*Chapter Eight*
Hogwarts' Wanderers
"Oh, hello there. So, this is the real Harry Potter. I'm glad to finally meet you in person, Harry," It was a man's voice, but it wasn't Professor Flamel's. The figure stepped out from the shadows with a clunking sound. Harry gasped. "P- Professor Moody! I'm glad t-to meet you too," Harry said, stuttering. He sounded like Professor Quirrell. "Now, don't be afraid Harry. The Alastor Moody that you met was not the real me. Remember that," Professor Moody said. "Y-yes sir," Harry managed to say. He still recalled his fourth year when someone had posed as Professor Moody. "I can see why you're still frightened by me. First impressions really do count. Even if it wasn't the real person," Professor Moody said sadly. "I'd take it all back if I could," he said, looking up at the ceiling. He was apparently trying to recall the worst moments of his life; the times that he had made bad choices and other bad impressions for people.
"You're a good boy, Harry. You live a good life. You should keep it that way. Don't make bad choices like me," Professor Moody said with a twinkle in his magical eye. It was such a twinkle like Dumbledore's that Harry almost thought that he was talking to Dumbledore himself. "Now what can I do for you, Harry?" he said. "I was looking for Professor Flamel, but I think I should get to bed before I fall asleep in class again. I have the most terrifying and confusing dreams I've ever had…" As Harry said this, a stern look came upon Professor Moody's face. "Yes, yes. You should go. Go ahead," Professor Moody said. Harry walked out the door and towards the Gryffindor tower. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see Professor Moody creep around the corner to the Great Hall. Where is he going? Midnight snack? Harry asked himself. Harry, curious, decided to follow Professor Moody into the Great Hall.
As Harry approached the Great Hall, he could hear whispers coming from the Great Hall. He managed to hear a few words of the conversation. Professor Flamel and Professor Moody's voice came out nice and clear.
"He was looking for you,"
"I'll talk to him tomorrow. What did he say?"
"He said that he keeps falling asleep in class,"
"So maybe he's tired…"
"He also said he had the most terrifying dreams he'd ever had."
"Are you sure it wasn't a joke?"
"Why would he joke?"
"I don't know, but its possible."
"I'm not sure if it was a joke, but we can't take a chance,"
"Okay. Tomorrow I'll ask him if he has any dreams,"
"Good. We have to take care of this quickly. I'll tell Sirius tomorrow. He can help,"
"What about Avias? Shouldn't he know about this?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure if he's trustworthy enough or not. Don't you get this mysterious vibe off of him?"
"Vibe?"
"Er- nevermind…"
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow,"
"Same place, same time?"
"Of course"
"Bye."
Harry started to back out when someone said his name. "Hello Harry. Sneaking around Hogwarts? This is going to be a great story for the Headmaster," "Peeves!" Harry said quietly but angrily. Harry backed away from Peeves and right into the Great Hall. Harry gasped quietly. "What was that?" Professor Moody said. Somebody grabbed Harry from behind. Harry started to scream, but thought better of it. "Shhhhh..." the person from behind Harry said. He turned Harry around so that Harry could see the person's face. Harry gasped again. Then he sighed. "Sirius?" Harry asked. "Do not tell anyone about tonight's conversation. Not even Ron or Hermione," Sirius said quietly. "Now lets get back to the Gryffindor Common Room," he said. Harry nodded slowly. They were heading up when somebody yelled, "Hogwarts wanderers! Hogwarts wanderers!" The people inside the Great Hall, abruptly stopped. "Who are they?"
"Peeves, stop,"
"Oh my- You're Sirius Black! Wait till everyone hears about this!"
"Peeves. I'm warning you. I'll tell the Bloody Baron," Sirius said.
"And I'm a witness," Harry added, backing Sirius up.
"You won't tell." Peeves said.
"Oh, won't I?" Sirius asked.
"Who are they?" someone asked again.
Peeves shut up. "Not! Ha ha... I fooled you. No Hogwarts wanderers tonight!" Peeves said toward the Great Hall. To Sirius and Harry he said, "Party poopers," He floated away through a wall with his nose toward the ceiling. "Thanks," Harry said to Sirius as they headed toward the Gryffindor tower once more. Climbing up the stairs, Sirius stopped in his tracks. "Wait," he said as he turned into a dog. "I'll be less suspicious this w-lghkhjgh," Sirius said as his mouth turned from a human's into a dog's. "Let's hurry before they come out." Harry whispered. They arrived at the fat lady's painting. Fortunately, the fat lady had gone off on a midnight stroll (which she wasn't supposed to do). They tipped open the painting and Sirius and Harry entered the Common room. "God night, Sirius." Harry whispered. The other boys were asleep already. "Good night, Harry." Harry ran straight for his bed and fell asleep with wondrous dreams and Sirius lying beside the bed with the Invisibility Cloak covering him. There was a faint clunking sound in the night. No one knew about that wandering and secret night except Sirius, Peeves, Harry, Professor Flamel, and Professor Moody. Them and a dark figure that was silently cast in a shadow against the wall...a woman's dark figure…
Hogwarts' Wanderers
"Oh, hello there. So, this is the real Harry Potter. I'm glad to finally meet you in person, Harry," It was a man's voice, but it wasn't Professor Flamel's. The figure stepped out from the shadows with a clunking sound. Harry gasped. "P- Professor Moody! I'm glad t-to meet you too," Harry said, stuttering. He sounded like Professor Quirrell. "Now, don't be afraid Harry. The Alastor Moody that you met was not the real me. Remember that," Professor Moody said. "Y-yes sir," Harry managed to say. He still recalled his fourth year when someone had posed as Professor Moody. "I can see why you're still frightened by me. First impressions really do count. Even if it wasn't the real person," Professor Moody said sadly. "I'd take it all back if I could," he said, looking up at the ceiling. He was apparently trying to recall the worst moments of his life; the times that he had made bad choices and other bad impressions for people.
"You're a good boy, Harry. You live a good life. You should keep it that way. Don't make bad choices like me," Professor Moody said with a twinkle in his magical eye. It was such a twinkle like Dumbledore's that Harry almost thought that he was talking to Dumbledore himself. "Now what can I do for you, Harry?" he said. "I was looking for Professor Flamel, but I think I should get to bed before I fall asleep in class again. I have the most terrifying and confusing dreams I've ever had…" As Harry said this, a stern look came upon Professor Moody's face. "Yes, yes. You should go. Go ahead," Professor Moody said. Harry walked out the door and towards the Gryffindor tower. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see Professor Moody creep around the corner to the Great Hall. Where is he going? Midnight snack? Harry asked himself. Harry, curious, decided to follow Professor Moody into the Great Hall.
As Harry approached the Great Hall, he could hear whispers coming from the Great Hall. He managed to hear a few words of the conversation. Professor Flamel and Professor Moody's voice came out nice and clear.
"He was looking for you,"
"I'll talk to him tomorrow. What did he say?"
"He said that he keeps falling asleep in class,"
"So maybe he's tired…"
"He also said he had the most terrifying dreams he'd ever had."
"Are you sure it wasn't a joke?"
"Why would he joke?"
"I don't know, but its possible."
"I'm not sure if it was a joke, but we can't take a chance,"
"Okay. Tomorrow I'll ask him if he has any dreams,"
"Good. We have to take care of this quickly. I'll tell Sirius tomorrow. He can help,"
"What about Avias? Shouldn't he know about this?"
"I don't know. I'm not sure if he's trustworthy enough or not. Don't you get this mysterious vibe off of him?"
"Vibe?"
"Er- nevermind…"
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow,"
"Same place, same time?"
"Of course"
"Bye."
Harry started to back out when someone said his name. "Hello Harry. Sneaking around Hogwarts? This is going to be a great story for the Headmaster," "Peeves!" Harry said quietly but angrily. Harry backed away from Peeves and right into the Great Hall. Harry gasped quietly. "What was that?" Professor Moody said. Somebody grabbed Harry from behind. Harry started to scream, but thought better of it. "Shhhhh..." the person from behind Harry said. He turned Harry around so that Harry could see the person's face. Harry gasped again. Then he sighed. "Sirius?" Harry asked. "Do not tell anyone about tonight's conversation. Not even Ron or Hermione," Sirius said quietly. "Now lets get back to the Gryffindor Common Room," he said. Harry nodded slowly. They were heading up when somebody yelled, "Hogwarts wanderers! Hogwarts wanderers!" The people inside the Great Hall, abruptly stopped. "Who are they?"
"Peeves, stop,"
"Oh my- You're Sirius Black! Wait till everyone hears about this!"
"Peeves. I'm warning you. I'll tell the Bloody Baron," Sirius said.
"And I'm a witness," Harry added, backing Sirius up.
"You won't tell." Peeves said.
"Oh, won't I?" Sirius asked.
"Who are they?" someone asked again.
Peeves shut up. "Not! Ha ha... I fooled you. No Hogwarts wanderers tonight!" Peeves said toward the Great Hall. To Sirius and Harry he said, "Party poopers," He floated away through a wall with his nose toward the ceiling. "Thanks," Harry said to Sirius as they headed toward the Gryffindor tower once more. Climbing up the stairs, Sirius stopped in his tracks. "Wait," he said as he turned into a dog. "I'll be less suspicious this w-lghkhjgh," Sirius said as his mouth turned from a human's into a dog's. "Let's hurry before they come out." Harry whispered. They arrived at the fat lady's painting. Fortunately, the fat lady had gone off on a midnight stroll (which she wasn't supposed to do). They tipped open the painting and Sirius and Harry entered the Common room. "God night, Sirius." Harry whispered. The other boys were asleep already. "Good night, Harry." Harry ran straight for his bed and fell asleep with wondrous dreams and Sirius lying beside the bed with the Invisibility Cloak covering him. There was a faint clunking sound in the night. No one knew about that wandering and secret night except Sirius, Peeves, Harry, Professor Flamel, and Professor Moody. Them and a dark figure that was silently cast in a shadow against the wall...a woman's dark figure…