After dinner had ended, and almost everybody was tucked comfortably
in their beds, Ron, Hermione, and Harry were sitting in front of the common
room fire, contemplating Ron's strange dreams.
"No, I swear, they're so real. " Ron assured them, "perhaps
they're a premonition or something I mean, they were all very similar"
Hermione scoffed, "You mean, perhaps there is some knife branding psychopath
that creeps into our dorms at night."
Harry laughed. "Well, whatever it is, the teachers seem relaxed about
it."
Ron agreed, "Yeah, well, I wonder if this knife branding psychopath knows
who's room he's sneaking into?, I mean, the last knife branding psychopath
that broke into our room ended up being related to Harry!"
They all laughed, remembering when Siruis Black had woken Ron in the depths
of the night, wielding a knife inches above Ron's chest.
"Perhaps I should write and tell snuffles what's going on." Harry
said, while trying to stifle a yawn.
"Yeah, we'll do that tomorrow I'll go and send a letter off to
mum and dad too while we're up in the owlery. Oh, I should send a letter to
Charlie as well, and see if he remembers Elaria Gordie."
Later that night, the cloaked figure crept silently into the
common room. Her hidden eyes scanned the empty room as she slowly crossed
to the staircases. Her soft boots made a sort of hollow echo as she circled
the room, scanning for any movement. After several minutes of silent prowling,
she crept up towards the boys dormitory. Pointing her wand to the door, she
whispered something softly and the door swung open noiselessly. She entered
the boys bedroom, withdrawing from the moonlight that was streaming through
the open window. Keeping to the shadows, she edged her way around the room,
and placed herself in a seat, opposite the four occupied beds. Suddenly a
hiss ripped through the silence as Crookshanks leaped indignantly from his
cosy position on the chair.
With her breath held, she scanned the boys as they continued sleeping, snores
gently issuing from the third bed. Giving an inaudible sigh of relief, she
lowered herself into the chair.
From where Harry lay, he slowly scanned the room with a single
open eye. He'd had another strangely vivid dream about the dark intruder.
He was certain there was somebody else within the room, watching him.
He strained his neck ever so slightly, to try and see into the shadows beyond
the end of his bed. As he peered into the darkness, he saw crookshanks swish
his tail, as he stalked proudly out of the room.
"Damn cat" he muttered as he rolled over, sinking deeply into his
pillow.
The silent watcher stayed motionless in the chair until the verge of dawn, eyes constantly scanning the room. Just as the early morning sunshine was creeping over the horizon, she finally swept soundlessly out of the room and strode across the common room and left through the painting of the Fat Lady.
At breakfast the next morning, Harry asked Ron if he had dreamed,
again, of the dark attacker. "Well, I dunno Harry."
Harry gave him a strange look, "What? So, you did? Huh?"
"No, no, I mean, No, I didn't." Ron stammered, looking oddly flustered.
"Oh, well that's good then" Harry said, wondering if he should tell
Ron that he had also been dreaming of a silent intruder..
"I think I'm just going crazy." Ron added, while helping himself
to a large serving of crispy bacon.
Harry laughed "I'd agree with you there!"
Hermione scampered into the Hall, looking dishevelled and flustered.
"You two haven't seen Crookshanks anywhere, have you? I've looked everywhere.."
Ron shook his head blankly, but Harry sat there, staring thoughtfully at his
bacon. "I think I did last night. I woke up, and he was leaving the room."
"Well, he's gone. He's not in my room, he's nowhere in yours. Nobody
has seen him anywhere."
"Relax! It's not the first time he's gone walkies. He's big enough, and
ugly enough to look after himself!" Ron said, eyeing off the plate of
croissants in front of him. "I'm loving all of this international food
that Dumbledore has brought in."
Harry murmured in agreement, as he tried to chew a large mouthful of Hungarian
sausage.
Hermione ate very little, and it was clear that she was still worrying about
where her cat had disappeared to.
Just as Hermione was going to insist that they go back up to the Gryffindor
tower to search for him, a hundred owls came fluttering through the magnificent
open windows.
"Ooh look! I got one from Si er, snuffles!" Harry said happily
as a large brown owl dropped a letter onto his place. The owl hooted wearily
as it took off, back out of the window.
Dear Harry.
Everything is going Ok here. Thankfully, I'm eating more than I was at home.
They have the best sausages here!
I've heard a disturbing rumour about somebody trying to break into Hogwarts.
To ease my mind, I've requested that one of my friends that I met while in
Bulgaria, look out for you while she's in the area.
Love Snuffles.
Hermione and Ron looked at Harry expectantly. "Snuffles
has a friend? Do you have any idea who it is?"
Harry shrugged. "Not the foggiest."
Snape had been strangely preoccupied during the following days,
constantly reading at his desk, and muttering under his breath. Harry was
unused to feeling concerned about him, but whenever Harry noticed the deep
dark rings around Snape's eyes, he felt almost sorry for the overbearing Professor.
One lesson, while they were preparing a liquidising potion, Harry glanced
at what Snape had been reading. It was a very work piece of parchment, reminding
Harry of his Marauder's Map.
"He's probably trying to memorise it!" thought Harry glumly, as
he remembered the secret journeys to Hogsmead to visit his godfather the previous
year. Hopefully, he'd still be able to give Mrs Norris, the caretakers cat,
the slip and sneak out of the school to visit Sirius.
Yet, when Harry peered at the piece of parchment a second time, he noticed
that the text written upon it, had begun to change. New text was scrolling
down the page, as Snape muttered into it. It looked very much like the piece
of parchment that Professor Gordie had used to communicate to Ron, Hermione
and himself. Harry decided to ask Elaria about it, after the next Defence
class.
Defence had soon become their favourite class, not only had
they learnt to counteract silencing curses, they'd also learnt how to tickle
an opponent from a great distance. Ellie mentioned that this was the complete
opposite to the criatus (is this the right spelling?) curse. Both Harry and
Neville shuddered horribly at this; as great squawks of laugher drowned out
any explanation that Ellie offered. Ron had quickly found the knack of this
particular spell, and had both Harry and Hermione in stitches the whole lesson.
The class left in a twitchy, giggly mass, and Harry had completely forgotten
about his question, until Ron suggested they go to the owlry after lunch.
"Bollocks! I forgot to ask Ellie about her parchment."
Ron looked quizzically at Harry, and laughed "Ellie, hmmm? That's a far
cry from Professor Gordie, dontcha think?"
Harry rolled his eyes, and explained about the parchment.
"I reckon she's good buddies with Snape, and holds a long-distance conversation
via the parchment?" Ron concluded, after Harry had finished. Both boys
had both noticed Snape's unusual lack of malice toward the new Defence Teacher,
Gordie, .
"D'ya think? I wouldn't pick Snape as the type to talk to her. After
all, she's pretty young and, well, she WAS in Gryffindor" Harry
said, speaking with a mouthful of baloney sandwich.
Ron shrugged. "Yeah. s'pose."