James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper

chilled.

        Ginny looked down at the empty seat next to her, her eyes wild and stunned. 'She's gone!' she cried desperately, trying not to panic. 'Lily's gone! Where'd she go! She was here just a moment ago! Where's my daughter?!'

        Zane stared down at the empty seat between him and Ginny. He glanced up at James, making eye contact, and then ducked down. He reappeared a second later holding a pair of small yellow shoes. His eyes were deadly serious as he held them up. Something had taken Lily, taken her right out of the amphitheater in that moment of dark chaos. Ginny took the shoes from Zane and looked around, her eyes pleading.

        'Lilyyyy!' she suddenly shrieked, her voice cracking. As if on cue, the audience exploded into frantic motion, scrambling for the exits, rushing the stage, calling names and babbling raucously.

        James darted offstage, stripping his costume coat off as he went. In the confusing backstage darkness, he could just see the doorway that led out to the seating area. He had to get to his mum and find out what had happened. He angled toward the door, but something moved out of the darkness, blocking him. James looked up, scrambling to a halt, almost running into the large, dark shape.

        'Come with me, boy,' a voice rumbled, and a very strong hand clamped onto James' shoulder. Instinctively, James pulled away, but the hand held him firm.

        'Let me go!' James exclaimed, anger and panic mingled in his voice.

        'You must come with me,' Merlin answered, his voice low and calm. 'The Gatekeeper is afoot, James Potter, and it seeks you.'

        'No!' James cried, and pulled away with all his might. He wrenched loose from Merlin's grip and struggled to produce his wand. Merlin stepped after him, and James saw that he had his staff with him. There was no fighting the Headmaster. Without thinking, he ducked and leapt under Merlin's arm.

        'James!' Merlin roared after him, but James refused to listen. He threw himself through the doorway and fell into the crowd, bowling several people over.

        'Mum!' he called, climbing onto a seat and scanning the crowd. 'Mum!'

        A hand tugged at James' sleeve and he lunged away, toppling off the seat and landing on a large figure, who grunted.

        'Ow! You're heavier than you look!' the figure bawled, struggling out from beneath him.

        'Ralph!' James cried, getting up. 'What's happening?'

        Zane appeared next to Ralph, helping them both to their feet. 'We have to get out of here,' he said over the noise of the crowd. 'This place is a mess, and we know Lily isn't here. Rose is waiting for us just inside the castle. Come on!'

        'Where's Mum?' James called as the three threaded through the crowd.

        'Your Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione took her inside as well,' Zane answered. 'George and Ted are already planning to search the castle. Since it's impossible to Disapparate from the school grounds, Lily must still be here somewhere.'

        Ralph's face was tense with anger. 'Who did this? Do you think this is what Corsica's been planning? Does it have to do with the Gatekeeper?'

        'It's the only thing that makes sense,' James replied as the three ran through the archway leading into the castle. Rose had been watching for them. She jumped forward to join them, her face pale and scared. Panting, James took a moment to tell them of his encounter with Merlin.

        'He said the Gatekeeper was looking for you?' Rose asked. 'What's that mean? Why?'

        James shook his head. 'Who knows? The point is, he knows something big is going down tonight. He wanted me out of the way!'

        'Nobody has seen Tabitha all night,' Ralph interjected. 'She never showed up for the play. Curry was right mad about it. She must be behind Lily's disappearance!'

        'She's involved, no doubt,' a new voice answered. James turned to see Scorpius approaching, his face tight and anxious. He shook his head. 'Look, this isn't how Grandfather said it'd happen… it's all wrong. I came to help, if I could.'

        Rose spoke up, 'You said your grandfather never told you how Tabitha was supposed to become the host of the Gatekeeper!'

        'Yeah,' Scorpius said quickly, meeting Rose's eye. 'Well, I know a little more than I let on, all right? I can explain now or we can start looking for James' sister. What do you think, Weasley?'

        'What else haven't you told us?' James demanded, advancing on Scorpius.

        Scorpius averted his eyes impatiently. 'Look, all I know is that this isn't how the plan was explained to me. I don't know the details, but I do know this is all wrong. The longer we stand here arguing, the more danger your sister is in. Do you understand?'

        James narrowed his eyes.

        'You must be Scorpius,' Zane interjected, sticking out his hand. 'I've heard loads about you. I'm Zane. I may have to curse you later, so I thought it'd be best to get introductions out of the way now.'

        Ralph rolled his eyes impatiently. 'Come on! Let's just go to the Great Hall! That's where your mum went with everyone else. We can help with the search party.'

        'No,' James said, still looking at Scorpius. 'There's only one place we need to look, isn't there? Second-floor girls' bathroom, where Henrietta last saw Tabitha.'

        Rose frowned. 'Why would she be there?'

        'I wondered the same thing when Henrietta said that,' James replied, already leading the way down the corridor. 'But then I remembered: that's where Moaning Myrtle lives.'

        ''Moaning Myrtle?'' Zane repeated. 'Who's she?'

        'Oh, she's a resident ghost,' Rose replied. 'Lives in the bathroom because that's where she was killed decades ago.'

        Zane screwed up his face as he walked. 'She died in the potty? That seems pretty unlikely, doesn't it?'

        'It's complicated,' Rose answered wearily. 'It wasn't just a bathroom. It was also a portal to… to…' Rose gasped. 'James, that's it!'

        James glanced back over his shoulder, nodding. 'Henrietta said Tabitha was up there talking to herself in the mirror, using some sort of foreign language.'

        Rose's eyes were wide. 'Of course! The Bloodline would be a Parselmouth, just like Voldemort! She'd be able to open the Chamber of Secrets even though it's been closed and sealed all these years! That must be where she took Lily!'

        'I've been seeing it in my dreams all along,' James said. 'If only I'd have recognized it before!'

        'Hey!' a voice suddenly called, halting the five in their tracks. James spun, expecting Merlin to come striding out of the shadows, his staff at the ready. Instead, two figures ran out of the darkness, one small and skinny and the other tall and bedraggled.

        'Albus!' Rose cried. 'Ted! Is it you?'

        'Yeah,' Ted panted. 'Your mum sent me, James. She's worried sick about the lot of you.'

        'And I came mainly because I sneaked away when Mum wasn't looking,' Albus proclaimed. 'I couldn't bear just sitting around and doing nothing.'

        'Ted, how'd you find us?' Zane asked, frowning.

        Ted blew out a deep sigh. 'I have skills…' He tapped his nose. 'Werewolf skills, if you must know. Between Rose's soap and the peppermints in Ralph's pocket, you lot are easier to sniff out than a dead Grindylow.'

        'Tell Mum we're going to find Lily,' James said, straightening. 'We know where she is and who has her.'