Delays, Disappointment, and Dating - Part 8

"You didn't pack him though. How come you left Snot behind?" Harry asked as they reached the door that led to the storeroom.

"I'll just have to find something else to wrap my arms around and snuggle close," she said, impishly kissing him on the nose before she pulled out from under the Cloak and sprinted down the stairs.

Harry was left on the landing, gaping like a fish. Heat rose to his face and neck, and he had to take several deep, calming breaths before following her.

Ron and Hermione were still searching each of the old wardrobes with the Spell Detectors. Stray pieces of Hermione's hair had pulled loose from her ponytail and hung limply around her face. Ron was sweating and had a smudge of dirt on his cheekbone.

"Where have you two been?" Ron asked grumpily. "You've been gone for ages."

"It's a big place, Ron," Ginny said dryly.

"Did you find anything?" Hermione asked. Harry thought she sounded a bit desperate.

"No. We didn't see any of the old wardrobes upstairs," Ginny said sighing. "How about you? Did you find anything?"

"No. Nothing," Ron said shortly. "It would be easier if we had more than one of these Spell Detectors. We could have cut our time in half."

"I'll start at the other end of the room," Harry said. "I don't know if I can sense anything, but it wouldn't hurt to try."

They spent the next several hours painstakingly searching each row. Harry felt discouraged. He hadn't sensed anything, but wasn't confident enough that he actually could do it to consider the wardrobes he'd searched clean. Ron would have to continue with the Spell Detectors through the whole room.

"Harry!" Ron shouted suddenly, startling him. "I think I've got something. It's faint, but I can definitely see red." Ron's voice, which had sounded so exhausted only moments earlier, was suddenly filled with excitement.

Harry quickly moved to the wardrobe Ron had indicated. He shut his eyes and ran his hands over it, concentrating intently. He felt something, but he couldn't quite name what it was. There was a very distant humming, and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, almost like the wardrobe was electrically charged.

"Can you sense anything?" Ginny asked after several moments.

"Yeah…I can," Harry said, feeling slightly amazed.

"What do you mean? What do you feel?" Hermione demanded. She'd followed Harry's example and was running her hands along the wardrobe just as he had.

"Can't you feel an energy?" Harry asked. "It almost makes me shiver. I think if the traces were stronger, it would."

Hermione appeared extremely frustrated. "I don't know what you're talking about, Harry. I don't feel anything."

"But he's right, Hermione," Ron said, shoving the Spell Detector toward her. "Look."

Hermione put them on and gasped. "I can see faint red lines. They're nearly transparent, but they are there."

Harry nodded. "I think they're transparent because the magical energy is so old. There hasn't been any magic done here recently, but I'd bet you galleons this was once Tom Riddle's wardrobe."

Ginny involuntarily took a step away from the wardrobe.

"It's not here," Harry said, running a hand through his hair and mussing it up further. "We're not on the right trail."

"But how did you feel it without the Spell Detectors, Harry? I don't understand how you're doing that," Hermione said, stamping her foot in frustration.

"I don't know," Harry said. "I just can."

"So what's next?" Ron asked, stifling a yawn.