Chapter 2: "The Hooded Bandit of Truth"
Harry returned to the Gryffindor boys' dormitory and was pacing along side his bed muttering to himself.
"What to do, what to do!" Harry awakened a snoozing Ron Weasley, his best friend, for some advice.
"Terrible news! Cho likes MALFOY! Can you believe that? No mention of me whatsoever! She said she likes him because he's wild, but that's all she said! What do I do? Kill Malfoy so she's forced to like me?" Harry said panic stricken.
"No, no, bad Harry. Killing bad," said a half asleep Ron.
"Okay then, no killing. You sure? Oh fine! Maybe a love charm then?" asked Harry, desperate for ideas.
"No. Too hard for Harry," answered Ron with a large yawn.
"Okay, fine! Then what exactly do you propose I do? If I can get rid of him, or change her, what DO I do??" Harry said.
"No titchy fits for Harry! If you can't change him or her, change self," said Ron, who was clearly struggling to keep his eyes open.
"Great idea, Ron!" Harry whispered. "I'll be the man she wants, and then she'll dump Malfoy! Now, how do you think I should do that?"
"Yes, I want to buy lots of your telephone soup!" Ron exclaimed. Now he was really out of it.
Harry sighed. "Go back to bed, Ron. Please..." That's all Harry needed to say, for Ron just fell back onto his pillow, and easily fell into a deep sleep again.
Then Harry, with his mind buzzing, went to bed also.
________________________________________________________
Across the Hogwarts castle near the Slytherin portrait hole, a tiny light in the men's room flickered. The men's room was always dark, but it was almost absolute pitch black at 3 AM. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle cautiously approached a figure in a trenchcoat leaning against the far wall of the bathroom.
"Okay, so we're here. What do you want?" Draco Malfoy said, annoyed.
The figure spoke up in a deep, raspy voice that was almost a whisper. "Remember the agreement? Five feet. You can't get any closer than that."
Goyle looked a Malfoy and grinned. Goyle took one big step, which was normal for him, and the figure jumped 3 feet in the air, letting out a high pitched scream. "Don't... don't do that!" Trenchcoat Man said when he had caught his breath.
The words couldn't pierce through Crabbe and Goyle's idiotic guffawing. The man re-gathered himself.
"How interested are you in a Miss...Cho Chang?" He said slowly to Malfoy.
"Eh, she's okay," said Malfoy nonchalantly.
"Hehehe! He's got a secret shrine for Cho under his bed! He talks about her all the time, and likes to knock on her dormitory door and then vanish, and he likes to---" Crabbe's babbling was cut off by a sharp jab from Malfoy's elbow.
He's in love," said Goyle wistfully.
"Ah, so Malfoy has a thing for Cho...and I happen to know she has a thing for him, too." The faintest smile played on the man's lips as he spoke.
"I also know that a Mr. Potter adores her equally as much..." Malfoy grew angry. He was NOT going to let Harry get the love of his life! He'd stop picking on Harry, even let Harry do some of the teasing, well, sometimes, as long as it wasn't too bad...but that wasn't the point!
"Who are you anyway?" Malfoy asked.
The stranger in the coat was taken by surprise. "I'm, er, the hooded bandit of truth..."
Malfoy ran up to him and tore the coat away, revealing the translucent form of...Rob!
"Ew! Get away! Get away demon child!" Rob pressed up against the wall while making the cross, or evil sign, with his fingers.
"Hey! You're Ravenclaw's ghost! The one who's afraid of us!''
"Um...the hooded bandit of truth goes by many names..."
Rob's eyes shifted and beads of sweat formed on his brow. "I must flee!" He cried, and exploded into a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, he had disappeared into the night.
Harry returned to the Gryffindor boys' dormitory and was pacing along side his bed muttering to himself.
"What to do, what to do!" Harry awakened a snoozing Ron Weasley, his best friend, for some advice.
"Terrible news! Cho likes MALFOY! Can you believe that? No mention of me whatsoever! She said she likes him because he's wild, but that's all she said! What do I do? Kill Malfoy so she's forced to like me?" Harry said panic stricken.
"No, no, bad Harry. Killing bad," said a half asleep Ron.
"Okay then, no killing. You sure? Oh fine! Maybe a love charm then?" asked Harry, desperate for ideas.
"No. Too hard for Harry," answered Ron with a large yawn.
"Okay, fine! Then what exactly do you propose I do? If I can get rid of him, or change her, what DO I do??" Harry said.
"No titchy fits for Harry! If you can't change him or her, change self," said Ron, who was clearly struggling to keep his eyes open.
"Great idea, Ron!" Harry whispered. "I'll be the man she wants, and then she'll dump Malfoy! Now, how do you think I should do that?"
"Yes, I want to buy lots of your telephone soup!" Ron exclaimed. Now he was really out of it.
Harry sighed. "Go back to bed, Ron. Please..." That's all Harry needed to say, for Ron just fell back onto his pillow, and easily fell into a deep sleep again.
Then Harry, with his mind buzzing, went to bed also.
________________________________________________________
Across the Hogwarts castle near the Slytherin portrait hole, a tiny light in the men's room flickered. The men's room was always dark, but it was almost absolute pitch black at 3 AM. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle cautiously approached a figure in a trenchcoat leaning against the far wall of the bathroom.
"Okay, so we're here. What do you want?" Draco Malfoy said, annoyed.
The figure spoke up in a deep, raspy voice that was almost a whisper. "Remember the agreement? Five feet. You can't get any closer than that."
Goyle looked a Malfoy and grinned. Goyle took one big step, which was normal for him, and the figure jumped 3 feet in the air, letting out a high pitched scream. "Don't... don't do that!" Trenchcoat Man said when he had caught his breath.
The words couldn't pierce through Crabbe and Goyle's idiotic guffawing. The man re-gathered himself.
"How interested are you in a Miss...Cho Chang?" He said slowly to Malfoy.
"Eh, she's okay," said Malfoy nonchalantly.
"Hehehe! He's got a secret shrine for Cho under his bed! He talks about her all the time, and likes to knock on her dormitory door and then vanish, and he likes to---" Crabbe's babbling was cut off by a sharp jab from Malfoy's elbow.
He's in love," said Goyle wistfully.
"Ah, so Malfoy has a thing for Cho...and I happen to know she has a thing for him, too." The faintest smile played on the man's lips as he spoke.
"I also know that a Mr. Potter adores her equally as much..." Malfoy grew angry. He was NOT going to let Harry get the love of his life! He'd stop picking on Harry, even let Harry do some of the teasing, well, sometimes, as long as it wasn't too bad...but that wasn't the point!
"Who are you anyway?" Malfoy asked.
The stranger in the coat was taken by surprise. "I'm, er, the hooded bandit of truth..."
Malfoy ran up to him and tore the coat away, revealing the translucent form of...Rob!
"Ew! Get away! Get away demon child!" Rob pressed up against the wall while making the cross, or evil sign, with his fingers.
"Hey! You're Ravenclaw's ghost! The one who's afraid of us!''
"Um...the hooded bandit of truth goes by many names..."
Rob's eyes shifted and beads of sweat formed on his brow. "I must flee!" He cried, and exploded into a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared, he had disappeared into the night.
