Ethan Frome

Web of Darkness

Chapter Four:

"Er...see, Professor—" Harry stammered nervously.

"Headmaster," Snape cut in smoothly, standing cross-armed in front of the trio, Invisibility Cloak crumpled in a small heap on the floor.

"Headmaster Snape," Harry corrected quickly, heart beating faster. "This might look kind of strange...but erm...we...uh...see, the real reason...er...uh..." He frantically racked his mind for an alibi, but failed to pull up an excuse.

"Yes, this does look a bit suspicious. Pray might I ask what you were doing?" Snape asked again, in mock-kindness. The three remained silent. Snape's wide sneer widened even further. "That's it for you, Potter. So many nighttime wanderings, and with Dumbledore here, you always managed to escape. You'll leave in one weeks time, on the Hogwarts Express. Good day. Or night."

Harry's jaw dropped open in disbelief. Did I just get expelled? He wondered stiffly.

Ron and Hermione's reactions were quite similar. "What???" they both said indignantly at the same time. Ron was turning a brilliant shade of purple, while Hermione's face continued to pale.

"How about us? You can't just expel Harry!" Ron burst out, body rigid at the injustice of it all.

"Potter here is the ringleader of this all, and it proves right that he should be the one to take on all the consequences," Snape said smoothly, black eyes glinting with triumph. "I suggest you get packing, Harry."

Harry tried to move, but his legs seemed glued to the stone floor. "B-but—H-Headmaster!" he stammered desperately, mind whirring.

"Yes Potter?" Snape said greasily, his cold, black eyes glittering maliciously.

Taking one look into those eyes, Harry knew it was hopeless. He dropped blazing gaze to the floor behind Snape and shoved past him, leaving Ron and Hermione behind, red-faced and speechless.

"I can't believe you, you slimeball!" Ron shouted furiously at Snape before stalking after Harry. Hermione only emitted a small squeak, staring fearfully at the temporary Headmaster before running to catch up with her two best friends.

Behind them, standing stark still in the lone hallway, Snape allowed a grim smile to spread across his sallow face. "Good-bye Potter."

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"Huh-wha??" A sleepy Neville pulled aside his velvety curtain as Seamus and Dean rolled loudly off their beds.

Furious as Harry was, he couldn't help a small smile as, one by one, his roommates were called awake by Ron's loud rants and bangs.

"Calm down, Ron. You're waking everyone up," Harry stated quite unnecessarily, a bemused look in his now dull green eyes.

"That Snape—I could just rip his head off and—" Ron punched at a certain invisible something in midair, causing Neville to leap backwards in shock.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked, sitting up as he rubbed sleep away from his clouded eyes.

"Noth-" Harry began, but was quickly interrupted by Ron.

"Snape expelled Harry for catching him out of bed at night," Ron said, barely able to keep his voice in check.

All three of Harry's roommates, sleepy as they were, jumped to their feet in protest.

"That git EXPELLED Harry?" Seamus said incredulously. "Why I should..."
Harry sighed quietly and fell back onto his bed, listening gratefully as his dorm mates began coming up with 'brilliant' ideas to get him unexpelled. After an unfruitful ten or so minutes of this, he sat up slowly.

"Thanks for trying to help, but I don't think anything's going to work with Snape..." Harry trailed off, thinking. Amid the commotion, he made eye contact with Ron and mouthed silently 'I'm going to find Dumbledore'.

Ron stood, looking confused, for a few seconds before what Harry said dawned on him. Looking as though he'd rather jump off a bridge, he nodded.

Then, a grim air of doom to his face, Harry slowly drew his curtains and turned off his bedside lamp. As he watched the flickering shadows that the dying lamp threw on his curtain, his thoughts turned to where he would look to find Dumbledore. Mentally, he began drawing up a list for himself—things to bring, things to beware of—.

I'll need my Firebolt, that's for certain—and my Invisibility Cloak...And Hedwig'll fly behind me...Harry sighed in anticipation of tomorrow's events before slowly drifting off to sleep. And dreamed a strange dream.

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Dumbledore sat bound, gagged, and wandless on a spindly chair. Suddenly, he lift his tired head and stared straight at Harry, blue eyes a torrent of emotion and sorrow. "Harry! You must come and find me—destroy and Orb, its monsters, and the ultimate monster, Voldemort—it is your destiny! IT IS YOUR DESTINY!"

Abruptly, Dumbledore's voice changed into a harsher, colder, very un-Dumbledore-like sound. His blue eyes slowly morphed until they were bloody red, and his wrinkled fingers began lengthening until they turned into sharp, curving claws.

Harry unconciously squeezed his eyes shut as his old Headmaster's face began wavering...changing...he dared not look at the new monster seated in front of him...For monster it was, Harry was certain, when he heard the deep growl issuing from its throat...a growl that surrounded him—wrapped him in all its viciousness...

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"No!" Harry screamed, sitting bolt upright in his bed, sweat dribbling down his face and back.

Breathing heavily, he reached a shaky hand to draw his curtains aside, intent on pouring himself a glass of water to calm down. His velvety curtain shook slightly. Paying no attention, Harry eased himself off his bed—turned his head around—and came face-to-face with a growling, snarling monster. Half-griffen and half-lion, it eyed Harry with two clever, shrewd, and cruel eyes. A high pitched cackle rang out, and the creature raised a bloody claw and prepared to strike...

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"No!" Harry sat up again, this time for real. Panting, he peeked fearfully behind his curtain, half-expecting to see something abnormal. Nothing. "I hate double-dreams," he muttered balefully, heaving a sigh and flopping back down on his pillow. Feathers flew up into the air. To amuse himself, Harry spent the next few moments in blowing at the feathers to keep them from settling on his face, all the while pondering the meaning of his dream.

After all the downy feathers had stopped floating through the air, Harry slid smoothly from the bed and made his way to the windows. Cautiously, he peered down at the frosted grounds below. The sun had just begun rising over the horizon, tinting the sky pinkish-orange. Rays of warm, buttery yellow skimmed the treetops of the Forbidden Forest; a light breeze playfully swatted at the grass and bushes.

"Must've been something I ate..." Harry mused, referring to his dream. "Yeah..."

From the direction of Ron's bed, a loud thump sounded, as if a body part had connected with a bedpost, and then a pained, "OUCH!"

Obviously, Ron has awakened. Harry raised an eyebrow as a disgruntled and dismantled looking Ron stood up shakily. He cast a deadly look at Harry (who almost burst out laughing at the sight of Ron's sleepy face), as if daring him to say anything. With a grunt, he strode—no, limped—over to the bathroom.

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A/N: If you have read all the way down here, please review! I haven't gotten one for my last...lemme think...five chapter uploads. I don't know if it's because my computers not loading right, or if ffn if malfunctioning...