Shrieking shack

Of course, there was no way Greg would never find out about it. Pansy, Greg, Vin and I were hanging out in the common room. A barn owl landed on Greg's arm. Greg took the letter and then looked at me. "You let your father help threaten the committee along with McLaggen's father? I thought you were my friend?"

Crap! Greg quickly runs out of the Slytherin common room. "Where are you going?" I call after him, but he has already disappeared outside.

Pansy gives me a light shove. "Stand up then. Where do you think he is going? Honestly, there is not like there are many places he'd go. Or to the library to find Granger or to Hagrid to cheer him up."

I feel relieved Pansy is backing me up. Vin hesitantly joins. First, we go to the library. It is already past curfew. We almost got caught as we leave the library to head to Hagrid, as Greg and Granger both are nowhere to be seen. I feel a bit calmer as we walk out onto the grounds as the chances are much smaller to be caught now. I walk at a brisk pace and feel my breath getting a bit strained as I try to ignore how awful I feel about it all. As we come near Hagrid's place I hear Greg's voice.

Greg sounds really bothered. "Excuse me? I should go? That is really rich. You have just been horrible to Hermione and have barely done anything to help with Hagrid's case. You should go," Greg says heatedly.

Pansy opens the door. Everyone looks at us. Potter and Weasley stand right in front of Greg, who just looks angry at them. Granger stands in a corner and looks at the ground. I can see she is upset. Hagrid looks surprised at us all like he does not yet understand what is going on. "You too, here?" He grunts out.

Pansy looks straight at Greg as she answers for us. "We are so, so sorry to hear about Buckbeak, Hagrid. We heard it from Lucius and we had no idea he would do that. It is unfair that they are beheading an innocent creature."

I feel surprised at how genuine she sounds. Hagrid blows his nose. "Oh well, real nice to step by and visit of y'all, but its past yer curfew. Harry, you of all should know better with Black on the run. Ye'all really shouldn't have come."

Then a stone hits the window and I swear I see bushy brown hairs disappear behind some leaves. I shake my head. I must have studied too hard. Hagrid looks seriously at all of us. "You should go now! Quick, before they see you. The committee is coming this way."

"But Hagrid," Granger objects, "We want to be there for you.."

"You should not get into trouble for me." Hagrid shoves us towards the back door. He then grabs a rat from some pottery on one of the shelves. The rat is trying wildly to escape and is shoved in Weasley's hand. "Found him between the pumpkins in the field a few days 'go. Thought you would be happy to see him again." Hagrid smiles softly at Granger. "People can get a bit mad 'bout their pets. Thanks for the support, you and Greg helped me a lot prepare for the case." Hagrid quickly glances outside. He sighs and I get the feeling he really wants to say a lot more to us. He looks very serious at Potter and Weasley. ""Gawd knows yeh've had enough ter be gettin' on with this year. I've seen yeh, practicin' Quidditch ev'ry hour o' the day an' night — but I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two'd value your friend more'n broomsticks or rats. Tha's all." He then opens the door for us, throwing us out, as the committee arrives at the front door.

All of us swiftly sneak back in silence towards the castle and with such a big group of people it is a miracle we are not seen. As we walk past the whomping willow Weasley yelps and struggles to keep his rat in his hands, as the rat is wildly trying to escape. Then it bites Weasley viscously and it flees away. Weasley quickly grabs his pet and as he is trying to get a tighter grip a large black dog lunges straight for him. The dog seemed to come out of nowhere, or maybe I had been too distracted looking at him chase his rat. The dog then grabs Weasley's leg with a sickening crunch that makes me wince. Then the dog drags Weasley into a hole I had never spotted before near the whomping willow.

"Ron," Granger squeaks out as she bolts after him, Potter follows her and is just on her heels. The willow slams Potter away, who remains unconscious against the hill and Granger disappears into the tunnel. Greg then takes off to follow Granger.

"Greg," Pansy screams. "Come back. You're about to get hurt!"

"What are you doing mate?" I scream after him. "We should get Severus. You should not endanger yourself like this." Greg ignores us. A stump is heading right for his head. Pansy screams in shock. I push him aside and we lie heavily breathing on the cold, slightly wet grass. Another branch from the whomping willow is coming for us. We are close to the hole in which Granger, Weasley and the dog disappeared.

Pansy then drags us towards the tunnel saving us from being hit away by the whomping willow. "Run! Run, don't just lie there! Do you want to end up in the hospital and get hit by one of its branches!"

Greg smiles softly at us as we are inside. "You guys came after me. I thought you'd just leave."

Pansy gives Greg a harsh shove. "Of course we came after you, prat. You are our friend." She then sniffs. "Look where you got us! This is horrid. We are in a dark, dirty cave trapped between the whomping willow and that dog."

We then hear Granger scream. "Harry don't come after us! It is a trap. It is not a dog. It's Black."

Greg immediately rushes towards Granger's scream. Pansy sighs. "I'm going to kill him for putting us into so much danger." I snort as we run after him. My heart pounds in my ears.

The dark tunnel leads to an old shack. Greg stands in the opening of the old shack and Pansy and I stand just behind him. Weasley is partially sitting and partially laying on a wooden, torn bed. His leg seems to be in a strange angle and he looks pained. Granger is standing protectively in front of Weasley and is looking with hatred at Black. Black stands with his back to us and his eyes are fully focused on the rat in Weasleys hands. His smile makes my stomach churn. Blacks' face is hidden by long, dirty hairs that stick to his head.

Black has a hoarse voice. "There will only be one murder tonight."

"NO," Granger says and seems to have not yet noticed us or Greg.. She steps in front of the tunnel leading out of the cave. Weasley looks like he wants to stand up too, but Black blocks his path and with a whimper Weasley starts to heavily lean back on the wooden bed. Granger lifts her head and tries to meets Black's eyes as she spats at him. "I will not let you go after Harry. You will have to go through me."

I felt blood drain my face. Black has two wands in his wand, his focus however is not on Granger or Greg or us, but on Weasley's pet rat. I feel incredibly relieved. I feel so sure now that if he wanted Potter dead, he would have gone after him. It would not have been Weasley laying here. And if he wanted Weasley dead and had him somehow mistaken for Potter, he would have died. He wanted the rat. Of course Black had not survived Azkaban sane. No one would leave that place sane. He's after the rat. That's why Weasley was attacked twice. He never headed for Potter. I lower Greg's wand and I feel Weasley glaring acidly at me. "Give him the rat, go on!" I urge Weasley, feeling exhausted, but happy we would all survive this night, because as Black said only one would be murdered tonight. If that would be a stupid pet rat, that was something I could definitely live with.