Lilliana Snape (Harry Potter Book 2)

Part 28

“I can’t do it” I whispered as we stood on the outskirts of the forbidden forest, we were concealed by the invisibility cloak and surrounded by thousands upon thousands of spiders scuttling for the darkness of the trees. I turned to look at Ron and Harry; Harry looked scared but determined and Ron looked exactly how I felt...terrified. Spiders are the only things I am totally squeamish about. I was fighting the urge to run away screaming  “Harry, please don’t make me.”

“You don’t have to do anything” Harry promised sensing my distress “...I didn’t know that you hate spiders, you deal with them in potions.”

I shuddered “I don’t touch them, I tap them in. Even dead ones freak me out.”

Ron groaned beside me “I hate them too” he muttered but Harry ignored him

“Here” he tugged the cloak off of us and handed it to me “go to the library and see if you can find anything useful. We’ll find you there. Wait for us.”

I nodded, threw the cloak over me and hurried off after whispering “good luck, stay safe” to them.

Even the library seemed eerie, the lamps were off and it was deserted. I felt jumpy, any small noises would make me jump. I heard breathing, it was shallow and light...it took me a moment and almost a heart attack to realise that the breathing was coming from me.

“Shake it off and get over it” I mumbled to myself as I headed over to where ‘Hogwarts a History’ was kept. I wasn’t too hopeful, everyone had been taking the book out since the chamber had been opened but I was in luck, there was one on the shelf. Yet again I wasn’t helpful; Hermione hadn’t found anything when she had looked before but was worth a second opinion. “Lumos” I muttered as I opened the book and scanned through the pages until I found the one I needed. There was nothing there Hermione hadn’t found.

I sighed and looked around before closing the book and placing it back on the shelves. Restricted section.

I wasn’t sure where to start looking but each book I found had nothing to do with what I was looking for. I sighed, I had been through almost all of the restricted section and found nothing until I found one which had no title, thinking that as there was no information on the topic inside it might be a good place to start looking. I took it from the shelf.

“Lumos” I lit my wand again and held it over the book as I opened it.

It screamed. The sound coming from the book startled me and I fell off my chair knocking the book down with me. My heart was beating frantically and my hands were shaking; it took me a moment or two to have the sense to close the book but the screaming didn’t stop. Close to tears now I leapt up, thrust the book back on the shelf and ran.

My feet stumbled over nothing as I tried my best to race away from the screaming book but I didn’t get far when someone appeared in the doorway.

Dad.

“Who’s there?” He hissed

“Oh no” I muttered as I retreated back so that as he walked, he wouldn’t bump into me. I ducked behind one of the shelves and held my breath.

“There’s nowhere to run” he informed the room “it’s best to just give yourself up.”

He walked slowly into view and peered down my aisle with his wand held high in front of him but when he saw nothing he continued through the library. I took that as my cue to leave. Carefully, carefully I stepped back out careful not to knock into anything and made my way as silently as I could out of the library. I didn’t start running until I was safely out of earshot.