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"VALERIE?" HARRY POTTER raised his lantern up to see her, a puzzled expression on his features.
Before the young witch had the chance to reply, the sound of boots stomping against the stone floor echoed through the library air.
"Who's there?" Argus Filch asked, his shrill voice unmistakable.
"Quick, get over here!" Harry did his best to shout in a hushed whisper, slinging his cloak around him and Valerie.
The Grindelwald girl gave him an odd stare, before realising that this was no ordinary piece of cloth. It was an Invisibility Cloak, an object she thought to reside only in the words of her grandfather's fairytales. Harry nudged her forward, as if he were signalling her to run.
The sudden motion knocked his lantern off the shelf, shattering to the ground and causing even more commotion.
"I know you're in there, you can't hide. Who is it? Show yourself!"
Their hearts were racing as Filch came into view, his narrow eyes zeroing in on the lantern on the floor.
Harry tilted her head toward the library exit, leading Valerie out as they held their hands up to support the cloak. They eventually made it to the dimly lit hallway, nearly stepping on Filch's cat along the way.
The two exchanged glances as they caught sight of Snape and Quirrell in the middle of what looked like a heated argument.
"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell." Snape warned, holding an arm to the man's neck.
"W-what do you mean?" The professor stuttered in reply.
"You know perfectly well what I mean." Snape retorted, before he laid his gaze directly on the first-years under the cloak.
Harry shot a hand up to cover Valerie's mouth as he held his breath. They backed away just as Snape reached out to grab them, leaving him hanging in mid-air.
"We'll have another little chat soon," the potions teacher spoke monotonously, "When you've had time to decide where your loyalties lie."
By the time Snape finished, Harry and Valerie rushed to the nearest door, opening it quietly just as the professors were dragged away by Filch. The boy pulled the cloak off their shoulders as soon as they were safely inside the room.
"What are you doing with an Invisibility Cloak?" Valerie asked him.
"Someone gave it to me for Christmas," Harry admitted. "I don't know who it was."
