Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of J.K Rowling

Chapter Thirty-One

Hogsmeade

Harry was in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. Diana, Ron, Hermione and (Diana forced her too) Maisie stayed by Harry's bed until evening.

Harry had discussed the great black dog with grey eyes with Diana for the first time in months. Diana learnt that he'd seen it again, just before he fell. That piece of information didn't help her in the slightest.

Harry also shared what happened when he saw a dementor with Diana. Apparently he heard his mother's last moments of life, desperately pleading with Lord Voldemort to spare Harry's life.

Diana once again was having nightmares. The nightmares usually contained a myriad of things, just some of them being Black, the dog, the Basilisk, Lily and James Potter (who resembled Ginny and Harry) and Voldemort. She would wake up sweating and gasping, but luckily the only person who heard and saw her was Dahlia Boot, who knew a lot about not questioning people, so she didn't have to be constantly questioned by Maisie or Harry.

Jamie, Colin and Ginny seemed to have stopped their little trio. Colin had said that being the only boy in the trio was annoying, and Jamie complained that neither Ginny or Colin wanted to swim with her in the lake - something that Diana did with her only because she kept pestering her to - and Ginny complained that the two of them spent to much time marvelling over Colin's camera - Jamie's dad was a wizard, but died in the war, so she and her sister, Morag MacDougal, who Diana was still yet to meet, were raised by their mother, who knew nothing about her boyfriend's magic - so the three came crawling back to Diana, Maisie, Rolf and Luna.

Harry also informed Diana that Lupin had not stopped him tackling his Boggart in the staff room because he thought Harry was weak, but because he didn't want a fully fledged Voldemort forming in the staff room. But apparently Harry's Boggart was not a fully fledged Voldemort, but a dementor instead.

"Lupin's giving me lessons," Harry said. "How to charge down a dementor or something."

"That's great, Harry!" said Diana, trying to look happy. She wasn't, however, happy. This was because there was a sign put up in the Hufflepuff Common Room, saying that there would be another Hogsmeade trip the day before the start of the Christmas holidays.

"I wish Second Years could go," sighed Maisie, Turing a corner and walking down a corridor.

"One more year and we're going to Hogsmeade," Diana said, feeling just as downcast as Maisie.

"One year, that's so-"

"Psst, Diana, Maisie, come here," someone whispered from the side.

It was Harry, peeking out from behind a statue of a humpbacked, one-eyed witch.

"What're you doing?" asked Maisie curious. "How come you're not going to Hogsmeade?"

"I'll explain once you come in here," Harry whispered, jerking his head towards and empty classroom. Diana and Maisie followed him inside.

"So what's going on?" Diana asked him. "What's so important that you need to interrupt our brooding?"

"Fred and George gave it to me," Harry said, taking a piece of parchment out of his pocket. "I knew you both were upset about not being old enough to go to Hogsmeade, so I thought I could help you with this."

Maisie snorted. "Yeah, a piece of parchment will really help us. We could write a note and tell the teachers why we're gone. Or try to persuade them to let us go to Hogsmeade with the paper."

"Just wait," Harry said, tapping the parchment lightly and muttering, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

At once, ink lines began to spread across the paper like a spider's web from the point that Harry's wand had touched. Diana and Maisie stood, intrigued, watching the piece of parchment reveal its secrets.

Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs

Purveyors of Aid to Magical Mischief-Makers

are proud to present

The MARAUDER'S MAP

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs," Harry muttered softly, as though in a trance. "Why do I feel like I should know them? I feel like we've met before, but I don't know how."

"You recognise them?" asked Diana. "You recognise them just as you recognise the man on the tv, who turned out to be Sirius Black, a mass murderer and a Death Eater?"

"Shut up," Harry said. "I know these people, and I know they're good. They're not like Black, I'm sure of it."

Diana traced her finger on a line behind the one-eyes witch. It lead straight into -

"Hogsmeade!" cried Maisie. "We'll take the passage into Hogsmeade!"

"Yes, that was my intention, but there's one problem," said Harry. "I've checked, and many of the teachers are in Hogsmeade. It's their last day, too, you know. And that's why I've brought this."

He pulled out a silvery cloak which Diana knew to be his Invisibility Cloak.

"Harry, the last time you pulled that out, you and Ron headed into the Forbidden Forest," Maisie said. "Don't deny it, I was there," she scoffed as Harry shook his head.

"But this isn't dangerous," Harry protested. "As long as you both have it covering your whole body at all times, you'll never get caught."

"Let's do it," Diana said determinedly.

Half and hour later, she and Maisie was standing on a street in Hogsmeade, covered by the Invisibility Cloak, staring in awe at the sight they were taking in.

"It's... wow," Maisie summed up.

Hogsmeade looked like a Christmas card; the little thatched cottages and shops were all covered in a layer of crisp snow; there were holly wreaths on the doors and strings of enchanted candles hanging in the trees.

Harry grabbed what he must've thought was Diana's arm (but was actually a strand of wavy blond hair) and ran towards Ron and Hermione, who were standing outside of a post shop. Hermione saw him dragging Diana and Maisie - who had grabbed onto Diana's arm quickly - or some invisible force, as the Invisibility Cloak, after all, turned people invisible.

"Harry, there's no way you went ahead with that," Hermione scolded him.

"Hermione, lighten up," said Ron. "It's almost the holidays, and you should've seen Diana's face when she told us - rather pointlessly - there was a Hodsmeade trip."

"Be quiet," Hermione pleaded. "And we're breaking the law - this is illegal. Diana-"

"I'm here too," interrupted Maisie."

"-alright, Diana and Maisie'll get in so much trouble! Harry, they're both our cousins! We can't encourage them to break the law!

"Please, Hermione," Maisie begged. "We won't go again! Just today, before the holidays! Please, Hermione, please let us!"

Hermione turned to the direction she obviously thought Maisie and Diana were standing, and said, "Alright, fine, but keep that cloak on. We can't have you being expelled before your Third Year if you're so desperate to visit Hogsmeade."

Harry, Hermione and Ron dragged Diana and Maisie to a pub called the Three Broomsticks.

"The Butterbeer's amazing," Ron promised them. "You know, maybe we could double back and get Ginny."

"No," Hermione said. "Diana and Maisie are enough. The cloak won't work as well with three of them, and we can't risk Ginny being expelled. Diana's parents would throw a party if she left, and while Maisie's parents would be disappointed, I remember hearing them arguing about sending Maisie to a university when I was five. I didn't get it at the time, but now I do. You know what your mum's like, Ron, she'd blow up, send Ginny a howler, etcetera."

"Ok, ok, it was just an idea," said Ron. "I'll go get the drinks. Madam Rosemerta sells them."

He came back with five foaming tankards of hot Butterbeer.

"Merry Christmas!" cried Ron, raising his tankard.

It was the most delicious thing Diana ever drank. The Butterbeer seemed to hear every bit of him from the inside. She never thought she'd feel worried, scared or angry ever again. Naturally, she was wrong.

Professor McGonagall and Flitwick, along with Hagrid and Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, entered the pub.