"Why do we have to hear about his grudge? I mean, I doubt it has anything to do with me," Harry said.
"Maybe it's more like the fact that his grude has to do with anyone named Potter," Cedric said.
No one in Gryffindor Tower slept that night.
“Mm, I wonder why,” Hermione said sarcastically.
They knew that the castle was being searched again,
“Though I doubt anything is going to be found,” Harry said.
and the whole house stayed awake in the common room, waiting to hear whether Black had been caught. Professor McGonagall came back at dawn, to tell them that he had again escaped.
“Knew it,” Harry said.
“I think it's safe to say he might know of quite a few passages around the castle,” Hermione said.
“He's probably using them to make his escape from, and his way into, the castle,” Luna said.
“Question is, which one?” Hermione said.
“Well, according to the Weasley twins, there are only two passages left that he could take, so it's either the one from Honeydukes, or it's the one under the Whomping Willow,” Harry said.
“I'd hate to say it, but he's probably using the one to Honeydukes,” Cedric said. “Of course, your book self will probably think otherwise, because you and Ron are under the assumption that he would have to break in to get to it.”
“Yeah, that's probably true,” Harry said.
Everywhere they went next day they saw signs of tighter security;
“If it didn't mean that we'd never be able to use it again, we'd probably tell one of the teachers about the passage to and from Honeydukes,” Harry said.
“You don't think that Hermione has told,” Luna said.
“No, I don't,” Harry said. “I think it was the fact that I could have died that make her go behind my back about the broom, but, concerning the map or the passageway, she's probably reasonably sure of the same thing as we are – that we'd've heard about it if he broke into the shop, so she's probably not that worried about me having it.”
Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognise a large picture of Sirius Black; Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes.
“While boarding up the mouse holes are good, I don't see why the tiny cracks should be boarded up. I mean, I doubt a bug could fit in one of them, so Black most likely wouldn't be able to fit in one of them,” Hermione said.
“True,” Cedric said. “I think they're just being overly cautious.”
Sir Cadogan had been sacked.
“Well, that's a strange twist of fate,” Hermione said.
“Yeah, while we can dislike Black for putting Cadogan there to begin with, we can be thankful towards him for getting rid of him as well,” Harry said.
His portrait had been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor, and the Fat Lady was back.
“I wonder if she was willing or if they had to bride her in order to get her to come back,” Hermione said.
She had been expertly restored, but was still extremely nervous, and had only agreed to return to her job on condition that she was given extra protection.
“Apparently, they had to bribe her,” Cedric said.
“Apparently so,” Hermione said.
A bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to guard her.
“Oh, great. I wonder how my book self is thinking about that,” Hermione said. “After all, the experience I have with Troll isn't actually good.”
“You're probably not worried about them, since you've got other things on your mind,” Cedric said.
“Plus, by now, it's been three years, and you've learned a lot more,” Luna said.
They paced the corridor in a menacing group, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs.
Harry couldn’t help noticing that the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor remained unguarded and unblocked.
“Of course you'd notice that,” Hermione said. “After all, it's your way into the village."
It seemed that Fred and George had been right in thinking that they – and now Harry, Ron and Hermione –
“I have the feeling that, when you mention that it's only you five knowing, Ron's probably worried about what Hermione would do with the knowledge,” Cedric said.
“Most likely,” Hermione said.
were the only ones who knew about the hidden passageway within it.
“I really wish that my book self wouldn't assume things like that,” Harry said.
“D’you reckon we should tell someone?” Harry asked Ron.
“It would be safer, but it would also mean cutting off my route to Hogsmeade, and I wouldn't want that to happen,” Harry said.
“We know he’s not coming in through Honeydukes,” said Ron dismissively.
'I think that Ron is probably thinking the same thing you are,” Hermione said.
“We’d’ve heard if the shop had been broken into.”
“He really needs to stop thinking that the only way Black could get into the shop is to break in,” Hermione said.
“I actually think that all of our book selves need to stop doing that,” Harry said.
Harry was glad Ron took this view. If the one-eyed witch was boarded up too, he would never be able to go into Hogsmeade again.
“Knew that was why I didn't want it closed off,” Harry said.
Ron had become an instant celebrity. For the first time in his life, people were paying more attention to him than to Harry, and it was clear that Ron was rather enjoying the experience.
"Which is something that we probably differ on,” Harry said. “I hate my fame, but he likes any that he gets. In fact, I'm probably happy to let him have this, and glad not to be the one people stare at.”
Though still severely shaken by the night’s events, he was happy to tell anyone who asked, what had happened, with a wealth of detail.
“Makes me wonder how much of what he's saying is true, and how much isn't,” Hermione said.
“... I was asleep, and I heard this ripping noise, and I thought it was in my dream, you know? But then there was this draught ... I woke up and one side of the hangings on my bed had been pulled down ... I rolled over ... and I saw him standing over me ... like a skeleton, with loads of filthy hair ...”
“How attractive,” Harry said sarcastically.
“I wonder if that's true, or if he's adding detail for drama,” Hermione said.
“holding this great long knife, must’ve been twelve inches ... and he looked at me, and I looked at him, and then I yelled, and he scarpered.
“Why, though?” Ron added to Harry, as the group of second-year girls who had been listening to his chilling tale departed. “Why did he scarper?”
“That's something that probably confuses my book self, since everything seems to point that he wouldn't have a problem silencing Ron upon realizing that he got the wrong bed,” Harry said.
“Of course, he'd also have to silence the rest of the dorm as well, though,” Cedric said.
“And then the rest of the house as well,” Hermione said.
“And, of course, by then some of the teachers would be there, and he'd have to deal with them,” Harry said.
“Basically, he could have a logical reason for not doing it that doesn't include him not actually wanting to kill anyone,” Luna said.
“Exactly,” Harry said.
Harry had been wondering the same thing. Why had Black, having got the wrong bed, not silenced Ron and proceeded to Harry? Black had proved twelve years ago that he didn’t mind murdering innocent people, and this time he had been facing five unarmed boys, four of whom were asleep.
“But we were pretty much immediately woken up when Ron screamed,” Harry said.
“He must’ve known he’d have a job getting back out of the castle once you’d yelled and woken people up,” said Harry thoughtfully. “He’d’ve had to kill the whole house to get back through the portrait hole ... then he would’ve met the teachers ...”
“Looks like my book self came up with the same reasoning as my real self,” Harry said.
Neville was in total disgrace.
“Of course,” Hermione said. “After all, he purposely wrote them down and then handed them over without a problem.” Her tone on that was completely sarcastic.
“Professor McGonagall is probably so angry that she's not really thinking straight,” Harry said.
“And, of course, she probably thinks that he should be able to remember the crazy passwords told to him, no matter how often and strange they were,” Cedric said.
Professor McGonagall was so furious with him she had banned him from all future Hogsmeade visits, given him a detention and forbidden anyone to give him the password into the Tower.
“That's a bit overreaction,” Hermione said.
“Kind of like her overreaction when we were caught after curfew, isn't it,” Harry said. “Seems the angrier she is, the worst her reaction and punishment is going to be,” Harry said.
Poor Neville was forced to wait outside the common room every night for somebody to let him in, while the security trolls leered unpleasantly at him.
“I'd really hate to be him,” Hermione said.
None of these punishments, however, came close to matching the one his grandmother had in store for him.
“It's going to be a Howler, isn't it?” Hermione said. “That's the only thing that I can think would be considered horrible to him.”
Two days after Black’s break-in, she sent Neville the very worst thing a Hogwarts student could receive over breakfast – a Howler.
“Looks like you got it right,” Luna said.
The school owls swooped into the Great Hall, carrying the post as usual, and Neville choked as a huge barn owl landed in front of him, a scarlet envelope clutched in its beak. Harry and Ron, who were sitting opposite him, recognised the letter as a Howler at once – Ron had got one from his mother the year before.
“And, if the twins really do get them a lot, I probably haven't noticed it yet,” Harry said.
“Well, like I said, they figured out how to silence them so no one could hear them last year, so that's also why you haven't heard theirs,” Cedric said.
“Run for it, Neville,” Ron advised.
“That is very good advice to give him,” Hermione said.
Neville didn’t need telling twice. He seized the envelope and, holding it before him like a bomb, sprinted out of the Hall, while the Slytherin table exploded with laughter at the sight of him.
“Let's hope that he manages to get somewhere so that no one else can hear it,” Harry said. “At least so that no one else hears what his grandmother says.”
They heard the Howler go off in the Entrance Hall –
“Great, seems that he didn't get far away enough,” Hermione said, frowning.
Neville’s grandmother’s voice, magically magnified to a hundred times its usual volume, shrieking about how he had brought shame on the whole family.
“Nice,” Hermione said sarcastically. “I wonder how much saying that will help with his confidence.”
Harry was too busy feeling sorry for Neville to notice immediately that he had a letter, too.
“I don't think that Hedwig is going to appreciate that,” Hermione said.
“Nor do I,” Luna said.
Hedwig got his attention by nipping him sharply on the wrist.
“Ouch, that's going to hurt,” Harry said.
“Ouch! Oh – thanks, Hedwig ...”
Harry tore open the envelope while Hedwig helped herself to some of Neville’s cornflakes.
“Hope Neville doesn't mind sharing his food with her,” Cedric said.
The note inside said:
Dear Harry and Ron,
How about having tea with me this evening round six? I’ll come and collect you from the castle. WAIT FOR ME IN THE ENTRANCE HALL, YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED OUT ON YOUR OWN.
Cheers,
Hagrid
“Well, that just makes me feel so happy,” Harry said, frowning as it mentioned the fact that he wasn't allowed out on his own.
“He probably wants to hear all about Black!” said Ron.
“Somehow, I don't think that's going to be it,” Cedric said. “Not everyone will want to hear about it, and, as a teacher, he most likely already has heard about it.”
“It's kind of presumptuous to automatically think that he just want to hear Ron tell his story. I mean, Hagrid is a friend of Harry's after all,” Hermione said. “For all they know, Hagrid wanted to see him in a non-class setting.”
So at six o’clock that evening, Harry and Ron left Gryffindor Tower, passed the security trolls at a run, and headed down to the Entrance Hall.
Hagrid was already waiting for them.
“All right, Hagrid!” said Ron. “S’pose you want to hear about Saturday night, do you?”
“Gee, how nice of Ron,” Hermione said, shaking her head.
“I’ve already heard all abou’ it,” said Hagrid, opening the front doors and leading them outside.
“Oh,” said Ron, looking slightly put out.
“I have to say, it horrible of him to be put out because he can't tell people his story instead of being glad to see his friend,” Luna said.
“I think Harry's the one who's the main friend to Hagrid, and Ron and I just tend to go along with him,” Hermione said.
The first thing they saw on entering Hagrid’s cabin was Buckbeak, who was stretched out on top of Hagrid’s patchwork quilt, his enormous wings folded tight to his body, enjoying a large plate of dead ferrets.
Ew,” Harry said, wrinkling his nose.
“Yeah, that's a sight that's not something I'd want to see,” Hermione said.
Averting his eyes from this unpleasant sight, Harry saw a gigantic, hairy brown suit and a very horrible yellow and orange tie hanging from the top of Hagrid’s wardrobe door.
“And I'm not sure that's something that I would want to see either,” Harry said.
“Yeah. What is it supposed to be?” Cedric asked.
“Don't know,” Harry said.
“Probably Buckbeak's case against the committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures,” Luna said.
“Oh. I forgot about that,” Harry said.
“And you also forgot that you said you would help, too,” Hermione said, having noticed that it didn't say anything about them – or, rather Ron and Harry, since they were the main focus at the moment, though she also doubted she was actually able to help him at the moment – helping beyond after when they first learned about it.
“Shoot, I did, didn't I,” Harry said, shaking his head. “I totally didn't mean to do that.”
“What are they for, Hagrid?” said Harry.
“I wonder how your book self will react to having forgotten about it,” Luna said.
“Buckbeak’s case against the Committee fer the Disposal o’ Dangerous Creatures,” said Hagrid. “This Friday.”
“Wow, time has flown by since then, hasn't it?” Harry said.
“Him an’ me’ll be goin’ down ter London together. I’ve booked two beds on the Knight Bus ...”
“I'm sure Stan is just going to love that,” Hermione said.
“Nevermind Stan. I'm sure that Buckbeak is going to love being transported like that,” Harry said.
Harry felt a nasty pang of guilt. He had completely forgotten that Buckbeak’s trial was so near, and judging by the uneasy look on Ron’s face, he had, too.
“I wonder what if I did,” Hermione mused.
They had also forgotten their promise about helping him prepare Buckbeak’s defence; the arrival of the Firebolt had driven it clean out of their minds.
“Nice, a broomstick is more important than helping out a friend,” Luna said, kind of scathily. Harry winced, knowing that he had basically done the same thing as he had to Hermione.
Hagrid poured them tea and offered them a plate of Bath buns, but they knew better than to accept; they had had too much experience of Hagrid’s cooking.
“Which will help us from being harmed, I'm sure,” Harry said.
“I got somethin’ ter discuss with you two,” said Hagrid, sitting himself between them and looking uncharacteristically serious.
“I wonder what it is that he wants to talk to us about,” Harry said.
“What?” said Harry.
“Hermione,” said Hagrid.
“It's not to the library that I disappeared off to,” Hermione said, thinking about it. “I probably went and visited him a few times, since both the broom incident, and this one, with Scabbers.”
“What about her?” said Ron.
“How nice of him,” Hermione said, noticing that this sounded as if he didn't care at all about her, and really didn't want to talk to her.
“She’s in a righ’ state, that’s what. She’s bin comin’ down ter visit me a lot since Chris’mas.”
“Which would have been alright for a while, but not as long as it actually took,” Cedric said.
“Bin feelin’ lonely. Firs’ yeh weren’ talking to her because o’ the Firebolt, now yer not talkin’ to her because her cat –“
“Seems to have eaten Ron's rat,” Luna said.
“Not that our book selves know this,” Hermione said. “While I'm reasonably sure that my cat didn't do it, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who thinks that. For the rest of the Gryffindor house, they probably think the same thing.”
“– ate Scabbers!” Ron interjected angrily.
“Because her cat acted like all cats do,” Hagrid continued doggedly.
“That's a reasonable way to look at it,” Hermione said.
“She’s cried a fair few times, yeh know. Goin’ through a rough time at the moment. Bitten off more’n she can chew, if yeh ask me, all the work she’s tryin’ ter do.”
“Even Hagrid thinks that you're overdoing it,” Cedric said.
“I wonder why none of the other teachers seem to be trying to convince you not to many subjects, unless, of course, they want you in their classes,” Harry said.
“Still found time ter help me with Buckbeak’s case, mind ... she’s found some really good stuff fer me ... reckon he’ll stand a good chance now ...”
“If Malfoy wasn't the one pulling the strings, I'd say that's probably true,” Hermione said.
“If it was someone other than Hagrid, I'd say that mentioning that would be a bit of an accusation, since you said you would help, but haven't yet,” Cedric said.
“Hagrid, we should’ve helped as well – sorry –“ Harry began awkwardly.
“I don't think that he's blame you,” Luna said. “He was just mentioning it.”
“I’m not blamin’ yeh!” said Hagrid, waving Harry’s apology aside. “Gawd knows yeh’ve had enough ter be gettin’ on with, I’ve seen yeh practisin’ Quidditch ev’ry hour o’ the day an’ night – but I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two’d value yer friend more’n broomsticks or rats. Tha’s all.”
“I hope that's enough to make Ron more willing to talk to you, as well as me,” Harry said.
“He's trying to guilt trip you, very rightly need, of course,” Luna said.
Harry and Ron exchanged uncomfortable looks.
“It's not working that well, though,” Harry said. “If it was, we'd be more guilty than just being uncomfortable. And the sad thing is, the only reason why I'm not talking to you is because Ron isn't really willing to let me, and I'm probably afraid of not being able to talk with him.”
“I doubt that my snapping at you helped at all, though,” Hermione said.
“True, but we know that I got over it because I went and talked to you in the previous chapter,” Harry said.
“That's true,” Hermione said.
“Really upset, she was, when Black nearly stabbed yeh, Ron. She’s got her heart in the right place, Hermione has, an’ you two not talkin’ to her –“
“Is rather upsetting, particularly in Ron's case, as he's saying that a broom and rat are higher in his mind than being friends with me,” Hermione said. “And I do find it sad that you'd rather talk to Ron than me, but I guess, when he's the first friend you make, it's hard not to take his side of things.”
“If she’d just get rid of that cat, I’d speak to her again!” Ron said angrily.
“So his friendship comes with stipulations,” Hermione said.
“That's what it seems like right now,” Harry said, frowning.
“But she’s still sticking up for it! It’s a maniac, and she won’t hear a word against it!”
“My cat isn't a maniac,” Hermione said.
“It seems to be a really smart cat,” Luna said, “one who knows that Scabbers isn't what he seems.”
“Ah, well, people can be a bit stupid abou’ their pets,” said Hagrid wisely.
“He'd know that very well,” Cedric said.
“I think he's saying that Ron and I are being stupid right now,” Hermione said, sounding offended.
“Well you're only fault is sticking up for your cat. His is being unable to be friends with you without you making certain sacrifices and holding you responsible for what happened to his rat without looking at all the evidence,” Luna said.
Behind him, Buckbeak spat a few ferret bones onto Hagrid’s pillow.
“Again, he knows just how stupid some people can be about their pets,” Cedric said.
“Of course he does; he's like that himself,” Hermione said.
They spent the rest of their visit discussing Gryffindor’s improved chances for the Quidditch Cup.
“They are looking pretty good right now. Just one more match, and you'll be good, so long as you get the right amount of points,” Cedric said.
“I wonder how many points are needed for us to win,” Harry said.
“Wood will probably repeatedly tell you the closer it gets to the match,” Hermione said.
“That's probably true,” Cedric said. “He will probably do that.”
At nine o’clock, Hagrid walked them back up to the castle.
“That's probably close to curfew,” Hermione said.
“It is,” Cedric said. “As far as I know.”
A large group of people was bunched around the notice-board when they returned to the common room.
“Hogsmeade weekend most likely coming up,” Cedric said.
“Hogsmeade, next weekend!” said Ron, craning over the heads to read the new notice. “What d’you reckon?” he added quietly to Harry, as they went to sit down.
“I wouldn't do it, particularly considering how close Black came to you,” Hermione said. “At least, in the book, it is a bad idea that you do that.”
“Yeah, and if you overhear them, you'll probably try to keep Harry from going, or even threaten to tell a teacher, prefect, or Percy about the map if he goes,” Cedric said.
“I probably would, though, unlike with the broom, I probably won't actually tell on him about it,” Hermione said.
“Well, Filch hasn’t done anything about the passage into Honeydukes ...” Harry said, even more quietly.
“Yeah, can't have anyone hearing after all, can I?” Harry said.
“Harry!” said a voice in his right ear.
“And here is Hermione,” Luna said.
Harry started and looked around at Hermione, who was sitting at the table right behind them and clearing a space in the wall of books that had been hiding her.
“Sorry about startling you,” Hermione said.
“It's okay,” Harry said.
“Harry, if you go into Hogsmeade again ... I’ll tell Professor McGonagall about that map!” said Hermione.
“Knew that you'd threaten that,” Cedric said.
“I didn't disagree,” Hermione said.
“Can you hear someone talking, Harry?” growled Ron,
“Wow, I don't get rid of my cat and call it a killer, and I'm automatically a nobody to him,” Hermione said, rolling her eyes. She could see that she'd most likely wouldn't be friends with Ron in this reality. Besides the fact that they didn't seem to have anything in common – other than a lack of tack and being Harry's friend – she really didn't want to be friends with someone who wouldn't like her cat. And she definitely planned on getting Crookshanks.
not looking at Hermione.
“So he's trying to ignore you,” Harry said, shaking his head and wondering why he was friends with someone like him. Harry didn't really likr the fact that he was down a friend – for someone who grew up friendless, being forced to have one less friend didn't sit well with him.
“Ron, how can you let him go with you? After what Sirius Black nearly did to you! I mean it, I’ll tell –“
“No, I won't,” Hermione said. “Considering that I already know what might happen if I do that, I probably won't even attempt it. I might lose what little bit of friendship you have let with me if I did do it.”
“So now you’re trying to get Harry expelled!” said Ron furiously.
“That wouldn't get him expelled,” Cedric said.
“He'd most likely be in detention for a while, but he wouldn't get expelled,” Luna said.
“Haven’t you done enough damage this year?”
“I haven't done any damage. The only think I've done that can be bad is going behind Harry's back about he broom,” Hermione said.
“Don't you remember?” Luna said. “You're all so at fault because your cat ate Ron's rat.” Her tone was extremely sarcastic, which wasn't normally heard from her, and had the others taking second glances at her.
Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but with a soft hiss, Crookshanks leapt onto her lap.
“Uh-oh, I don't think that's going to be a good thing,” Harry said.
“Nor do I,” Hermione said.
Hermione took one frightened look at the expression on Ron’s face, gathered Crookshanks up and hurried away towards the girls’ dormitories.
“It must've been bad if I was frightened of it,” Hermione said.
“I have the feeling he might have tried something violent against Crookshanks if you hadn't taken him away,” Luna said.
“So do I,” Cedric and Ron said.
“So how about it?” Ron said to Harry, as though there had been no interruption.
“You know, it's like he doesn't care about you getting hurt at all,” Hermione said, frowning. “I mean, if he did, he wouldn't be talking you into leaving the castle like he is right now.”
“I don't think my book self needs a lot of pushing to do that, though,” Harry said.
“True,” Hermione said.
“Come on, last time we went you didn’t see anything. You haven’t even been inside Zonko’s yet!”
“You know, I have the feeling that something is going to happen that's going to make you realize that going there isn't a smart thing to do,” Hermione said,
“Well, with the chapter title being what it is, that's something understandable,” Harry said.
“Yeah, and whatever this is has to do with Snape,” Cedric said.
“Which means that it would probably be better if I didn't go, even though I know that my book self will do that,” Harry said.
“Well, at least we'll see what Snape's grudge is about,” Luna said.
“I really don't care what it is, especially since it seems like it has something to do with me,” Harry said.
“True,” Luna said. “But at least you might find out why he hates you so much.”
“That's true,” Harry said.
Harry looked around to check that Hermione was well out of earshot.
“You know that I'll disapprove of you going,” Hermione said.
“Yes, I do,” Harry said.
“While I won't lie and say I don't disapprove you going because of rules, my main problem is the fact that you seem to be purposely, and unnecessarily putting your life in danger,” Hermione said.
“OK,” he said. “But I’m taking the Invisibility Cloak this time.”
“A least it'll be harder for you to get into trouble because of that,” Cedric said.
“Yeah, there is that,” Harry said.
On Saturday morning, Harry packed his Invisibility Cloak in his bag, slipped the Marauder’s Map into his pocket and went down to breakfast with everyone else.
“You know, I'll probably be watching you quite closely,” Hermione said.
Hermione kept shooting suspicious looks down the table at him,
“I wonder why,” Hermione said.
but he avoided her eye, and was careful to let her see him walking back up the marble staircase in the Entrance Hall as everybody else proceeded to the front doors.
“I wonder if I actually trust that or not,” Hermione said.
“Probably not, but, as it's mentioned before, it's not going to be anything that I'll be able to do anything about. I barely have your trust as is,” Hermione said, adding, “in the book, that is.”
“Bye!” Harry called to Ron. “See you when you get back!”
“I don't think that'll really convince me of anything other than your trying to hide something,” Hermione said.
Ron grinned and winked.
“And if she saw that, she probably knows that you're going to go there,” Luna said.
Harry hurried up to the third floor, slipping the Marauder’s Map out of his pocket as he went. Crouching behind the one-eyed witch, he smoothed it out. A tiny dot was moving in his direction. Harry squinted at it. The minuscule writing next to it read ‘Neville Longbottom’.
“You know, it would probably be nice, to Neville, if you stayed and hung out with him,” Hermione said.
“I'm not that close to him, though,” Harry said, “so this thought won't occur to me.”
Harry quickly pulled out his wand, muttered “Dissendium!” and shoved his bag into the statue, but before he could climb in himself, Neville came around the corner.
“I probably should have waited until he passed by,” Harry said. “That, or not waited to see Ron off.”
“I think that was probably done so that you can try and trick Hermione,” Luna said.
“Harry! I forgot you weren’t going to Hogsmeade either!”
“I would have thought that would be something that people would remember, though,” Cedric said. “I mean, the boy-who-lived not being allowed to go to Hogsmeade would be big news that would most likely stay remembered throughout the year.”
“The Black thing probably overturns it, though,” Hermione said.
“True, that is possible,” Cedric said.
“Hi, Neville,” said Harry, moving swiftly away from the statue and pushing the map back into his pocket.
“I hope that you wiped it clean,” Cedric said.
“What are you up to?”
“Probably just wondering around like you were that first time, wondering what to do,” Hermione said.
“Nothing,” shrugged Neville. “Want a game of Exploding Snap?”
“No,” Harry said. “I want to get to Hogsmeade.”
“Er – not now – I was going to go to the library and do that vampire essay for Lupin –“
“So you've hit vampires in your lessons,” Cedric said. “I wonder if they come before or after werewolves. I mean, I would imagine that they were on the same level.”
“I’ll come with you!” said Neville brightly. “I haven’t done it either!”
“Yeah, that's not going to do much to help you get away from him,” Hermione said.
“Nope,” Cedric said.
“Er – hang on – yeah, I forgot, I finished it last night!”
“And you just heard him say that he still has to do his,” Luna said.
“Meaning that he'll probably ask you for some help with his,” Hermione said.
“Meaning that I'll have to think of an excuse to use for that now,” Harry sighed.
“Brilliant, you can help me!’ said Neville, his round face anxious.
“Knew he'd ask for some help,” Hermione said.
“I don’t understand that thing about the garlic at all – do they have to eat it, or –“
“I think it's just having it around in general,” Cedric said.
Neville broke off with a small gasp, looking over Harry’s shoulder.
It was Snape. Neville took a quick step behind Harry.
“Yeah, somehow, I think it's safe to say that his Boggart hasn't changed whatsoever,” Harry said.
“It's not like Snape has done anything to do change that fact, though, except make it even worse,” Hermione said.
“True,” Harry said.
“And what are you two doing here?” said Snape, coming to a halt and looking from one to the other. “An odd place to meet –“
“I can see why he says that, but you didn't meet there on purpose, you just met there,” Hermione said, then, thinking about, quickly changed it to, “your meeting was not a prearranged thing, and is purely coincidence.”
To Harry’s immense disquiet, Snape’s black eyes flicked to the doorways on either side of them, and then to the one-eyed witch.
“I think he might know that there is something there,” Hermione said.
“But how?” Harry asked.
“I don't know,” Hermione said. “It's just a feeling I'm getting.”
“We’re not – meeting here,” said Harry. “We just – met here.”
“Indeed?” said Snape. “You have a habit of turning up in unexpected places, Potter, and you are rarely there for no reason ...”
“I think he knows that you were attempting to do something you shouldn't be doing,” Hermione said.
“I suggest the pair of you return to Gryffindor Tower, where you belong.”
“Geez, it's like, to him, that we can't roam the castle,” Hermione said, shaking her head as she remembered that he had told them to go outside back in the first book.
Harry and Neville set off without another word.
“Yeah, neither of us are willing to argue,” Harry said. “I would hate to know what he would do if we did.”
As they turned the corner, Harry looked back. Snape was running one of his hands over the one-eyed witch’s head, examining it closely.
“Yeah, he definitely knows that there's something about the statue,” Harry said.
“Do you think that he knows that it's a secret passage?” Hermione asked.
“I would suspect that he suspects it is,” Harry said. “He just doesn't know how to get to it to prove what he's thinking.”
Harry managed to shake Neville off at the Fat Lady by telling him the password, then pretending he’d left his vampire essay in the library and doubling back.
“Well, that's a bit rude, though I know why you did it,” Hermione said.
“I wonder if Neville realized that you just wanted to be rid or him or not,” Luna said.
“You know, that probably does nothing to help Neville's self image, the fact that you seem so eager to get away from him,” Cedric said.
Once out of sight of the security trolls, he pulled out the map again and held it close to his nose.
“I'm making sure that there isn't a chance that I'll get caught by Snape before going back,” Harry said.
The third-floor corridor seemed to be deserted. Harry scanned the map carefully and saw, with a leap of relief, that the tiny dot labelled ‘Severus Snape’ was now back in its office.
“Where he belongs,” Harry said.
He sprinted back to the one-eyed witch, opened her hump, heaved himself inside and slid down to meet his bag at the bottom of the stone chute. He wiped the Marauder’s Map blank again, then set off at a run.
“I wonder how Ron's going to take you being a bit later than he probably thought you'd be,” Cedric said.
Harry, completely hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, emerged into the sunlight outside Honeydukes and prodded Ron in the back.
“Ow, that would probably hurt,” Hermione said.
“It’s me,” he muttered.
“I have a feeling that he knows that,” Luna said.
“What kept you?” Ron hissed.
“Snape was hanging around ...”
“Which is something that would definitely delay anyone,” Cedric said.
They set off up the High Street.
“Where are you?” Ron kept muttering out of the corner of his mouth. “Are you still there? This feels weird ...”
“He shouldn't talk to himself, it makes him sound crazy,” Luna said.
“Perhaps you should figure out a way to make it so that he doesn't have to keep asking if you're still there,” Hermione said.
They went to the Post Office; Ron pretended to be checking the price of an owl to Bill in Egypt so that Harry could have a good look around.
“I bet he was still interested on knowing, though,” Cedric said. “He might want to talk with his brother, after all.”
The owls sat hooting softly down at him, at least three hundred of them; from Great Greys right down to tiny little Scops owls (‘Local Deliveries Only’) which were so small they could have sat in the palm of Harry’s hand.
“Those sounds like they would be fluffy little Snitches,” Harry said.
“They kind of are like that,” Cedric said.
Then they visited Zonko’s, which was so packed with students Harry had to exercise great care not to tread on anyone and cause a panic.
“I would imagine that you could probably get away with taking off your cloak in there,” Luna said. “No one would look at you twice, after all.”
There were jokes and tricks to fulfil even Fred and George’s wildest dreams; Harry gave Ron whispered orders and passed him some gold from under the Cloak.
“Of course,” Hermione said, shaking her head.
They left Zonko’s with their money bags considerably lighter than they had been on entering, but their pockets bulging with Dungbombs, Hiccough Sweets, Frog Spawn Soap and a Nose-Biting Teacup apiece.
“Why would you want any of that?” Hermione asked.
“Who do you plan on using it on?” Cedric asked at the same time.
“What makes you think that I plan on using it on someone?” Harry asked, though with a bit of a smirk on his face that.
“Why would you use any of it on yourself?” Cedric countered.
“I don't know what my book self plans on doing with it,” Harry said. “So I can't say if it will be used on anyone or not. And, Hermione,” he added, noticing that she was looking a bit put out for having her question ignored, “that goes for you question as well. I don't know what my book self wants with it, or plan on doing with it.”
The day was fine and breezy, and neither of them felt like staying indoors,
“I don't think I blame you,” Hermione said.
so they walked past the Three Broomsticks and climbed a slope to visit the Shrieking Shack, the most haunted dwelling in Britain.
“What makes it that?” Harry asked.
“Not sure, but according to rumours, about fifteen to twenty years ago, people used to hear howling, screams, and other things of that sort coming from it, about once a month,” Cedric said.
“But they don't hear them now?” Hermione asked.
“No,” Cedric said.
“Then how can it actually be haunted? For all you know, a person was making those noises, someone who went to Hogwarts around the time they were being made, or even someone who lived in the village, and moved away after a while,” Hermione said.
“That could easily be true...” Cedric mused. “And it would explain why it's been silent since then...”
It stood a little way above the rest of the village, and even in daylight was slightly creepy, with its boarded windows and dank overgrown garden.
“Well, the place doesn't look all that pleasant, I have to say,” Harry said.
“It just needs a bit of fixing up,” Hermione said. “Problem is that no one really feels the need too do that, though, because of these rumours.”
“Even the Hogwarts ghosts avoid it,” said Ron, as they leaned on the fence, looking up at it.
“I wonder if they do that on purpose, or if they've just been told not to go there,” Hermione said.
“I asked Nearly Headless Nick ... he says he’s heard a very rough crowd live here. No one can get in. Fred and George tried, obviously, but all the entrances are sealed shut ...”
“Which makes me wonder if perhaps that's why the ghost avoid it,” Luna said.
Harry, feeling hot from their climb, was just considering taking off the Cloak for a few minutes,
“I wouldn't,” Cedric said.
when they heard voices nearby.
“I guess I can see why you wouldn't,” Harry said.
Someone was climbing towards the house from the other side of the hill; moments later, Malfoy had appeared, followed closely by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy was speaking.
“Do we have to hear him?” Luna said.
“Unfortunately,” Cedric said.
“Hey, you know, maybe Harry will be able to do something to them," Hermione said.
“... should have an owl from Father any time now.”
“He's talking about Buckbeak's trial,” Hermione said.
“He had to go to the hearing to tell them about my arm ... about how I couldn’t use it for three months ...”
“Because it wouldn't be realistic if you didn't do that so that you could have the pleasure of getting your way and having an innocent animal killed,” Luna hissed.
Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.
“They probably think he's a genius for lying about that and seemingly to get away with it,” Harry said.
“I really wish I could hear that great hairy moron trying to defend himself ...”
“I really wish I could reach into the book and punch him,” Hermione growled.
“ 'There’s no ’arm in ’im, ’onest –' ... that Hippogriff’s as good as dead –“
“I'll go and hide Buckbeak – without getting Hagrid into trouble – before I let you and your father get what you want,” Harry said.
Malfoy suddenly caught sight of Ron. His pale face split in a malevolent grin.
“He thinks that Ron's going to be an easy target, isn't he?” Hermione said.
“Most likely,” Cedric said.
“Boy is he going to be surprised, then,” Harry said.
“What are you doing, Weasley?”
Malfoy looked up at the crumbling house behind Ron.
“Great, he's probably going to make another remark about Ron's house, like he did in the first book,” Cedric said.
“Why do you say that?” Hermione said.
“I don't know. I just suspect that it's going to happen,” Cedric said.
“Suppose you’d love to live here, wouldn’t you, Weasley? Dreaming about having your own bedroom? I heard your family all sleep in one room – is that true?”
“No, the only ones who share bedrooms are Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Fred and George,” Luna and Cedric said. “Though, before, it used to just be Ginny who had her own room, back when Bill and Charlie still lived there,” Cedric added.
Harry seized the back of Ron’s robes to stop him leaping on Malfoy.
“You know, with you being invisible, it means that you can do something about Malfoy right now,” Hermione said.
“It does, doesn't it?” Harry said.
“Leave him to me,” he hissed in Ron’s ear.
“And I think my book self has realized this himself,” Harry said.
The opportunity was too perfect to miss. Harry crept silently around behind Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, bent down and scooped a large handful of mud out of the path.
“Oh, nice,” Cedric said, starting to smile.
“We were just discussing your friend Hagrid,” Malfoy said to Ron.
“We heard,” Hermione said icily.
“Just trying to imagine what he’s saying to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. D’you think he’ll cry when they cut off his Hippogriff’s –“
“Okay, I would definitely slap him now if I was there,” Hermione said.
SPLAT!
“Or you can just throw mud at him,” Hermione said, looking over to Harry.
Malfoy’s head jerked forwards as the mud hit him; his silver-blond hair was suddenly dripping in muck.
“I wish I could have seen that,” Cedric said.
“What the –?”
“Yeah, that would have been a surprise to have happen to you,” Hermione said.
Ron had to hold onto the fence to keep himself standing, he was laughing so hard.
“I'd be the same,” Cedric said.
Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle spun stupidly on the spot, staring wildly around, Malfoy trying to wipe his hair clean.
“It probably won't work all that well,” Harry said.
“Yeah, he's probably just spreading it around,” Hermione said.
“What was that? Who did that?”
“A ghost did,” Luna said.
“Very haunted up here, isn’t it?” said Ron, with the air of one commenting on the weather.
“That could make some think that he might know what was going on,” Hermione said.
If they're paying attention,” Harry said.
“Plus, they'd have to actually think about it as well, and I doubt that they're that good at thinking,” Luna said.
“True,” Hermione said.
Crabbe and Goyle were looking scared. Their bulging muscles were no use against ghosts.
“True,” Cedric said. “And it's not like they really know any spells to deal with ghosts either.”
Malfoy was staring madly around at the deserted landscape.
“I would suggest that you be careful, then,” Hermione said.
“He might be able to figure out where you're at if your not,” Cedric said, agreeing with Hermione.
“I doubt my book self will actually think of that,” Harry said.
Harry sneaked along the path, where a particularly sloppy puddle yielded some foul-smelling, green sludge.
“Lovely,” Hermione said. “Are you going to aim for Malfoy, or his goons this time?”
“Don't know,” Harry said.
SPLATTER!
Crabbe and Goyle caught some this time.
“Looks like it's his goons who caught it this time,” Cedric said.
Goyle hopped furiously on the spot, trying to rub it out of his small, dull eyes.
“That probably hurts,” Cedric said.
“It came from over there!” said Malfoy, wiping his face, and staring at a spot some six feet to the left of Harry.
“That's probably not a good thing,” Hermione said. “Being able to guess where you are, I mean.”
Crabbe blundered forwards, his long arms outstretched like a zombie.
Hermione and Harry snorted a bit.
“What's a zombie?” Luna asked.
“It's a animated dead body,” Hermione answered.
“Oh,” Luna said.
Harry dodged around him, picked up a stick, and lobbed it at Crabbe’s back. Harry doubled up with silent laughter as Crabbe did a kind of pirouette in mid-air, trying to see who had thrown it.
The Harry in the room had no trouble about laughing out loud at the image that created in his mind. His laughter was joined by the others.
As Ron was the only person Crabbe could see, it was Ron he started towards, but Harry stuck out his leg.
“Now that's not a good idea,” Cedric said, sounding worried.
Crabbe stumbled – and his huge, flat foot caught the hem of Harry’s Cloak.
“Knew that wouldn't be a good idea,” Cedric said.
Harry felt a great tug, then the Cloak slid off his face.
For a split second, Malfoy stared at him.
“That's going to scare him,” Hermione said.
“AAARGH!” he yelled, pointing at Harry’s head. Then he turned tail and ran, at breakneck speed, back down the hill, Crabbe and Goyle behind him.
“I would suggest that you hurry back to the castle,” Hermione said.
“Knowing Malfoy, he's going to go straight to Snape,” Cedric said.
“I wonder how long it'll take for him to get there,” Hermione said.
Harry tugged the Cloak up again, but the damage was done.
“That's why you should have been more careful,” Cedric said.
“You should have started heading back towards the castle the minute he ran away,” Hermione said.
“True,” Harry said. “I might've gotten there in time to not be anywhere near the third statue if I did. As it is, I'll probably just get there in time to not be caught getting out of the passageway.”
“Harry!” Ron said, stumbling forward and staring hopelessly at the point where Harry had disappeared,
“I have the feeling that this might be why I didn't leave straight away, so that I could at least say bye to Ron,” Harry said. “That, or I'm just so in shocked that I'm not thinking straight.”
“You're probably not thinking straight,” Hermione said.
“you’d better run for it! If Malfoy tells anyone –“
“Ron's naïve to think that he'd say anything other than to Snape is a bit astounding,” Hermione said.
“you’d better get back to the castle, quick –“
“He shouldn't have to tell me,” Harry said, shaking his head.
“See you later,” said Harry, and without another word, he tore back down the path towards Hogsmeade.
Would Malfoy believe what he had seen?
“Probably,” Cedric said.
Would anyone believe Malfoy?
“Snape would, no question about it,” Hermione said.
Nobody knew about the Invisibility Cloak – nobody except Dumbledore.
“As far as you know,” Hermione said.
Harry’s stomach turned over – Dumbledore would know exactly what had happened, if Malfoy said anything –
“Doubt you'd get in major trouble about it, though,” Hermione said.
Back into Honeydukes, back down the cellar steps, across the stone floor, through the trapdoor – Harry pulled off the Cloak, tucked it under his arm, and ran, flat out, along the passage ...
“Hope you can run extremely fast,” Luna said.
Malfoy would get back first ... how long would it take him to find a teacher?
“Probably not that long, since he knows exactly who he want to talk to,” Hermione said.
Panting, a sharp pain in his side, Harry didn’t slow down until he reached the stone slide. He would have to leave the Cloak where it was, it was too much of a giveaway if Malfoy had tipped off a teacher.
“You might actually had better luck having it with you so that you could hide from Snape and get to the tower sooner rather than have Snape catch you,” Luna said.
He hid it in a shadowy corner, then started to climb, fast as he could, his sweaty hands slipping on the sides of the chute. He reached the inside of the witch’s hump, tapped it with his wand, stuck his head through and hoisted himself out; the hump closed, and just as Harry jumped out from behind the statue, he heard quick footsteps approaching.
“I see what you mean,” Harry said. “I would have been better off having my cloak with me.”
It was Snape. He approached Harry at a swift walk, his black robes swishing, then stopped in front of him.
“So,” he said.
“Oh, I'm in a corridor, how dare I be in a corridor,” Harry said, rolling his eyes.
There was a look of suppressed triumph about him.
“Somehow, I think that he probably believes that he could do something to you, like get you suspended, expelled, or off the Quidditch team,” Cedric said.
“Unless he can absolutely prove that I was in Hogsmeade when I'm not supposed to me – and he'll have a hard time of doing that – I don't think he can do much to me,” Harry said.
Harry tried to look innocent, all too aware of his sweaty face and his muddy hands, which he quickly hid in his pockets.
“Which is another good reason to have my cloak with me, to hide that,” Harry said.
“Come with me, Potter,” said Snape.
“What if I don't want to?” Harry said.
“I don't think that you have a choice,” Cedric said.
Harry followed him downstairs, trying to wipe his hands clean on the inside of his robes without Snape noticing.
“I have the feeling that you probably didn't succeed,” Hermione said.
They walked down the stairs to the dungeons and then into Snape’s office.
“Great, you have to look at the slimy things again,” Hermione said.
Harry had only been in here once before, and he had been in very serious trouble then, too.
“I don't think that you're ever going to be there of your free will,” Cedric said.
Snape had acquired a few more horrible slimy things in jars since last time,
“Gross,” Luna said.
all standing on shelves behind his desk, glinting in the firelight and adding to the threatening atmosphere.
“Which is probably what he was going for,” Cedric said.
“Sit,” said Snape.
“I'd rather not,” Harry said.
“Though your book self will probably do so,” Luna said.
Harry sat. Snape, however, remained standing.
“Mr. Malfoy has just been to see me with a strange story, Potter,” said Snape.
“Knew that he would go straight to Snape,” Hermione said.
Harry didn’t say anything.
“He tells me that he was up by the Shrieking Shack when he ran into Weasley – apparently alone.”
Still, Harry didn’t speak.
“Mr. Malfoy states that he was standing talking to Weasley,”
'More like insulting him,” Cedric said.
“when a large amount of mud hit him on the back of the head.”
“Which he deserved to happen to him, though you can't exactly say that,” Luna said.
“How do you think that could have happened?”
Harry tried to look mildly surprised.
“I wonder if you succeeded or not,” Luna mused.
“I don’t know, Professor.”
“Well, actually, I do, but I'm not going to say it,” Harry said. “He's going to have to drag the answer out of me if he really wants it.”
Snape’s eyes were boring into Harry’s. It was exactly like trying to stare out a Hippogriff. Harry tried hard not to blink.
“Why would you want to keep looking into his eyes anyway?” Cedric asked.
“Mr. Malfoy then saw an extraordinary apparition. Can you imagine what it might have been, Potter?”
“No,” said Harry, now trying to sound innocently curious.
“I'd probably leave off the innocent part, as I do believe trying to sound that way is a dead give away that you did something,” Luna said.
“It was your head, Potter. Floating in mid-air.”
There was a long silence.
“Maybe he’d better go to Madam Pomfrey,” said Harry.
“Trying to make it seem like Malfoy is having an hallucination, are you?” Luna said.
“I don't think that Snape will willingly admit that Malfoy could be hallucinating,” Cedric said.
“If he’s seeing things like –“
“ 'My head, he obviously need to be checked out',” Hermione said, finishing what was being said, that wasn't in the book. However, as she was the one reading the chapter, the others didn't actually realize this.
“What would your head have been doing in Hogsmeade, Potter?” said Snape softly.
“It wasn't,” Harry lied, very convincingly.
“It's a good thing that Snape isn't here,” Hermione said. “He'd know that your definitely lying if he had read this book.”
“I have a feeling that he knows it anyway, because of where he found Harry. I don't think Harry actually has any reason to be found where he was, after all,” Luna said.
“And I'm sure that Harry looking all sweaty with mud on his hands isn't a big clue that he's lying in the book at all,” Cedric said.
“Your head is not allowed in Hogsmeade. No part of your body has permission to be in Hogsmeade.”
“Unfortunately,” Harry muttered.
“I know that,” said Harry, striving to keep his face free of guilt or fear.
“I think that you need some lessons in that,” Hermione said. “That way, you don't have to do it consciously.”
“I'll get right on that,” Harry said.
“It sounds like Malfoy’s having hallucin—“
“I don't think that Snape will like you implying that,” Hermione said.
“Malfoy is not having hallucinations,” snarled Snape,
“No he does not,” Cedric said.
and he bent down, a hand on each arm of Harry’s chair, so that their faces were a foot apart.
“Great, I get to see his greasy hair up close,” Harry said.
“If your head was in Hogsmeade, so was the rest of you.”
“He's got you there, though, as only your head was seen, it would be tough to prove that,” Hermione said.
“I’ve been up in Gryffindor Tower,” said Harry. “Like you told –“
“Can anyone confirm that?”
“He has you there,” Hermione said.
“I have the feeling that the house would protect Harry and lie to him,” Cedric said.
Harry didn’t say anything. Snape’s thin mouth curled into a horrible smile.
“Why is he smiling so much?” Harry asked, frowning.
“Because he knows he's got you,” Luna said.
“About the only things he can't do is expel or suspend you, though he probably would suggest it to Dumbledore,” Cedric said.
“So,” he said, straightening up again. “Everyone from the Minister for Magic downwards has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Harry Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought for the consequences.”
“As much as I hate to say that, he kind of does have a point,” Luna said.
“Yeah. I mean, as far as your book self knows, Black is after you, and has no problem killing anyone to get to you, though you also now know that he doesn't like big odds against him,” Hermione said. “And yet, you still leave the castle to go to Hogsmeade simply because you wanted. I mean, you didn't even have a good reason to do so, you just wanted to.”
Harry frowned, knowing that she and Luna were right. He had purposely put himself into danger for no reason other than he didn't want to stay at Hogwarts and miss the fun of going into Hogsmeade village.
Harry stayed silent. Snape was trying to provoke him into telling the truth. He wasn’t going to do it. Snape had no proof – yet.
“He really won't ever have proof, other than Malfoy's words, though, to him, that's proof enough,” Hermione said.
“How extraordinarily like your father you are, Potter,” Snape said suddenly, his eyes glinting.
“If that was coming from anyone but him, I might take that as a compliment,” Harry said. “As it is, he'll most likely make it sound bad.”
“He, too, was exceedingly arrogant.”
“You're not arrogant,” Luna said.
“I think there's something wrong with Snape,” Hermione said.
“Yeah,” Harry said.
“I think he's so stuck in the past that it's affecting his present,” Cedric said. “I mean, according to my mother, your father was a bit arrogant and all, but as Luna said, you're not. In truth, with the exception of a few things, you're more like you mother. At least, from what my mother has told me, and what my father has mentioned about them.”
“A small amount of talent on the Quidditch pitch made him think he was a cut above the rest of us, too.”
“He sounds jealous,” Hermione said.
“Yeah, he does, just a bit,” Luna said.
“Strutting around the place with his friends and admirers ...”
“Again, you don't strut,” Luna said.
“the resemblance between you is uncanny.”
“I have the feeling that the resemblance is only skin deep,” Hermione said. “Based on what Cedric just said, it's your mother who you're more like than your father.”
“My dad didn’t strut,” said Harry,
“My mother said he kind of did,” Cedric said.
before he could stop himself. “And nor do I.”
“Now that's true,” Hermione said.
“Your father didn’t set much store by rules, either,” Snape went on, pressing his advantage, his thin face full of malice.
“I think he wants you to attack him,” Luna said, frowning. “I think he knows that you won't be expelled simply because you went to Hogsmeade against the rules. However, if you were to attack him...”
“He could claim that you did it on purpose, not being provoked into doing so, and he could push to have you expelled,” Hermione said.
“Not sure if that would work, though,” Cedric said. “There were some rumours about what side he was on during the war, and, being who you are, if you attacked him, people would probably believe that it was in self-defense.”
“Rules were for lesser mortals, not Quidditch Cup-winners. His head was so swollen –“
“Yeah, he's definitely going to rile me up,” Harry said.
“SHUT UP!”
“And it appears that you've reached about as far as your willing to hear,” Hermione said.
Harry was suddenly on his feet. Rage such as he had not felt since his last night in Privet Drive was thundering through him.
“Uh-oh, Snape's in trouble,” Luna said, though she didn't sound alarmed at the fact. Instead, she used a sort of sing-song tone when she said that.
He didn’t care that Snape’s face had gone rigid, the black eyes flashing dangerously.
“That is true,” Harry said. “I wouldn't care when he has me as angry as he does right now.”
“What did you say to me, Potter?”
“He told you to shut up,” Cedric said.
“I told you to shut up about my dad!” Harry yelled. “I know the truth, all right? He saved your life! Dumbledore told me! You wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for my dad!”
“He did, didn't he?” Hermione said, thinking back to the first book.
“I wonder what his response to that will be,” Cedric said.
Snape’s sallow skin had gone the colour of sour milk.
“Ew,” Luna said.
“And did the Headmaster tell you the circumstances in which your father saved my life?” he whispered. “Or did he consider the details too unpleasant for precious Potter’s delicate ears?”
“Somehow, I think we were told what was needed,” Hermione said. “The circumstances really didn't matter at the time, after all.”
Harry bit his lip. He didn’t know what had happened and didn’t want to admit it – but Snape seemed to have guessed the truth.
“I would hate you to run away with a false idea of your father, Potter,” he said,
“Which means that ignoring what you have to say about it, since you seem to hate his father,” Hermione said.
“True, that is the impression we're being given, isn't it?” Cedric said.
“That's probably what his grudge is about,” Harry said. “It's his grudge towards my father, which he has transferred onto me.”
a terrible grin twisting his face. “Have you been imagining some act of glorious heroism? Then let me correct you – your saintly father and his friends played a highly amusing joke on me that would have resulted in my death if your father hadn’t got cold feet at the last moment.”
“And he knows for a fact that my father was actually in on it?” Harry said. “I mean, since he doesn't like my father, that would mean that he would accuse him if anyone my father was friends with had something to do with it, even if my father himself didn't have anything to do with it.”
“If your father didn't gain anything from it – and yes, saving himself just as much as Snape would be gaining something from it – then Snape owes your father a life debt, one that has, most likely, transferred to you,” Cedric said. “I think that there is some way to find out if you're owed a life debt by someone, or if you owe one to someone else, but I don't know for sure.”
“There was nothing brave about what he did. He was saving his own skin as much as mine. Had their joke succeeded, he would have been expelled from Hogwarts.”
If it would have resulted in his death, what makes him think that people would have known he was dead?” Cedric said. “Unless he came back as a ghost, they could have easily hid the body somewhere where no one would find it, and he'd be declared as someone who either ran away, or was foolish enough to go into the forest and get himself killed.”
“So only coming back as a ghost would allow people to know how he died, if they found the body?” Hermione said.
“Yeah,” Cedric said.
Snape’s uneven, yellowish teeth were bared.
“Turn out your pockets, Potter!” he spat suddenly.
Harry didn’t move. There was a pounding in his ears.
“Turn out your pockets, or we go straight to the Headmaster! Pull them out, Potter!”
“You should take your chances with the headmaster,” Cedric said. “He'd be fairer towards you.”
Cold with dread, Harry slowly pulled out the bag of Zonko’s tricks and the Marauder’s Map.
Snape picked up the Zonko’s bag.
“Ron gave them to me,” said Harry,
“And you've been carrying them around since then?” Cedric said.
“This is why it's a bad idea for you to buy things from there,” Hermione said.
“More like it's a bad idea for you to carry what you buy with you,” Luna said. “It probably would have been better if you had Ron carry everything, just for a situation like this.”
praying he’d get a chance to tip Ron off before Snape saw him.
'I get the feeling that Ron won't need that,” Cedric said. “He'll probably automatically think of that to say.”
“He – brought them back from Hogsmeade last time –“
“Indeed? And you’ve been carrying them round ever since? How very touching ... and what is this?”
“He's talking about the map now, isn't he?” Cedric said.
“You should probably have asked what it would do if you didn't give it the password,” Hermione said.
“Yeah, because it just might do something else that'll cause more problems towards you,” Luna said.
Snape had picked up the map. Harry tried with all his might to keep his face impassive.
“Spare bit of parchment,” he shrugged.
“I'd probably have said that it was another joke item,” Cedric said.
Snape turned it over, his eyes on Harry.
“Surely you don’t need such a very old piece of parchment?” he said. “Why don’t I just – throw this away?”
“Looks like I probably should have called it a joke parchment,” Harry said.
His hand moved towards the fire.
“No!” Harry said quickly.
“And that right there just gave me away,” Harry sighed.
“So!” said Snape, his long nostrils quivering.
“Why do you have to notice that?” Hermione said, looking ill.
“I don't know,” Harry said, also looking a bit ill. Neither of them cared to know what his nostrils were doing.
“Is this another treasured gift from Mr. Weasley? Or is it – something else? A letter, perhaps, written in invisible ink? Or – instructions to get into Hogsmeade without passing the Dementors?”
“Got it right on the last one,” Cedric said.
Harry blinked. Snape’s eyes gleamed.
“I think you just gave it away on the last part,” Hermione said.
“And how did I do that?” Harry asked.
“You reacted when he mentioned getting pass the Dementors and into Hogsmeade,” Hermione said. “It was a small reactions, but a reaction none the less.”
“Let me see, let me see ...” he muttered, taking out his wand and smoothing the map out on his desk.
“At least he doesn't know password,” Harry said.
“Yeah, there is that, though I have to wonder what will happen if he tries to get it to work,” Luna said.
“Reveal your secret!” he said, touching the wand to the parchment.
Nothing happened.
“So, saying 'reveal your secret' does nothing,” Hermione said, making a mental note of that in her head.
Harry clenched his hands to stop them shaking.
“You're afraid that he might find out a way to get it to work, aren't you?” Luna said.
“I do believe that is what my book self is thinking,” Harry said. “Though, it's probably also a side effect of my tempter.”
“Show yourself!” Snape said, tapping the map sharply.
“Don't think that will work, either,” Cedric said.
It stayed blank. Harry was taking deep, calming breaths.
“Now that I know that it doesn't appear that anything will happen, and I have the chance to get my temper back under control, I'm taking it,” Harry said.
“Professor Severus Snape, master of this school,”
“Since when is he the 'master of the school'?” Hermione asked incredulously.
“I think he has an overstated opinion of himself,” Luna said.
“commands you to yield the information you conceal!” Snape said, hitting the map with his wand.
As though an invisible hand was writing upon it, words appeared on the smooth surface of the map.
“I'm not sure I like the thought of that. I mean, what if it shows what it really is,” Cedric said, looking worried. The others did as well.
“Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people’s business.”
The four froze, looked at each other, then began laughing their heads off. It took them quite a few minutes to stop.
“Seems we don't have to worry about anyone being able to command anything,” Harry said.
“Yeah, that's true,” Hermione said. “I just wonder what it was that triggered it, his words or the stating of his name.”
Snape froze. Harry stared, dumbstruck, at the message. But the map didn’t stop there. More writing was appearing beneath the first.
“Of course. There are four people who made that map – at least, there are four different names on it. If that does mean that there are actually four people, then all four of them will most likely insult the person trying to get the map to work without the password,” Hermione said.
“Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git.”
It would have been very funny if the situation hadn’t been so serious.
“Luckily for us, the situation isn't that serious,” Harry said, as the others kept up a steady stream of chuckling at the insult.
And there was more …
“There's probably going to be at least four insults in total,” Hermione said.
“Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a Professor.”
“That one makes me think that whoever wrote that quote know who Snape is, or at least knows a member of his family,” Harry said.
“You got that impression too, then?” Hermione said.
Harry closed his eyes in horror. When he’d opened them, the map had had its last word.
“Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.”
“And that right there seems to say that they definitely know who he is,” Luna said.
“Which most likely means that he knows, or has an idea, who they are,” Cedric said.
“That's probably true,” Hermione said.
Harry waited for the blow to fall.
“I take it that your probably expecting him to start yelling at you or something,” Cedric said.
“It would make sense if he did,” Harry said.
“So ...” said Snape softly. “We’ll see about this ...”
“I wonder what he's talking about now,” Hermione said.
“I can honestly say that it doesn't have to do with me,” Harry said.
He strode across to his fire, seized a fistful of glittering powder from ajar on the fireplace, and threw it into the flames.
“Lupin!” Snape called into the fire. “I want a word!”
“I wonder why he's calling Professor Lupin,” Luna said.
Utterly bewildered, Harry stared at the fire. A large shape had appeared in it, revolving very fast. Seconds later, Professor Lupin was clambering out of the fireplace, brushing ash off his shabby robes.
“You called, Severus?” said Lupin mildly.
“I certainly did,” said Snape, his face contorted with fury as he strode back to his desk.
“Something about the map has him mad,” Hermione said.
“I have just asked Potter to empty his pockets. He was carrying this.”
Snape pointed at the parchment, on which the words of Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were still shining. An odd, closed expression appeared on Lupin’s face.
“Okay,” Cedric said.
“Do you think that he knows something about the map himself?” Harry asked.
“He could. I mean, if Snape knows him enough to dislike him – with him being a werewolf not counting, since the dislike seems to go a bit deeper than that – then they could have been at school together, which would mean that Professor Lupin would know about the makers of the map if Snape does,” Hermione said.
“That is true, but that doesn't explain why he's hiding his feelings about seeing it,” Luna said.
“No, it doesn't,” Hermione said. “However, other than him being one of the makers, I'm not sure what would explain that.”
“It could be the names of the makers that make him like that,” Cedric said.
“Yeah, he could have known the makers of the map,” Harry said.
“True,” Hermione said.
“Well?” said Snape.
“What does he expect from Professor Lupin?” Hermione said.
“Not quite sure,” Harry said.
Lupin continued to stare at the map. Harry had the impression that Lupin was doing some very quick thinking.
“I have to wonder why he's doing some quick thinking,” Hermione said.
“Well?” said Snape again. “This parchment is plainly full of Dark Magic.”
“Of course,” Cedric said sarcastically. “The parchment insults him, and is therefore full of dark magic.”
“Well, I could see why, since it talked back to him, and, as we know, the last time something that talked back to the person communicating with it almost killed that person, I can see why he'd think that,” Hermione said.
“When you put it like that, yeah, I have to agree, but that's also assuming that he knows about what happened between Ginny and Riddle,” Harry said.
“Dumbledore probably told them a bit, though he might've left out names,” Luna said.
“Yeah, I can't see them not wondering what happened. Plus, as Professor McGonagall was in the room when Ginny mentioned that she'd been writing in the book that possessed her, she might've told the other teachers,” Harry said.
“That's a possibility,” Hermione said. “Though, if one went on what was written, it doesn't seem like it is full of Dark Magic, just that it's designed to insult people after saying something, most likely their name, since that was what all four of the insults had in common.”
She started reading after that, so that the conversation didn't continue to go on.
“This is supposed to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?”
“I think Snape might suspect that you got it from Professor Lupin,” Hermione said, interrupting herself.
“So do I,” Harry said.
Lupin looked up and, by the merest half glance in Harry’s direction, warned him not to interrupt.
“You got that from a mere half glance,” Cedric said. “Seems your good at reading what Professor Lupin is trying to tell you, then.”
“Full of Dark Magic?” he repeated mildly. “Do you really think so, Severus?”
“I don't think that he would have said that if he didn't think that,” Luna said.
“It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anybody who tries to read it. Childish, but surely not dangerous? I imagine Harry got it from a joke-shop –“
“I think that it would be rather interesting if that was an item form a joke shop,” Cedric said.
“Indeed?” said Snape. His jaw had gone rigid with anger.
“I don't think that he believes that,” Hermione said.
“You think a joke-shop could supply him with such a thing? You don’t think it more likely that he got it directly from the manufacturers?”
“Why would he be asking Professor Lupin that?” Harry asked.
“Maybe he thinks that Lupin, knowing who the Marauders are, helped contact them for you,” Hermione said, though she sounded dubious of her own theory, not really believing it.
Harry didn’t understand what Snape was talking about. Nor, apparently, did Lupin.
“That you could see, at least,” Luna said. “For all you know, he knows exactly what Snape is getting at, and just isn't showing that knowledge.”
“True,” Harry said.
“You mean, from Mr. Wormtail or one of these people?” he said. “Harry, do you know any of these men?”
“Not a clue,” Harry said.
“No,” said Harry quickly.
“You might not want to say it so quickly next time, it makes you look like your lying a bit,” Cedric said.
“You see, Severus?” said Lupin, turning back to Snape. “It looks like a Zonko product to me –“
“I don't think that Snape would be so against it if it actually was one, and I also have a feeling that this is going to make Snape angry to see and hear,” Hermione said.
Right on cue, Ron came bursting into the office.
“I'd wonder how he knew where you were, but since it was Malfoy that was the reason why you had to hurry, it's not really hard to figure out who would get you,” Luna said.
He was completely out of breath, and stopped just short of Snape’s desk, clutching the stitch in his chest and trying to speak.
“He should at least get his breath back before he tries to speak. It'll help him make a lot more sense if he does,” Harry said.
“I – gave – Harry – that – stuff,” he choked. “Bought – it – in Zonko’s – ages – ago ...”
“That was good timing, you know?” Hermione said. “Just as Professor Lupin is saying that it was a Zonko product, Ron comes in and pretty much says that it is.”
“Yeah, that is good timing,” Harry said. “Of course, I really don't want to think of what Snape's face is looking like right know after that.”
“Really don't blame you,” Cedric said, thinking about how it was probably enraged.
“Well!” said Lupin, clapping his hands together and looking around cheerfully.
“How in heck can he be cheerful in Snape's presence?” Cedric asked, shocked.
“That seems to clear that up!”
“Only for him. I bet that Snape isn't happy with that excuse,” Hermione said.
“Severus, I’ll take this back, shall I?” He folded the map and tucked it inside his robes.
“Somehow, I don't think that you'll be getting the map back right now,” Hermione said.
“Nor do I,” Harry said.
“Harry, Ron, come with me, I need a word about my vampire essay. Excuse us, Severus.”
Harry didn’t dare look at Snape as they left his office. He, Ron and Lupin walked all the way back into the Entrance Hall before speaking. Then Harry turned to Lupin.
“What are you going to say?” Hermione asked.
“I'm not sure. Maybe apologize for him being called by Snape or something,” Harry said.
“That, or you were going to ask if you could have the map back,” Luna said.
“True, though I probably suspected that knows what it was, which would have me suspecting that he won't let me have it back,” Harry said.
“Professor, I –“
“I don’t want to hear explanations,” said Lupin shortly.
“Somehow, I don't think he's very happy with you right now,” Cedric said. “After all, most conversations you have with him don't seem to be all that bad.”
He glanced around the empty Entrance Hall and lowered his voice.
“I wonder why,” Luna said.
“I happen to know that this map was confiscated by Mr. Filch many years ago.”
“Oh, that's why,” Luna said.
“So he definitely knows that it's a map,” Harry said. “Which, of course, explains why he isn't keen on letting me have it back.”
“Yes, I know it’s a map,” he said, as Harry and Ron looked amazed.
“Yeah, I don't think we were expecting that,” Harry said.
“I don’t want to know how it fell into your possession.”
“The twins stole it their first year, and gave it to me this year, before winter holiday,” Harry said.
“I am, however, astounded that you didn’t hand it in.”
“Why would I do that?” Harry said. Professor Lupin expecting him to had it in was kind of strange to hear.
“Particularly after what happened the last time a student left information about the castle lying around.”
“He thinks that you might lose it, and it'll end up in Black's hands,” Hermione said.
“Yeah, hearing it like that, I can see why he'd thought I'd hand it in,” Harry said.
“And I can’t let you have it back, Harry.”
Harry had expected that, and was too keen for explanations to protest.
“I don't really think that you would protest towards him, anyway,” Hermione said. “You seem to like him quite a bit, after all.”
“Why did Snape think I’d got it from the manufacturers?”
“Because ...” Lupin hesitated,
“I don't think he's going to quite tell the truth, or, rather, I think that he's going to omit some of whatever the reason is,” Hermione said.
“because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of school. They’d think it extremely entertaining.”
“As they're pranksters, yeah, I can see why. I mean, luring you out of the school would be breaking school rules, so...” Cedric said.
“So it would be entertaining to them because of that little fact,” Harry said. Cedric nodded.
“Do you know them?” said Harry, impressed.
“It's kind of obvious that he does,” Hermione said. “Otherwise, I doubt he'd know that it's a map.”
“We’ve met,” he said shortly.
“They're not a good topic for him,” Luna said.
He was looking at Harry more seriously than ever before.
"I have the feeling that what he's going to say isn't going to be good, but he wants to get his point across as well,” Harry said.
“Don’t expect me to cover up for you again, Harry. I cannot make you take Sirius Black seriously.”
“You do take -” Hermione started to say, only to think about it and realize that Professor Lupin was right, Harry in the book wasn't taking him seriously.
“But I would have thought that what you have heard when the Dementors draw near you would have had more of an effect on you. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them – gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks.”
Harry winced at that, feeling horrible even though he himself hadn't actually done any of this yet.
“That was low, but...” Cedric started to say.
“It was needed,” Harry finished. “I know.”
“Had your book self listened to Hermione over Ron, you wouldn't be in any trouble,” Luna said.
“Kind of like I'm his angel while Ron is his devil,” Hermione said. “At least, for this book.”
Cedric and Luna look kind of confused at what Hermione was saying, having never actually heard it before.
“She means that she's the side that wants to protect and keep me safe, while Ron is the side that wants me to do reckless things that could get me in trouble or hurt,” Harry said. “Though, I doubt that Ron wants me hurt.”
“Yeah, I don't think he does either. However, as he knows that Black is supposedly after you, it kind of does make it appear that he might, to some,” Luna said. “I mean, he still pushed you knowing that.”
“He didn't push me a whole lot, though,” Harry said. “I wanted to go, so it didn't take much to convince me to go.”
“True,” Luna said.
“Why do you use the terms angel and devil?” Cedric asked Hermione.
“Because that's usually the terms I've heard used with it the most,” Hermione said. “And, at he moment, I can't think of how else to say it, in wizarding terms at least.”
He walked away, leaving Harry feeling worse by far than he had at any point in Snape’s office.
“Yeah, hearing that I was basically throwing away my parents sacrifices would do that,” Harry said.
Slowly, he and Ron mounted the marble staircase. As Harry passed the one-eyed witch, he remembered the Invisibility Cloak –
“I probably won't dare to go and get it,” Harry said. “Knowing my luck, Snape will come back and see me come out, that, or see Ron standing there.”
it was still down there, but he didn’t dare go and get it.
“It’s my fault,” said Ron abruptly.
“As I've said before, it's not completely his fault, since I wanted to go myself, and therefore, ignored Hermione and the fact that I shouldn't go,” Harry said.
“I persuaded you to go. Lupin’s right, it was stupid, we shouldn’t’ve done it –“
“So it takes Ron hearing Professor Lupin scolding you to realize that I was right,” Hermione said.
“Apparently, it does, though I doubt that he'll acknowledge that you were right,” Harry said.
He broke off; they had reached the corridor where the security trolls were pacing, and Hermione was walking towards them.
“I wonder what's going on now,” Harry said.
“Buckbeak's trial,” Hermione said. “I probably got something from Hagrid about it, since we don't know how long you've been in Hogsmeade and Snape's office. The trial could have ended and Hagrid could have gotten back during that time. In fact, I either might be looking for you two to tell you the news, or I was planning on going down to visit him.”
“And, knowing that Malfoy would be controlling everything, the news you heard is most likely bad news,” Cedric said.
“Most likely,” Hermione said.
One look at her face convinced Harry that she had heard what had happened.
“It's possible, but I really would think that anything Malfoy had to say is truth, unless, of course, I searched for you in the common room and didn't find you,” Hermione said.
“And, with all the work you have to do, I doubt you did that,” Luna said.
His heart plummeted – had she told Professor McGonagall?
“No,” Hermione said,
“Come to have a good gloat?” said Ron savagely,
“Why would I do that?” Hermione said. “I don't think that I've ever given any indication that I'd do that.”
“It's Ron talking,” Luna said. “I know that Ron has gloated about some things before, and probably thinks that everyone will do that.”
as she stopped in front of them. “Or have you just been to tell on us?”
“Again, no,” Hermione said. “Perhaps he should let me speak instead of making accusations towards me.”
“No,” said Hermione. She was holding a letter in her hands and her lip was trembling.
“Yeah, the news about Buckbeak's trail is definitely bad,” Luna said.
“I just thought you ought to know ...”
“Especially since he's one of your friends,” Hermione said.
“Hagrid lost his case. Buckbeak is going to be executed.”
“That's the end of the chapter,” Hermione said, handing the book to Cedric.