headmaster, and if Durmstrang has kept him in a dungeon, they must have a reason! We dont know what kind of trouble Professor Dumbledore may be in, so we have to find him before they do anything to him! Please," she pleaded, "we have to. There cant be anything good in keeping him in a dungeon!"
Ron and Harry looked at Hermione in astonishment. Ron was wondering in amazement at Hermiones great will to break the rules, and Harry was admiring her intelligence through a new aspect. Unanimously, the four of them decided to find Durmstrang, despite the dangers they might face. At the moment, none thought their decision was in any way irrational. Even Su was determined to go. They mounted their brooms and were off.
They turned sharply to the gates of Hogwarts. There they were. Large, black, metal iron, and towering were the doors of Hogwarts. They were the doors of opportunity, of friendship and love, of danger and heroism, of magic and future. They were the doors they had entered to learn the magical arts, and were the doors they were about to leave to face dangers that were life threatening and beyond their worst nightmares.
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