It was the middle of the night when we got woken up by Ron's yells. The entire Gryffindor House, in pajamas, stand before McGonagall, who wears a pajama robe and an expression of singular irritation. I was tired because of the training me and Harry had done earlier with Professor Lupin. My bed was calling me, the Patronus charm took a lot of my energy but at least, I had managed to do it.
"That's preposterous, Weasley. How could Sirius Black possibly have got through the portrait hole?"
"I don't know how he got in! I was a bit busy dodging his knife!" Ron protested.
McGonagall looked at Ron's brother who was standing beside him. "Percy, have you seen Sir Cadogan?"
I zoned out of the conversation and laid my head on Fred's shoulder, my tiredness taking over. As soon as I was about to fall asleep, the group moved towards the paintings where the knight was.
"Sir Cadogan. Is it possible that you let a mysterious man enter Gryffindor Tower tonight?" McGonagall questioned him.
"Certainly, good lady! He had the password. Had the whole week's, in fact. On a little piece of paper." The painting explained.
"Which abysmally foolish person wrote down the passwords and then proceeded to lose them!" Every eye shifts once more, this time towards Neville. McGonagall sighs. "Is it always going to be you, Longbottom?"
"I'm afraid so, ma'am." He answered, looking down. I thought that it was a shame that Neville didn't believe in himself more, he could accomplish great things.
"While we know Sirius Black is gone tonight, I think you can safely assume he will, at some future time, attempt to return. Let me be clear. You are not to move about the castle alone. And you are not to write down the password! Understood!" A collective nod of the head and everyone walks away to their dorm rooms. "And remember. Act responsibly!"
As the students drift off, I sigh in defeat. Fred put his hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Hannah. It will all work out."
I smile and we part ways. It seemed like Sirius Black wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted: my brother and I's death.
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Harry, Hermione, Ron and I were with Hagrid at the side of the lake. He had just come back from Buckbeak's hearing, Hagrid was wearing a gigantic, hairy brown suit and perhaps the world's funkiest yellow and orange tie, stands knee-deep in the shallows of the Black Lake, skimming rocks as big as a fat rat across the water's shiny gloss. As he turns, we catch a brief sight of his eyes, red with tears, then he looks away.
"How'd it go, Hagrid?" Hermione asked him from beside Ron while I was sitting beside Harry.
"Well, first off, the committee members took turn talking about why we were there." He threw another rock. "Well, I got up an' said my bit -- You know, how Buckbeak was a good Hippogriff an' as long as yeh treated 'im with respect, he'd treat you the same. Then Lucius Malfoy got up an' said his bit -- you know, how Buckbeak was a deadly dangerous beast that would kill as soon as he looks at ya'..."
"And then?" I asked, dreading his answer.
"And then he asked for the worst, Lucius."
"Not sacking you?" Ron exclaimed.
"I wish though I got sacked." He paused, the emotion getting to him and he dropped a bomb on us. "Buckbeak has been sentenced to death!" He cried out, dropping the rocks he had been holding. Anger flooded me quickly and I got up from my spot, approaching Hagrid.
"I will try to fix this. I promise."
"Thank ya, Hannah but yer can't do anythin'," He said defeated but I wouldn't give up so quickly. Draco had whined to his dad, telling him lies about a magnificent creature just because he couldn't control it.
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Harry had woken me up in the middle of the night because he had seen Peter Pettigrew's name on the map that the Weasley twins gave us. I had protested, saying that Pettigrew had been killed by Sirius Black but apparently, the map never lies. We were walking in the corridors, looking for the dead man, our wands held out in front of ourselves to guide us through the darkness of the castle. In the paintings we pass, the subjects snore softly and we get closer and closer to our target. I squint towards the end of the corridor then down at the map. Pettigrew moves quickly down the adjoining corridor. Twenty yards away. Ten. Only seconds away... Our wands are trembling in our hands, Harry glances from the map to the dark corridor ahead, again and again, but I keep looking in front of me. Then... as we are about to collide with Pettigrew, we look up to see ourselves reflected in a mirror.
After we calmed down from our fright, we look at the map and see that Pettigrew has moved past us. Confused, Harry and I walk around, casting our wands along the walls. "Watch it there, child!" A painting yells at us. On the map, Pettigrew continues to move away. We make to follow, but stop when we hear footsteps. I look at the map and across the parchment, another dot is approaching fast: Snape.
"Mischief managed!"
Harry stashes the map, we extinguish our wands, and we turn... into the harsh glare of Snape's wand. "Potter. What're you two doing wandering the corridors at night?"
"I was... we were... sleepwalking..." Harry poorly defended us.
"How extraordinarily like your father you are, Potter." He sneered. "He, too, was exceedingly arrogant. Strutting about the castle –"
"My dad didn't strut. Nor do I." Harry snapped and I continued. "Now, if you don't mind, we'd
appreciate you lowering your wand." Snape glared at me coldly but obligated. When the light shone on Harry's pocket, the outline of the map could be seen. Snape noticed it.
'Turn out your pockets." He orders but Harry doesn't move, eyes still boring into Snape. "Turn out your pockets!" Finally, Harry obliges. Seeing the map, Snape's eyes glitter, glad he caught us.
"And this. What might it be?"
"My diary." I say quickly.
"Really..." He started, not believing me. "Then why was your brother carrying it?"
"Because I trust my brother. You know... Twins" I clapped back and the professor ignored me, poising his wand and tapping it on the parchment. "Reveal your secret!"
To our horror, words begin to appear. Snape studies us, a sadistic half-smile on his lips. He turns the map my way. "Read it." He ordered and I obligated.
"Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs offer their compliments to Professor Snape and..." I paused, a smirk making its way on my face because of what was written on the parchment.
"Go on." Snape insisted and I did as he asked. I looked up to him with a smug look on my face.
"... and request that he keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business."
"Why you insolent little –" Snape hissed but was interrupted by Professor Lupin.
"Professor...?" Snape turns. Sees Lupin standing in the shadows.
"Well, well. Lupin. Out for a little walk in the moonlight, are we?"
"Harry, Hannah? You all right?" He asks us, ignoring Snape
"That remains to be seen. I've just now confiscated a rather curious artifact from Mr. and Ms. Potter. Take a look, Lupin. This is supposed to be your area of expertise." Lupin takes the parchment and observes it.
"Clearly, it's full of Dark Magic."
"I seriously doubt that, Severus." Lupin denied. "It looks to me as if it merely insults anyone who tries to read it. I suspect it's a Zonko product. Nevertheless, I shall pursue any hidden qualities it may possess. As you say, it's my area of expertise." He looks at us. "Come, both of you." We walk aside a fuming Lupin, who grips the map fiercely. The professor brings us to a classroom and faces us, clearly furious.
"I don't know how this map came to be in your possession, but I'm astounded that you didn't turn it in." He started. "Did you ever stop to think that this -- in the hands of Sirius Black -- is a map to you?" Lupin can barely contain his anger. "Your father didn't set much store by rules either. But he and your mother did give their lives to save yours. Gambling their sacrifice by walking about the castle unprotected, with a killer on the loose, strikes me as a poor way to repay them. I won't cover up for you again, Harry, Hannah." He tossed the map on his desk and Harry and I started to leave until my brother stopped.
"Professor. Just so you know, I don't think the map always works. Earlier, it showed someone in the castle. Someone we know to be dead."
"And who was that, Harry?" Lupin asked him, only half listening.
"Peter Pettigrew."
Lupin hesitates ever-so-slightly, then speaks. "Very well. I'd like you to return to your dormitory now. Oh, and, don't take any detours." Lupin taps the map. "If you do. I'll know."