Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Harry ran until he reached Professor Dumbledore's concealed entrance. He looked at the stone gargoyles who stared back, not moving. Frightened, he began to whisper names of sweets. None of them worked. About to give up hope and find another teacher, the gargoyles leapt off their posts and the wall opened revealing Professor Dumbledore wearing a long dark blue night-gown and a matching night-cap.

"Yes Harry. What did you want?" he asked the empty corridor. "I know you're here."

Harry pulled the hood off the invisibility cloak.

"I heard Voldemort." He said in a very small voice, feeling rather stupid. Dumbledore gave him a sweeping glance.

"Where?" he asked seriously.

"D-down the charms corridor." Harry told him, forgetting that he should be getting a detention right about now.

"I'll go have a look. You go back to your dormitory. Would you like Fawkes to accompany you?" Dumbledore said as Fawkes the phoenix flew out of the concealed entrance. Recognising Harry it flew over to him and rubbed his head with his beak in greeting. Dumbledore closed the entrance and set off towards the direction, which Harry had come running from. Fawkes flew the other way, towards the Fat Lady, Harry following quickly.

Harry didn't sleep that much. In fact, he didn't sleep at all. Luckily, the next day was Saturday and he lay in bed until Ron literally dragged him up.

"C'mon Harry, It's 10 o'clock. They'll stop breakfast soon!"

Harry grudgingly got up, got dressed and walked silently to breakfast in the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione were already there, talking excitedly about the Hogsmeade visit that was about to occur.

"I'm heading straight to Honeydukes." Ron said. "They've got some new chocolate that makes your hair change colour every 10 minutes for an hour."

"I've always wanted to see you with bright blue hair." Hermione told him matter-of-factly, a smile on her face. "Hi Harry! Sleep well?"

Harry threw himself into the chair next to her.

"Hello." He said plainly.

"Harry, do you know what a comb is?" Hermione asked him, ruffling his very messy hair with her hand.

"No, tell me again." Harry said, picking at his food.

"You OK Harry?" Ron asked him, looking at his friend.

"Yeah. Look we gotta talk." Harry told them quietly. "In Hogsmeade."

Hermione fought her way through the sea of pupils towards the little table at the back where Harry and Ron were sitting. The three butterbeers clattered onto the table.

"I swear I am thinner now!" she told them. "I mean, trying to get through that crowd." Then she took a look at Harry's tired face. "Oh, sorry, you wanted to talk to us?"

"Yeah." Harry said and leant in towards them.

"Last night, I went for a walk and…and…I saw this mirror down the charms corridor."

"I know the one!" Hermione said suddenly. "I saw it yesterday when I went to give in my essay."

"That isn't due in for another two weeks!" Ron moaned, looking at Hermione.

"Well, I got this weird feeling. Like someone was watching me. Then I heard Voldemort's voice. And…and then he laughed. I ran and found Dumbledore."

Harry hung his head. Hermione and Ron looked thunderstruck.

"Oh, Harry." Hermione whispered, putting her arm around him. Ron looked panicked.

"What are we going to do? You-know-who's here? He could start a rampage on school!"

"Ron, I don't think You-Know-Who is going to attack Hogwarts." Hermione said sensibly. "Dumbledore's here and everyone knows that You-Know-Who is afraid of him. We've nothing to worry about."

However her last, comforting sentence, all knew that it was wrong.

Over the next week, the school noticed some changes. Security in the school was a lot tighter. Tamed dragons were placed at all entrances. Ministry wizards and witches regularly circled the sky on Hippogriffs. Charms were placed on the doors so that if it was opened, a shrill alarm would sound and stunning curses were placed instantly on the person entering the castle. The next Hogsmeade visit was cancelled for an unknown reason. Quidditch practice was cancelled as well, and students were not allowed outside unless accompanied by a teacher.

"It's like someone's about to attack the castle." Seamus Finnigan observed one charms lesson.

Harry's insides writhed. This was all because of him and his stupid overactive imagination. He voiced his concerns quietly one Friday night to Ron and Hermione.

"If I just went along to Voldemort and told him I was not worth bothering about and he Arvada Kedarvaed me, the world would be a much better place." He groaned, circled showing under his eyes.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Don't say thing's like that!"

"Yeah! This is all just a precaution because, you know, You-Know-Who's likely to take his anger out of other people. Like…us." Ron said, his voice failing at the last sentence. "Sorry." He said, realising what he had just uttered. Hermione wiped her eyes hastily with the sleeve of her robes.

"Harry, You-Know-Who is a mad man. I don't know why he's after you. I don't think anyone does. He's a sick-minded fool. He's not going to kill you. You've got us, Dumbledore and Snuffles on your side."

Harry looked at her for a moment. He smiled at her loyalty and trust in him. The first smile he had smiled for a week.