A/N: I wrote this story Post- PoA and Pre-GoF, so don't yell at me if something is not correct. I don't feel like changing everything so its compliant with the 4th book.
Disclaimer: All these characters belong to J.K. Rowling and not me (duh)
Harry, Hermione and Ron were all sitting in their common room one night near the end of the term when all of a sudden… "I want to go to Hagrid's" said Harry. "OK with me, I mean we haven't gone down to see him in ages." agreed Hermione. At this Harry went up to his and Ron's dormitory to get his dad's old invisibility cloak. He rummaged through his trunk and shoved it in his pocket. They walked out of the portrait and making sure nobody was around they put the cloak around all three of them. They made their way to the entrance hall, through the grass and to Hagrid's front door. They knocked, but the only sound was the barking of Fang. Harry pushed the door open to find Hagrid's hut empty. "That's weird" Harry said under his breath. Hagrid had never been gone when they went to visit him. "Oh well" Hermione said, "let's go back we'll see him in Care of Magical Creatures tomorrow." They headed back up to the castle and back to the Gryffindor common room. Ron yawned "I think I'm going to go to bed now, good night you two" and then he headed up the stairs to the dormitory. Harry followed. "Good night Hermione" he said groggily as he walked up the stairs. As Harry tried to sleep he couldn't help but think something strange was going on. But, after a few minutes he fell asleep.
The next morning they headed down to Care of Magical Creatures. They waited about ten minutes while the Slytherins complained that the class was a waste of time and they wished they never signed up for it. A few seconds later tiny Professor Flitwick appeared at Harry's side with an announcement. "Hagrid is not available to teach this class right now, so I will supervise the remainder of this class and then I will take the Gryffindors up to my class with me." At this the Slytherins complained even more, but not as loud, so Flitwick couldn't hear. "Excuse me professor" Hermione started "but could you please tell us where Hagrid is?" "I'm sorry Miss. Granger but I don't know myself. Nobody can find him." Flitwick replied. Harry had a very bad feeling about this. "Well there's the bell! Gryffindors can come up to my classroom for charms, and Slytherins please go to your next class." Flitwick said.
So, they headed up to Charms. Afterward they ate quick lunch and headed back outside to see if Hagrid had returned. But halfway there they ran into someone who seemed very pleased to find them. "So, Potter, Weasley and Granger, cutting class now are we?" Snape said in his usual greasy voice. " Excuse me Professor, but its lunch and we just came outside to visit Hagrid." Hermione replied then looking down at her watch she exclaimed "oh my god! Lunch is over! We're supposed to be in Transfiguration!" Snape's lips curled and he gave Harry his special look that he reserved only for him. "Yes Granger, that's right. I think I'll take 10 points from Gryffindor each and a detention for all of you, be grateful it isn't worse." They reluctantly followed Snape up to the castle and to Professor McGonagall's classroom. "Excuse me Professor," Snape said as he opened the door but I have caught these students cutting your class, no need to punish them, I've already done that." And with this he left. "I ask the three of you to please take your seat and I'd like to see you after class." They sat down nervously and didn't speak a word to each other during class, which seemed to have gone faster than usual. When the bell rang Harry, Ron and Hermione stayed after looking tensely at each other. "I know you went to see Hagrid, but he's not there, nobody knows where he is or when he's coming back, I will inform you as soon as possible if he returns. What punishment did Serevus give you?" she asked and she gave them an almost pitiful look. "He took thirty points from Gryffindor and gave us each a detention professor." Hermione answered. "OK in that case I will assign your detentions. You will have your detentions tomorrow night. Ron, you will go with Seamus, Dean and Filch into the woods and collect some plants used in potions. Harry and Hermione, you will clean the potions dungeon. You may go now." McGonagall said.
They went to dinner complaining the entire time. Malfoy looked very pleased. They all headed up to the Gryffindor tower and when Harry pulled back the covers on his bed he found a note that said: those who enter the wood of Slytherin never return. Harry, who had no clue what it meant and decided to go show it to Hermione who was finishing Arithmancy homework in the common room. She read the paper a few times and eventually said "Harry, I have no clue what this means, I have never heard of these woods. I am very tired and we'll have a lot of work tomorrow, so good night Harry." "Good Night Hermione" he replied and went to his dorm where Ron was muttering something about broomsticks in his sleep.
The next day seemed to go by in a few seconds and in no time at all Hermione and Harry were in the dungeons with Snape. "Hello there Potter, Granger. You are to scrub the tables and floors, NO MAGIC! I will return in three hours and if this room isn't spotless you will spend the night washing every inch of this room." With this Snape walked over to the door, slammed it shut and locked it. "I hate him so much!" Harry exclaimed. "Yeah me too." Hermoine muttered. So they talked and worked and after awhile Snape and Flitwick came in. Harry was relived to see Flitwick, if he was there Snape couldn't be unfair. "Why I've never seen this room so clean! Its late you two, go on up to bed now." Flitwick chirped and winked at them in a way so that Snape couldn't see. They half-ran to their common room so Snape couldn't catch them and send them back to do more work. When they got there Hermione spoke. "Harry, I found this a few seconds before Snape came in." She handed Harry an old looking piece of paper that said: The Wood of Slytherin is a legendary place that is supposedly in the forbidden forest at hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. It is said that those who wander into these woods will be trapped forever. It is also said that salazar slytherin cast a spell over the group of trees that make up these woods to trap visitors, shortly after he built the also legendary Chamber of Secrets.
"Wow Hermione" Harry said once he finished reading the paper. "I can't believe it! Ron, Seamus, Dean and Filch are all in the forest right now! What if the woods really do exist? What if they get caught?" Hermione squeaked with tears shining in her eyes. Harry put his arm around her. "I'm sure they'll be fine and we'll see them in the morning" he said half-heartily. At his words Hermione burst into tears and cried herself to sleep in one of the armchairs. He got up and went to his almost empty dorm room and fell into an uneasy sleep. He dreamt that he was standing at the edge of the forest when something pulled him in. He couldn't move as he watched his roommates (minus Neville) struggle in ropes and chains. After this he woke up, rolled over and went back to sleep.
The next morning he was woken up very early. "Harry, oh Harry there not here! They never came back last night!" Hermione said as she shook him, to wake him while crying. He put on his glasses, looked over at Ron's bed. Sure enough it was empty, so was Dean's and Seamus's. Hermione sat down next to him on his bed, shaking and still crying. She threw her arms around him and said "Oh Harry what if they're…. You remember what happened in our second year! Slytherin was crazy, first the Basilisk, now what?" she was still crying into Harry's shoulder. "Don't worry Hermione, they'll be fine. I have an idea." He comforted her. "What's your plan?" she asked. "We'll write Sirius and see if he knows or can find out anything about the woods." He said. Hermione left so he could change and they skipped breakfast so they could go to the owlry and write Sirius. They sent a note and, feeling slightly better, went to Herbology.
In the middle of the class Professor McGonagall came into the greenhouse. "Professor Sprout? May I please borrow Potter, Granger and Longbottom?" she asked. "Yes, of course Minerva." She said in a voice not at all like her usual cheery one. They walked silently to the castle and entered an empty classroom. Less than a minute later Dumbledore walked in. "Thank you Minerva." He said and she left. "Hello there. I'm very sorry to say that we believe Hagrid, Mr. Filch, Mr. Ronald Weasley, Mr. Thomas and Mr. Finnigan are currently lost in the forest and may not be with us for a while. Neville, you can go to your dorm for the remainder of this class. I want to speak with Hermione and Harry for a bit longer." Dumbledore said solemnly and Neville left. As soon as the door closed Harry spoke. "Professor Dumbledore, sir, we know about the woods of Slytherin, we found a piece of paper describing it during our detention in the potions dungeon." Harry blurted out. "Yes, I figured you'd find out." Dumbledore said "I don't think you should go looking for your friends and Mr. Filch yet. Please don't do into the woods, give it some time, they might just be lost. I think because of this unfortunate happening you should take the day off and stay in your common room. I will inform your teachers what has happened and I'll ask Miss Brown and Miss Patil to bring you your work tonight, you will be given extra time to finish it though." He said sadly. "Yes sir" they replied at the same time and walked out of the room and into the Gryffindor tower Hermione crying the whole way.
When they got into the common room they found Neville asleep in the dorm, otherwise the tower was empty. Hermione sat onto the floor "What are we going to do Harry? I can't just sit here and wait while our friends might be in Slytherin's woods! I doubt Hagrid is lost." She said timidly. He put his arm around her so she wouldn't see him wipe a tear off his face. " I know how you feel Hermione. I'm scared too. I don't think we should disobey Dumbledore and look for them yet. How will we be able to help if we get caught too?" he replied. Just then Hedwig taped on the window and Harry let her in. He took the note and quickly ripped it open and read out loud
Dear Harry,
Hello. How are you? Buckbeak and I are well. I have heard of the woods of Slytherin. It is supposedly a place in the forbidden forest. They say this is where people that get lost in the forest and never return go to. I don't believe it really exists though. Write soon with news of school and your friends.
Love,
Sirius
"Well Harry, that was a big help" she said sarcastically. "I know, I was hoping for more information too. Later we'll go to the library and see if there's any information about it there OK?" he replied. "Fine" she said quietly.
Just then a stranger appeared in the doorway of the common room, startling both Harry and Hermione. The girl was very pretty she had long, strait blonde hair and bright blue eyes that looked like sapphires. "Hello there, I'm a transfer student from America. My name's Bridget. Oh my goodness! Are you Harry Potter?! Its great to meet you every witch and wizard in America talks about you! You have hundreds of fan clubs!" the girl said excitedly. "Hello Bridget, yes I am Harry Potter, and this is one of my best friends Hermione." Harry replied wanting her to go away so he could be alone with Hermione so they could talk about what they were going to do. "Well, it was nice to meet both of you, I'm just dropping off my stuff in the dorm and then I am going to….let me see…..oh yes, potions! My favorite subject! Can you please tell me where the forth year dorm is?" she replied. "Yes that is my dorm too. Go up those stairs and it is on your right you cant miss it." Hermione said barley over a whisper. "Thank you" Bridget said and headed to her room. A few minutes later she came back down and left, leaving the two alone again.
"That's weird I never heard of someone transferring here before. I wonder why she came here." Hermione said again in a soft voice "It is a little weird. Do you feel any better at all?" he asked her. "Not really, I really hope that they're all okay, even Filch. I want to find them, but I don't want to go in the forest." She said a little louder. "I know, I'm mostly worried about Hagrid though, he knows the forest well, so I don't think he's lost. Also, everyone told us the Chamber of Secrets was a legend, but it exited so, maybe the woods exist too." he explained to her. There was a long period of silence that followed his words.
After a few minutes Neville walked down the stairs. "Well, I have to go to potions now. Too bad Dumbledore didn't give us this period off too." He said glumly. "Actually Neville we have the day off. We'll see you later then" Harry replied. With this he left looking not happy one bit. "Poor Neville, I feel so bad for him, Snape is so mean to him." Hermione uttered.
Harry and Hermione were still sitting against a wall on the floor of the common room when all of a sudden another unexpected person came in. It was Draco Malfoy. Harry stood up suddenly. "What are you doing in here? How did you get in?" Harry demanded. "Oh, I just tricked brainless out there into telling me your password" He replied in his cold voice. "I am so sorry to hear that Weasley is missing" He continued sarcastically. Just then he started to walk towards Harry. He tripped and fell, only he never hit the ground. Malfoy had vanished. "Wha- Who- Where did he go?" Hermione stuttered. "I-I don't know" replied Harry "What should we do? Nobody will believe us! Should we go find McGongall or Dumbledore?" Hermione exclaimed. "Yes, lets go." Harry replied.
They ran to McGonagall's classroom and they saw she was in the middle of teaching a sixth year class, but they knocked and went in anyway. "Potter, Granger what on earth are you doing?" she snapped. "Its urgent professor we need to speak with you immediately." Hermione answered. "This better be important. Class please pair up and practice the spell we just discussed, I expect everyone to be able to perform it by the time I get back." She said. "Professor McGonagall, Malfoy was in our common room and he was walking and he tripped and then he disappeared!" Hermione said quickly as she always did when she was nervous or excited. "Is that so? How exactly did he get into your common room to begin with? He doesn't know the password." She said irritably. "He told us he tricked Neville into telling it to him." Harry told her. "Lunch is in ten minutes, we will discuss this further then. I have a class to teach." McGonagall said sharply and it was obvious she didn't believe them.
The ten minutes had passed and Professor McGonagall met them outside the Great Hall. "OK Potter what were you saying about Malfoy in your common room and him disappearing?" she said looking annoyed. "Yes Professor, your correct, that's what happened. Ask Snape, I bet he wasn't in class." Harry answered. "Fine I will there's Professor Snape now." She replied looking over the tops of her glasses. "So there are the poor little children who lost their friends" Snape said bitterly giving them a look of pure venom. "Now, Serevus, you stop that. I have to ask you a question anyway. Was Draco Malfoy in your class today?" she said sternly. "Yes Minerva, but a little bit into the class he claimed to be feeling ill and I sent him to the hospital wing." He said with a curious look. "Did he return?" she asked giving Harry and Hermione a puzzled look before asking. "No, I'm very sorry to say, I wanted him to demonstrate how to cut roots properly" he said sounding disappointed. "My goodness Harry, you weren't lying were you? Follow me both of you, now."
She stormed off and they had to walk quickly to keep up. Snape followed wondering what was happening. She stopped in front of a statue that Harry recognized as the entrance to Dumbledore's office. She shouted the password and the statue hopped over as it had done when Harry had been taken to Dumbledore's office in his second year. They went up the stairs and knocked on the door which opened. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk smiling and eyes twinkling. "Yes Minerva, what is the matter?" he asked gently. "Potter and Granger told me Draco Malfoy found out the password to their common room and went in. He tripped and disappeared, supposedly, and Serevus just told me that Draco left his class and did not return and I did not see him in the Great Hall just now" she said looking faint. "POTTER!! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Snape exclaimed. "Now, now Serevus calm down, I'm sure Harry didn't do anything to Mr. Malfoy. Isn't that right Harry?" Dumbledore said calmly. "Yes, sir, Nor I or Hermione did anything to Malfoy" Harry replied, happy to see Snape was not pleased Dumbledore stood up for them. "Well then, we shall wait until this time tomorrow and if Mr. Malfoy has not shown up we shall decide what to do at that time" Professor Dumbledore said giving Harry a sideways glance. Professors Snape and McGonagall, Harry and Hermione all left his office and walked down the stairs and down to the corridor of the school where they had entered the office. Snape shot daggers at Harry with his cold, black evil eyes and stormed off. "Well, I have a class to teach, so back to your common room" Professor McGonagall said, who tuned and left Harry and Hermione walking the opposite direction of Snape.
When they were both out of an earshot Harry spoke. "I know Snape thinks we did something Hermione. We've got to find out what's going on" he said nervously. " I know what's going on guys, not exactly, but kids at my school started disappearing too, well I'd like to help you and maybe be friends?" it was Bridget. "OK what do you mean by 'you know what's going on'" Hermione said suspiciously. "Like I said kids at my school started disappearing. We never found out who or what was making them disappear, and we never saw any of the kids again. It just sort of stopped. It was right after the janitor, Athena Filch, was fired." She explained. The name 'Filch' made Harry and Hermione stare wide-eyed at each other. "Bridget, the caretaker here is Argus Filch, he was one of the ones who disappeared. What can you tell us about Athena Filch?" Harry asked inquisitively. "Well, she was pretty and well liked, she had this awful cat named Mr. Morris, and she was a squib" Bridget described. "Mr. Morris?…….Squib?……..That sounds like a relative of Filch all right!" Hermione exclaimed. "Yes Hermione, but Filch is not pretty or well liked" Harry snorted and Hermione giggled at his statement. "Thank you Bridget, you've been a great help" Hermione said politely and smiled at Bridget. "It was no problem, I'd still like to help with whatever you are doing if I can" she replied. "OK Bridget your in, that is if you still want to be in once you find out what it is that we're doing" Harry informed her of the current happenings. She still agreed to help and even suggested that they go in the woods and try to find the others. "Yes Bridget, I think we should, let's go to the tower and get a certain cloak…." Harry said mischievously.
So they ran up to the Gryffindor tower and Harry ran up into his dorm, rummaged through his trunk and finally found what he was looking for. His beautiful invisibility cloak, he felt the soft material and sighed thinking of his father. He shoved the cloak into his pocket and ran back to the common room where Hermione and Bridget were becoming fast friends. "OK guys, lets go" Harry said, hoping the words didn't sound as nervous as he really was.
They walked long the corridors down to the great hall, and then outside. Harry couldn't help but to get the feeling he was being watched, or worse, followed. They were at the edge of the forest when Harry turned to Bridget "Are you sure you still want to come? Hermione and I have been through this sort of thing. You haven't" he said giving her a thoughtful look. "Yes, I will not desert you now." She said boldly, and almost as if she were offended by the very question. They marched into the forest, nervously as the leaves crunched beneath their feet. They made their way further into the woods and soon Hogwarts had disappeared behind them and the trees of the forest surrounded them, the trees allowed very little light to get in so it was very dark.
Harry and Hermione exchanged nervous glances and Bridget kept her head strait forward. After a little while they heard a sudden crunching noise behind them and they all whipped around in fright. A dark figure stepped out from behind a tree. It was too small to be Hagrid or Filch, but too big to be Dean, Seamus, Ron or Malfoy. Harry, almost automatically, pulled out his wand and said "Lumos." He shined the light onto the figure. It was none other than hooked nose, greasy hared Snape. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked bitterly. "I was curious where you planed on going Potter, you know the forest is forbidden to students" he said with his lips curling like they always did when he knew he could get Harry in trouble. "Actually Professor, if you really want to know we are trying to find the woods of Slytherin to save our friends. I know you knew where we were going, but you just wanted to make sure Malfoy gets home safe. Isn't that right?" Harry snapped louder than wise. "So, you really know where your going right? I would certainly hope you know since the forest is huge and trying to find a group of trees in here would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I doubt you have a map or a compass or anything for navigation, am I correct Potter?" he spat.
Harry really hadn't thought about that. He didn't really know the size of the forest or how hard it would be to find them. "And I suppose you have a compass or a map" Harry said praying that Snape didn't hear the fear in his voice. Harry knew he had, Snape smiled and showed his yellow teeth. "No Potter, I don't. Your ignorance will now probably get us all killed" he said and Harry thought he had seen Snape's lip quaver a little. Hermione stepped forward looking very scared. "This quarrel of yours has gone on way too long! I've had enough! If we are going to get out of this alive we have to stick together! Can't you see that? Let's put this matter aside, at least until we get out of here. Do we have a deal?" she stated very boldly and in that moment Hermione resembled Professor McGonagall, Harry couldn't believe she was telling Snape and him off. "Yes, we do. You are right Granger. I am willing to put these matters aside for now. I don't think I could take it forever. I do want go get out alive" Snape said sorrowfully and there was a side to Snape Harry had never seen before. Maybe he's not all bad, Harry thought. This thought did not last long though when he thought of all the other times they'd shared. "All right" Harry said quietly, not really sure he could put his hate aside, but if Snape could, anyone could.
They marched on for awhile aimlessly in silence when Snape stopped. "We can't do this forever. If we get out of the woods we'll follow the edge back to the school, if we find the woods of Slytherin….." his voice trailed off. "We'll be okay Professor, I'm positive" Bridget said comforting him. They walked, and walked. Then hours later something finally happened. "Did you hear that?" Harry asked. "Yes" they all answered together. Then they heard something awful. A loud yell, it sounded as if the person who screamed was in immense pain. "It's Ron. I'm positive" Hermione said looking at Harry teary-eyed. "It'll be okay Hermione. At least we know he's alive right?" Harry said hopefully. Snape sighed.
They tried to walk in the direction that they heard the scream come from. They'd barely walked ten minutes when they saw it. The bark on the trees weren't brown anymore but a dark olive green, the trees were thick and dense and there was little light that that could manage to get through the silver leaves that made up the roof, the light that made it through was dark and feeble, leaving them with most of the light coming from their wands. They knew it had to be the woods of Slytherin. "Ready?" Harry asked, trying to sound brave. Hermione looked at him a nodded, "Let's go" she said plainly.
They stepped in and took one look at the normal trees knowing they were heading forward into surefire peril. When they turned around to search for Ron and the others, they were greeted by an unfriendly face. Filch. "So, you are finally here, I've been waiting" he said dryly. "You? You are the one taking the poor students of our school?" Snape said sounding extremely surprised and taken aback. "Yes Serevus, I was sick of it. I was sick of seeing all these happy children, children that don't belong in our world coming here whereas I, a pure blood, could not. I whose family had centuries of Slytherin students come here and learn magic. It all ended with me and my sister though. The family hated us, as I hated them and as I hated all the muggle children that could come when I couldn't. It wasn't fair, and now I shall take my revenge on the school" he said with unconditional and complete hatred in his voice and his hands shaking with anger.
There was an awkward silence after Filch's speech. Harry's insides felt like they would explode with anger. "Where are they Filch? Where are my friends?" he said and his voice shook with rage. "Follow me and I will show you them" he said as though nothing previous had happened and then Snape could not contain himself "How do we know we won't be lead into some trap of yours? How can we trust you?" he spat bitterly. "You'll have to take that chance won't you Serevus?" he uttered. Filch smiled. The four followed reluctantly hoping to see their lost friends. Harry stayed at the back of the group, Hermione in the front. After a bit he heard screams at the front of the group. Hermione had fell into a hole, a trap, Bridget had tripped on the hole and was clutching her arm which had been twisted into an odd position. "Go Harry, save them, I'll take care of these two" Snape exclaimed.
At these words Harry ran after Filch. Once he had caught up to him it was not hard to keep up because Harry ran faster than Filch. Then Harry saw it. It was the center, the very heart, of Slytherin's woods. The trees were a more brilliant green and the leaves were more polished silver and kept almost all the light out, even more so than before. He saw Ron, Seamus, Dean and Malfoy tied to trees. Hagrid was on the ground with his arms and legs bound with rope. All but Ron noticed Harry's appearance. Ron's head was dangling like a puppet and he looked very, well, dead. Ron please don't be dead, please, Harry thought. "How do you want to end this Filch? Let them go or I will kill you. I promise" Harry said with an amount of malevolence he's never felt before. "Is that really fair Potter? Killing a person with magic that can't defend themselves?" he said with sarcasm. "Leave it to me Potter"
Snape was back. Bridget followed with a bandage around her arm and Hermione was unconscious in a stretcher that Snape must have conjured. "OK Snape. Let me know if you need my assistance" Harry said agreeing because he didn't really know how to kill a person using magic. As he backed off he devised a little plan in his head. He made a slight smile and pulled the invisibility cloak out of his pocket. He forgot he even brought it with him. Snape saw what he was doing and waved his wand behind his back and a stretcher appeared behind the tree Ron was bound to.
Harry covered himself in the cloak and Bridget gave a little gasp. It wasn't too loud, but it was enough to make Filch turn around and see what she'd gasped at. "Where's Potter?! WHERE IS HE!?!?" Filch yelled. While looking frantically for him, Harry pulled out his wand and performed the leg-locker curse on Filch. Snape actually laughed as Filch fell to the ground. "Ha! You should have known better than to mess with the famous Harry Potter, Me the potions master, Hermione the cleverest girl in the school and the beautiful Bridget. Did you really think you could beat us? Harry, who has a little of Voldemort in him, not beat you, why your only a squib" Snape said as he spat on him. Some flinched at the name 'Voldemort'. Snape walked over to Harry and put his arm on his shoulder and opened his mouth, then closed it many times.
Finally he said "Harry, shall we try to undo the curse of this horrible place?" he asked, rather like he was talking to a son. "Okay sir" he said. They took out their wands. "OK Harry, on three" Snape said. Suddenly a man popped out from behind a tree. "Expellaramus!" he shouted. Harry and Snape were thrown back and their wands were on the ground, It was Peter Pettigrew. Snape jaw hung open. "These are not your woods. These belong to my master. You will not do anything to them. Take your friends and leave this place and nothing will happen to you. For now that is" he said powerfully.
Snape got up and untied Seamus, Hagrid and Malfoy and Harry untied Ron and put him onto the stretcher. While they did this Pettigrew disappeared. "Follow me, I know the way beck to the school" Hagrid said while getting up and shaking Snape's hand. Harry cut a bit of bark and pulled a leaf off a tree to bring back with him. Suddenly the trees and went back to their original color. The woods of Slytherin were no more, all you had to do was take some of it. The wood and leaves in Harry's hand remained the color they were when they were cursed. "How are we going to bring Filch back?" Harry questioned. "Mobilicorpus" Snape said and Filch floated along next to him.
They followed Hagrid for what seemed like hours. At last they saw an end to what seemed like endless trees. They saw the castle and none of them had ever been so ecstatic to see it. They ran to the doors and were inside the great hall once again. "Come on, we've got to find Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and get Hermione, Bridget and Ron up to Madam Pomfrey. They walked to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey fixed Bridget's wrist in a few seconds but said Ron and Hermione would have to stay awhile. "You all go I'll stay with them" Bridget said. "OK I'll be back later" Harry told her. Professor Snape lead them to McGonagall's office. He knocked softly on the door and they heard a small, sad voice say "enter" he opened the door and they saw McGonagall, Dumbledore, Dean's parents, Seamus' mom and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They looked shocked to see them. "Where were you? Where did you find them? What happened?" Professor McGonagall stammered. Mrs. Weasley burst into tears "Where's Ron? Is he…." She cried. "No Mrs. Weasley, he's out cold though in the hospital wing" Harry said quickly. "Dean, Seamus, Take your parents and the Weasleys up to the hospital wing. You two need some rest. Hagrid, you too" Dumbledore addressed them.
They left leaving Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Filch (still under the leg locker curse) and Harry in the room. "Well Harry, I suppose you have an interesting tale for us as always" Dumbledore said turning to Harry. "Yes sir" Harry said
as he pulled the bark and leaf out of his pocket and put them onto McGonagall's desk. Harry spoke into silence as he told the story. "So this is all that is left of the woods?" Dumbledore asked. "Yes" Snape replied. "Well, Minerva, Serevus I think this deserves a feast. Go tell the kitchens, I want a final word with Harry" Dumbledore said looking over his half-moon spectacles.
They left the room and Dumbledore turned to Harry again. "What shall we do with Filch?" Harry asked. "Filch you may remain working here as long as you swear you will not do so much as touch another student, as for punishment this time, I am giving Mrs.Norris to Hagrid" Dumbledore said performing the countercurse and Filch fell to the ground. "NO! YOU CAN NOT TAKE MY PRECIOUS KITTY AWAY FROM ME!" he exclaimed. "Fine then, you are fired" Dumbledore said plainly. Filch looked upset and left. "Well Harry, another job well done. Your friends mean a lot to you. Its good that you realize a life without friends isn't worth living. Its wise of you. Your father, Sirius and Lupin would all have been very proud of you, I'm sorry they couldn't be here to see you" Dumbledore said looking down on him and the light glowing in his pale blue eyes. "Well Harry, lets go to that marvelous feast!" he said pleasantly "What about Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked. Like they had read his mind, the door crashed open and Ron and Hermione dashed in and Hermione threw her arms around Harry. "Harry, oh Harry! You saved them, I can't believe it!" she exclaimed. "You've done it again! You saved my life Harry Potter, how can I ever thank you?" Ron said smiling. "You should thank Snape too when you get a chance, you know I didn't do it alone" Harry said modestly. "So, Harry, how about that feast?" Ron asked. Harry looked back at Dumbledore who nodded and said "Let's go!" and the three walked, smiling and laughing down to the great hall where everyone was eating and laughing and having a great time.
Harry joined in the celebration. Dumbledore awarded Harry, Hermione and Bridget 100 points each and gave Slytherin 50 points for Snape's help too.
The next day Harry almost looked forward to going to Potions, just to see how Snape would behave. Unfortunately, Snape was back to his old, Gryffindor hating self. "Potter, stay after class!" he barked as the bell rang. Harry waited as the rest of the class left. When they were all gone Snape walked over to him, and for about a minute they just sat there quietly as if words had failed them. Finally Snape said "You are so much like your father Harry, I loved Lily though, that's why I hated your father, because she loved him. You deserve to know that" he said giving Harry a meaningful look not at all like his usual hard, cold stare. "Thank you sir for the truce in the woods, I know it must have been hard, it was almost a pleasurable experience being your partner instead of your enemy" Harry replied. "Thank you Harry, go on you are dismissed" he said looking away from Harry and walking over and sitting in his desk. The next week their finals took place and Harry felt he did pretty well, and when the results came out he had done much better than usual in potions.
On the day they were leaving Hogwarts again Harry took one last look at the castle and said "Thanks again Professor Snape" and the castle disappeared again and he was going back to the muggle world until the next September.
Disclaimer: All these characters belong to J.K. Rowling and not me (duh)
Harry, Hermione and Ron were all sitting in their common room one night near the end of the term when all of a sudden… "I want to go to Hagrid's" said Harry. "OK with me, I mean we haven't gone down to see him in ages." agreed Hermione. At this Harry went up to his and Ron's dormitory to get his dad's old invisibility cloak. He rummaged through his trunk and shoved it in his pocket. They walked out of the portrait and making sure nobody was around they put the cloak around all three of them. They made their way to the entrance hall, through the grass and to Hagrid's front door. They knocked, but the only sound was the barking of Fang. Harry pushed the door open to find Hagrid's hut empty. "That's weird" Harry said under his breath. Hagrid had never been gone when they went to visit him. "Oh well" Hermione said, "let's go back we'll see him in Care of Magical Creatures tomorrow." They headed back up to the castle and back to the Gryffindor common room. Ron yawned "I think I'm going to go to bed now, good night you two" and then he headed up the stairs to the dormitory. Harry followed. "Good night Hermione" he said groggily as he walked up the stairs. As Harry tried to sleep he couldn't help but think something strange was going on. But, after a few minutes he fell asleep.
The next morning they headed down to Care of Magical Creatures. They waited about ten minutes while the Slytherins complained that the class was a waste of time and they wished they never signed up for it. A few seconds later tiny Professor Flitwick appeared at Harry's side with an announcement. "Hagrid is not available to teach this class right now, so I will supervise the remainder of this class and then I will take the Gryffindors up to my class with me." At this the Slytherins complained even more, but not as loud, so Flitwick couldn't hear. "Excuse me professor" Hermione started "but could you please tell us where Hagrid is?" "I'm sorry Miss. Granger but I don't know myself. Nobody can find him." Flitwick replied. Harry had a very bad feeling about this. "Well there's the bell! Gryffindors can come up to my classroom for charms, and Slytherins please go to your next class." Flitwick said.
So, they headed up to Charms. Afterward they ate quick lunch and headed back outside to see if Hagrid had returned. But halfway there they ran into someone who seemed very pleased to find them. "So, Potter, Weasley and Granger, cutting class now are we?" Snape said in his usual greasy voice. " Excuse me Professor, but its lunch and we just came outside to visit Hagrid." Hermione replied then looking down at her watch she exclaimed "oh my god! Lunch is over! We're supposed to be in Transfiguration!" Snape's lips curled and he gave Harry his special look that he reserved only for him. "Yes Granger, that's right. I think I'll take 10 points from Gryffindor each and a detention for all of you, be grateful it isn't worse." They reluctantly followed Snape up to the castle and to Professor McGonagall's classroom. "Excuse me Professor," Snape said as he opened the door but I have caught these students cutting your class, no need to punish them, I've already done that." And with this he left. "I ask the three of you to please take your seat and I'd like to see you after class." They sat down nervously and didn't speak a word to each other during class, which seemed to have gone faster than usual. When the bell rang Harry, Ron and Hermione stayed after looking tensely at each other. "I know you went to see Hagrid, but he's not there, nobody knows where he is or when he's coming back, I will inform you as soon as possible if he returns. What punishment did Serevus give you?" she asked and she gave them an almost pitiful look. "He took thirty points from Gryffindor and gave us each a detention professor." Hermione answered. "OK in that case I will assign your detentions. You will have your detentions tomorrow night. Ron, you will go with Seamus, Dean and Filch into the woods and collect some plants used in potions. Harry and Hermione, you will clean the potions dungeon. You may go now." McGonagall said.
They went to dinner complaining the entire time. Malfoy looked very pleased. They all headed up to the Gryffindor tower and when Harry pulled back the covers on his bed he found a note that said: those who enter the wood of Slytherin never return. Harry, who had no clue what it meant and decided to go show it to Hermione who was finishing Arithmancy homework in the common room. She read the paper a few times and eventually said "Harry, I have no clue what this means, I have never heard of these woods. I am very tired and we'll have a lot of work tomorrow, so good night Harry." "Good Night Hermione" he replied and went to his dorm where Ron was muttering something about broomsticks in his sleep.
The next day seemed to go by in a few seconds and in no time at all Hermione and Harry were in the dungeons with Snape. "Hello there Potter, Granger. You are to scrub the tables and floors, NO MAGIC! I will return in three hours and if this room isn't spotless you will spend the night washing every inch of this room." With this Snape walked over to the door, slammed it shut and locked it. "I hate him so much!" Harry exclaimed. "Yeah me too." Hermoine muttered. So they talked and worked and after awhile Snape and Flitwick came in. Harry was relived to see Flitwick, if he was there Snape couldn't be unfair. "Why I've never seen this room so clean! Its late you two, go on up to bed now." Flitwick chirped and winked at them in a way so that Snape couldn't see. They half-ran to their common room so Snape couldn't catch them and send them back to do more work. When they got there Hermione spoke. "Harry, I found this a few seconds before Snape came in." She handed Harry an old looking piece of paper that said: The Wood of Slytherin is a legendary place that is supposedly in the forbidden forest at hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. It is said that those who wander into these woods will be trapped forever. It is also said that salazar slytherin cast a spell over the group of trees that make up these woods to trap visitors, shortly after he built the also legendary Chamber of Secrets.
"Wow Hermione" Harry said once he finished reading the paper. "I can't believe it! Ron, Seamus, Dean and Filch are all in the forest right now! What if the woods really do exist? What if they get caught?" Hermione squeaked with tears shining in her eyes. Harry put his arm around her. "I'm sure they'll be fine and we'll see them in the morning" he said half-heartily. At his words Hermione burst into tears and cried herself to sleep in one of the armchairs. He got up and went to his almost empty dorm room and fell into an uneasy sleep. He dreamt that he was standing at the edge of the forest when something pulled him in. He couldn't move as he watched his roommates (minus Neville) struggle in ropes and chains. After this he woke up, rolled over and went back to sleep.
The next morning he was woken up very early. "Harry, oh Harry there not here! They never came back last night!" Hermione said as she shook him, to wake him while crying. He put on his glasses, looked over at Ron's bed. Sure enough it was empty, so was Dean's and Seamus's. Hermione sat down next to him on his bed, shaking and still crying. She threw her arms around him and said "Oh Harry what if they're…. You remember what happened in our second year! Slytherin was crazy, first the Basilisk, now what?" she was still crying into Harry's shoulder. "Don't worry Hermione, they'll be fine. I have an idea." He comforted her. "What's your plan?" she asked. "We'll write Sirius and see if he knows or can find out anything about the woods." He said. Hermione left so he could change and they skipped breakfast so they could go to the owlry and write Sirius. They sent a note and, feeling slightly better, went to Herbology.
In the middle of the class Professor McGonagall came into the greenhouse. "Professor Sprout? May I please borrow Potter, Granger and Longbottom?" she asked. "Yes, of course Minerva." She said in a voice not at all like her usual cheery one. They walked silently to the castle and entered an empty classroom. Less than a minute later Dumbledore walked in. "Thank you Minerva." He said and she left. "Hello there. I'm very sorry to say that we believe Hagrid, Mr. Filch, Mr. Ronald Weasley, Mr. Thomas and Mr. Finnigan are currently lost in the forest and may not be with us for a while. Neville, you can go to your dorm for the remainder of this class. I want to speak with Hermione and Harry for a bit longer." Dumbledore said solemnly and Neville left. As soon as the door closed Harry spoke. "Professor Dumbledore, sir, we know about the woods of Slytherin, we found a piece of paper describing it during our detention in the potions dungeon." Harry blurted out. "Yes, I figured you'd find out." Dumbledore said "I don't think you should go looking for your friends and Mr. Filch yet. Please don't do into the woods, give it some time, they might just be lost. I think because of this unfortunate happening you should take the day off and stay in your common room. I will inform your teachers what has happened and I'll ask Miss Brown and Miss Patil to bring you your work tonight, you will be given extra time to finish it though." He said sadly. "Yes sir" they replied at the same time and walked out of the room and into the Gryffindor tower Hermione crying the whole way.
When they got into the common room they found Neville asleep in the dorm, otherwise the tower was empty. Hermione sat onto the floor "What are we going to do Harry? I can't just sit here and wait while our friends might be in Slytherin's woods! I doubt Hagrid is lost." She said timidly. He put his arm around her so she wouldn't see him wipe a tear off his face. " I know how you feel Hermione. I'm scared too. I don't think we should disobey Dumbledore and look for them yet. How will we be able to help if we get caught too?" he replied. Just then Hedwig taped on the window and Harry let her in. He took the note and quickly ripped it open and read out loud
Dear Harry,
Hello. How are you? Buckbeak and I are well. I have heard of the woods of Slytherin. It is supposedly a place in the forbidden forest. They say this is where people that get lost in the forest and never return go to. I don't believe it really exists though. Write soon with news of school and your friends.
Love,
Sirius
"Well Harry, that was a big help" she said sarcastically. "I know, I was hoping for more information too. Later we'll go to the library and see if there's any information about it there OK?" he replied. "Fine" she said quietly.
Just then a stranger appeared in the doorway of the common room, startling both Harry and Hermione. The girl was very pretty she had long, strait blonde hair and bright blue eyes that looked like sapphires. "Hello there, I'm a transfer student from America. My name's Bridget. Oh my goodness! Are you Harry Potter?! Its great to meet you every witch and wizard in America talks about you! You have hundreds of fan clubs!" the girl said excitedly. "Hello Bridget, yes I am Harry Potter, and this is one of my best friends Hermione." Harry replied wanting her to go away so he could be alone with Hermione so they could talk about what they were going to do. "Well, it was nice to meet both of you, I'm just dropping off my stuff in the dorm and then I am going to….let me see…..oh yes, potions! My favorite subject! Can you please tell me where the forth year dorm is?" she replied. "Yes that is my dorm too. Go up those stairs and it is on your right you cant miss it." Hermione said barley over a whisper. "Thank you" Bridget said and headed to her room. A few minutes later she came back down and left, leaving the two alone again.
"That's weird I never heard of someone transferring here before. I wonder why she came here." Hermione said again in a soft voice "It is a little weird. Do you feel any better at all?" he asked her. "Not really, I really hope that they're all okay, even Filch. I want to find them, but I don't want to go in the forest." She said a little louder. "I know, I'm mostly worried about Hagrid though, he knows the forest well, so I don't think he's lost. Also, everyone told us the Chamber of Secrets was a legend, but it exited so, maybe the woods exist too." he explained to her. There was a long period of silence that followed his words.
After a few minutes Neville walked down the stairs. "Well, I have to go to potions now. Too bad Dumbledore didn't give us this period off too." He said glumly. "Actually Neville we have the day off. We'll see you later then" Harry replied. With this he left looking not happy one bit. "Poor Neville, I feel so bad for him, Snape is so mean to him." Hermione uttered.
Harry and Hermione were still sitting against a wall on the floor of the common room when all of a sudden another unexpected person came in. It was Draco Malfoy. Harry stood up suddenly. "What are you doing in here? How did you get in?" Harry demanded. "Oh, I just tricked brainless out there into telling me your password" He replied in his cold voice. "I am so sorry to hear that Weasley is missing" He continued sarcastically. Just then he started to walk towards Harry. He tripped and fell, only he never hit the ground. Malfoy had vanished. "Wha- Who- Where did he go?" Hermione stuttered. "I-I don't know" replied Harry "What should we do? Nobody will believe us! Should we go find McGongall or Dumbledore?" Hermione exclaimed. "Yes, lets go." Harry replied.
They ran to McGonagall's classroom and they saw she was in the middle of teaching a sixth year class, but they knocked and went in anyway. "Potter, Granger what on earth are you doing?" she snapped. "Its urgent professor we need to speak with you immediately." Hermione answered. "This better be important. Class please pair up and practice the spell we just discussed, I expect everyone to be able to perform it by the time I get back." She said. "Professor McGonagall, Malfoy was in our common room and he was walking and he tripped and then he disappeared!" Hermione said quickly as she always did when she was nervous or excited. "Is that so? How exactly did he get into your common room to begin with? He doesn't know the password." She said irritably. "He told us he tricked Neville into telling it to him." Harry told her. "Lunch is in ten minutes, we will discuss this further then. I have a class to teach." McGonagall said sharply and it was obvious she didn't believe them.
The ten minutes had passed and Professor McGonagall met them outside the Great Hall. "OK Potter what were you saying about Malfoy in your common room and him disappearing?" she said looking annoyed. "Yes Professor, your correct, that's what happened. Ask Snape, I bet he wasn't in class." Harry answered. "Fine I will there's Professor Snape now." She replied looking over the tops of her glasses. "So there are the poor little children who lost their friends" Snape said bitterly giving them a look of pure venom. "Now, Serevus, you stop that. I have to ask you a question anyway. Was Draco Malfoy in your class today?" she said sternly. "Yes Minerva, but a little bit into the class he claimed to be feeling ill and I sent him to the hospital wing." He said with a curious look. "Did he return?" she asked giving Harry and Hermione a puzzled look before asking. "No, I'm very sorry to say, I wanted him to demonstrate how to cut roots properly" he said sounding disappointed. "My goodness Harry, you weren't lying were you? Follow me both of you, now."
She stormed off and they had to walk quickly to keep up. Snape followed wondering what was happening. She stopped in front of a statue that Harry recognized as the entrance to Dumbledore's office. She shouted the password and the statue hopped over as it had done when Harry had been taken to Dumbledore's office in his second year. They went up the stairs and knocked on the door which opened. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk smiling and eyes twinkling. "Yes Minerva, what is the matter?" he asked gently. "Potter and Granger told me Draco Malfoy found out the password to their common room and went in. He tripped and disappeared, supposedly, and Serevus just told me that Draco left his class and did not return and I did not see him in the Great Hall just now" she said looking faint. "POTTER!! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Snape exclaimed. "Now, now Serevus calm down, I'm sure Harry didn't do anything to Mr. Malfoy. Isn't that right Harry?" Dumbledore said calmly. "Yes, sir, Nor I or Hermione did anything to Malfoy" Harry replied, happy to see Snape was not pleased Dumbledore stood up for them. "Well then, we shall wait until this time tomorrow and if Mr. Malfoy has not shown up we shall decide what to do at that time" Professor Dumbledore said giving Harry a sideways glance. Professors Snape and McGonagall, Harry and Hermione all left his office and walked down the stairs and down to the corridor of the school where they had entered the office. Snape shot daggers at Harry with his cold, black evil eyes and stormed off. "Well, I have a class to teach, so back to your common room" Professor McGonagall said, who tuned and left Harry and Hermione walking the opposite direction of Snape.
When they were both out of an earshot Harry spoke. "I know Snape thinks we did something Hermione. We've got to find out what's going on" he said nervously. " I know what's going on guys, not exactly, but kids at my school started disappearing too, well I'd like to help you and maybe be friends?" it was Bridget. "OK what do you mean by 'you know what's going on'" Hermione said suspiciously. "Like I said kids at my school started disappearing. We never found out who or what was making them disappear, and we never saw any of the kids again. It just sort of stopped. It was right after the janitor, Athena Filch, was fired." She explained. The name 'Filch' made Harry and Hermione stare wide-eyed at each other. "Bridget, the caretaker here is Argus Filch, he was one of the ones who disappeared. What can you tell us about Athena Filch?" Harry asked inquisitively. "Well, she was pretty and well liked, she had this awful cat named Mr. Morris, and she was a squib" Bridget described. "Mr. Morris?…….Squib?……..That sounds like a relative of Filch all right!" Hermione exclaimed. "Yes Hermione, but Filch is not pretty or well liked" Harry snorted and Hermione giggled at his statement. "Thank you Bridget, you've been a great help" Hermione said politely and smiled at Bridget. "It was no problem, I'd still like to help with whatever you are doing if I can" she replied. "OK Bridget your in, that is if you still want to be in once you find out what it is that we're doing" Harry informed her of the current happenings. She still agreed to help and even suggested that they go in the woods and try to find the others. "Yes Bridget, I think we should, let's go to the tower and get a certain cloak…." Harry said mischievously.
So they ran up to the Gryffindor tower and Harry ran up into his dorm, rummaged through his trunk and finally found what he was looking for. His beautiful invisibility cloak, he felt the soft material and sighed thinking of his father. He shoved the cloak into his pocket and ran back to the common room where Hermione and Bridget were becoming fast friends. "OK guys, lets go" Harry said, hoping the words didn't sound as nervous as he really was.
They walked long the corridors down to the great hall, and then outside. Harry couldn't help but to get the feeling he was being watched, or worse, followed. They were at the edge of the forest when Harry turned to Bridget "Are you sure you still want to come? Hermione and I have been through this sort of thing. You haven't" he said giving her a thoughtful look. "Yes, I will not desert you now." She said boldly, and almost as if she were offended by the very question. They marched into the forest, nervously as the leaves crunched beneath their feet. They made their way further into the woods and soon Hogwarts had disappeared behind them and the trees of the forest surrounded them, the trees allowed very little light to get in so it was very dark.
Harry and Hermione exchanged nervous glances and Bridget kept her head strait forward. After a little while they heard a sudden crunching noise behind them and they all whipped around in fright. A dark figure stepped out from behind a tree. It was too small to be Hagrid or Filch, but too big to be Dean, Seamus, Ron or Malfoy. Harry, almost automatically, pulled out his wand and said "Lumos." He shined the light onto the figure. It was none other than hooked nose, greasy hared Snape. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked bitterly. "I was curious where you planed on going Potter, you know the forest is forbidden to students" he said with his lips curling like they always did when he knew he could get Harry in trouble. "Actually Professor, if you really want to know we are trying to find the woods of Slytherin to save our friends. I know you knew where we were going, but you just wanted to make sure Malfoy gets home safe. Isn't that right?" Harry snapped louder than wise. "So, you really know where your going right? I would certainly hope you know since the forest is huge and trying to find a group of trees in here would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I doubt you have a map or a compass or anything for navigation, am I correct Potter?" he spat.
Harry really hadn't thought about that. He didn't really know the size of the forest or how hard it would be to find them. "And I suppose you have a compass or a map" Harry said praying that Snape didn't hear the fear in his voice. Harry knew he had, Snape smiled and showed his yellow teeth. "No Potter, I don't. Your ignorance will now probably get us all killed" he said and Harry thought he had seen Snape's lip quaver a little. Hermione stepped forward looking very scared. "This quarrel of yours has gone on way too long! I've had enough! If we are going to get out of this alive we have to stick together! Can't you see that? Let's put this matter aside, at least until we get out of here. Do we have a deal?" she stated very boldly and in that moment Hermione resembled Professor McGonagall, Harry couldn't believe she was telling Snape and him off. "Yes, we do. You are right Granger. I am willing to put these matters aside for now. I don't think I could take it forever. I do want go get out alive" Snape said sorrowfully and there was a side to Snape Harry had never seen before. Maybe he's not all bad, Harry thought. This thought did not last long though when he thought of all the other times they'd shared. "All right" Harry said quietly, not really sure he could put his hate aside, but if Snape could, anyone could.
They marched on for awhile aimlessly in silence when Snape stopped. "We can't do this forever. If we get out of the woods we'll follow the edge back to the school, if we find the woods of Slytherin….." his voice trailed off. "We'll be okay Professor, I'm positive" Bridget said comforting him. They walked, and walked. Then hours later something finally happened. "Did you hear that?" Harry asked. "Yes" they all answered together. Then they heard something awful. A loud yell, it sounded as if the person who screamed was in immense pain. "It's Ron. I'm positive" Hermione said looking at Harry teary-eyed. "It'll be okay Hermione. At least we know he's alive right?" Harry said hopefully. Snape sighed.
They tried to walk in the direction that they heard the scream come from. They'd barely walked ten minutes when they saw it. The bark on the trees weren't brown anymore but a dark olive green, the trees were thick and dense and there was little light that that could manage to get through the silver leaves that made up the roof, the light that made it through was dark and feeble, leaving them with most of the light coming from their wands. They knew it had to be the woods of Slytherin. "Ready?" Harry asked, trying to sound brave. Hermione looked at him a nodded, "Let's go" she said plainly.
They stepped in and took one look at the normal trees knowing they were heading forward into surefire peril. When they turned around to search for Ron and the others, they were greeted by an unfriendly face. Filch. "So, you are finally here, I've been waiting" he said dryly. "You? You are the one taking the poor students of our school?" Snape said sounding extremely surprised and taken aback. "Yes Serevus, I was sick of it. I was sick of seeing all these happy children, children that don't belong in our world coming here whereas I, a pure blood, could not. I whose family had centuries of Slytherin students come here and learn magic. It all ended with me and my sister though. The family hated us, as I hated them and as I hated all the muggle children that could come when I couldn't. It wasn't fair, and now I shall take my revenge on the school" he said with unconditional and complete hatred in his voice and his hands shaking with anger.
There was an awkward silence after Filch's speech. Harry's insides felt like they would explode with anger. "Where are they Filch? Where are my friends?" he said and his voice shook with rage. "Follow me and I will show you them" he said as though nothing previous had happened and then Snape could not contain himself "How do we know we won't be lead into some trap of yours? How can we trust you?" he spat bitterly. "You'll have to take that chance won't you Serevus?" he uttered. Filch smiled. The four followed reluctantly hoping to see their lost friends. Harry stayed at the back of the group, Hermione in the front. After a bit he heard screams at the front of the group. Hermione had fell into a hole, a trap, Bridget had tripped on the hole and was clutching her arm which had been twisted into an odd position. "Go Harry, save them, I'll take care of these two" Snape exclaimed.
At these words Harry ran after Filch. Once he had caught up to him it was not hard to keep up because Harry ran faster than Filch. Then Harry saw it. It was the center, the very heart, of Slytherin's woods. The trees were a more brilliant green and the leaves were more polished silver and kept almost all the light out, even more so than before. He saw Ron, Seamus, Dean and Malfoy tied to trees. Hagrid was on the ground with his arms and legs bound with rope. All but Ron noticed Harry's appearance. Ron's head was dangling like a puppet and he looked very, well, dead. Ron please don't be dead, please, Harry thought. "How do you want to end this Filch? Let them go or I will kill you. I promise" Harry said with an amount of malevolence he's never felt before. "Is that really fair Potter? Killing a person with magic that can't defend themselves?" he said with sarcasm. "Leave it to me Potter"
Snape was back. Bridget followed with a bandage around her arm and Hermione was unconscious in a stretcher that Snape must have conjured. "OK Snape. Let me know if you need my assistance" Harry said agreeing because he didn't really know how to kill a person using magic. As he backed off he devised a little plan in his head. He made a slight smile and pulled the invisibility cloak out of his pocket. He forgot he even brought it with him. Snape saw what he was doing and waved his wand behind his back and a stretcher appeared behind the tree Ron was bound to.
Harry covered himself in the cloak and Bridget gave a little gasp. It wasn't too loud, but it was enough to make Filch turn around and see what she'd gasped at. "Where's Potter?! WHERE IS HE!?!?" Filch yelled. While looking frantically for him, Harry pulled out his wand and performed the leg-locker curse on Filch. Snape actually laughed as Filch fell to the ground. "Ha! You should have known better than to mess with the famous Harry Potter, Me the potions master, Hermione the cleverest girl in the school and the beautiful Bridget. Did you really think you could beat us? Harry, who has a little of Voldemort in him, not beat you, why your only a squib" Snape said as he spat on him. Some flinched at the name 'Voldemort'. Snape walked over to Harry and put his arm on his shoulder and opened his mouth, then closed it many times.
Finally he said "Harry, shall we try to undo the curse of this horrible place?" he asked, rather like he was talking to a son. "Okay sir" he said. They took out their wands. "OK Harry, on three" Snape said. Suddenly a man popped out from behind a tree. "Expellaramus!" he shouted. Harry and Snape were thrown back and their wands were on the ground, It was Peter Pettigrew. Snape jaw hung open. "These are not your woods. These belong to my master. You will not do anything to them. Take your friends and leave this place and nothing will happen to you. For now that is" he said powerfully.
Snape got up and untied Seamus, Hagrid and Malfoy and Harry untied Ron and put him onto the stretcher. While they did this Pettigrew disappeared. "Follow me, I know the way beck to the school" Hagrid said while getting up and shaking Snape's hand. Harry cut a bit of bark and pulled a leaf off a tree to bring back with him. Suddenly the trees and went back to their original color. The woods of Slytherin were no more, all you had to do was take some of it. The wood and leaves in Harry's hand remained the color they were when they were cursed. "How are we going to bring Filch back?" Harry questioned. "Mobilicorpus" Snape said and Filch floated along next to him.
They followed Hagrid for what seemed like hours. At last they saw an end to what seemed like endless trees. They saw the castle and none of them had ever been so ecstatic to see it. They ran to the doors and were inside the great hall once again. "Come on, we've got to find Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and get Hermione, Bridget and Ron up to Madam Pomfrey. They walked to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey fixed Bridget's wrist in a few seconds but said Ron and Hermione would have to stay awhile. "You all go I'll stay with them" Bridget said. "OK I'll be back later" Harry told her. Professor Snape lead them to McGonagall's office. He knocked softly on the door and they heard a small, sad voice say "enter" he opened the door and they saw McGonagall, Dumbledore, Dean's parents, Seamus' mom and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They looked shocked to see them. "Where were you? Where did you find them? What happened?" Professor McGonagall stammered. Mrs. Weasley burst into tears "Where's Ron? Is he…." She cried. "No Mrs. Weasley, he's out cold though in the hospital wing" Harry said quickly. "Dean, Seamus, Take your parents and the Weasleys up to the hospital wing. You two need some rest. Hagrid, you too" Dumbledore addressed them.
They left leaving Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Filch (still under the leg locker curse) and Harry in the room. "Well Harry, I suppose you have an interesting tale for us as always" Dumbledore said turning to Harry. "Yes sir" Harry said
as he pulled the bark and leaf out of his pocket and put them onto McGonagall's desk. Harry spoke into silence as he told the story. "So this is all that is left of the woods?" Dumbledore asked. "Yes" Snape replied. "Well, Minerva, Serevus I think this deserves a feast. Go tell the kitchens, I want a final word with Harry" Dumbledore said looking over his half-moon spectacles.
They left the room and Dumbledore turned to Harry again. "What shall we do with Filch?" Harry asked. "Filch you may remain working here as long as you swear you will not do so much as touch another student, as for punishment this time, I am giving Mrs.Norris to Hagrid" Dumbledore said performing the countercurse and Filch fell to the ground. "NO! YOU CAN NOT TAKE MY PRECIOUS KITTY AWAY FROM ME!" he exclaimed. "Fine then, you are fired" Dumbledore said plainly. Filch looked upset and left. "Well Harry, another job well done. Your friends mean a lot to you. Its good that you realize a life without friends isn't worth living. Its wise of you. Your father, Sirius and Lupin would all have been very proud of you, I'm sorry they couldn't be here to see you" Dumbledore said looking down on him and the light glowing in his pale blue eyes. "Well Harry, lets go to that marvelous feast!" he said pleasantly "What about Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked. Like they had read his mind, the door crashed open and Ron and Hermione dashed in and Hermione threw her arms around Harry. "Harry, oh Harry! You saved them, I can't believe it!" she exclaimed. "You've done it again! You saved my life Harry Potter, how can I ever thank you?" Ron said smiling. "You should thank Snape too when you get a chance, you know I didn't do it alone" Harry said modestly. "So, Harry, how about that feast?" Ron asked. Harry looked back at Dumbledore who nodded and said "Let's go!" and the three walked, smiling and laughing down to the great hall where everyone was eating and laughing and having a great time.
Harry joined in the celebration. Dumbledore awarded Harry, Hermione and Bridget 100 points each and gave Slytherin 50 points for Snape's help too.
The next day Harry almost looked forward to going to Potions, just to see how Snape would behave. Unfortunately, Snape was back to his old, Gryffindor hating self. "Potter, stay after class!" he barked as the bell rang. Harry waited as the rest of the class left. When they were all gone Snape walked over to him, and for about a minute they just sat there quietly as if words had failed them. Finally Snape said "You are so much like your father Harry, I loved Lily though, that's why I hated your father, because she loved him. You deserve to know that" he said giving Harry a meaningful look not at all like his usual hard, cold stare. "Thank you sir for the truce in the woods, I know it must have been hard, it was almost a pleasurable experience being your partner instead of your enemy" Harry replied. "Thank you Harry, go on you are dismissed" he said looking away from Harry and walking over and sitting in his desk. The next week their finals took place and Harry felt he did pretty well, and when the results came out he had done much better than usual in potions.
On the day they were leaving Hogwarts again Harry took one last look at the castle and said "Thanks again Professor Snape" and the castle disappeared again and he was going back to the muggle world until the next September.