Ron had asked Harry to borrow the invisibility cloak for that night. Julie was afraid that he would have a hard time getting it without telling Harry the truth.
Surprisingly, he was back with it quite soon. "What did you tell him?" asked Julie.
"Oh, not much," said Ron in an offhand sort of voice. "I couldn't really think of anything to tell him, so I just told him that you and I wanted to sneak up to the astronomy tower and, you know... do a little making out. And we needed the cloak because you were so in fear of getting caught and ruining your chances of becoming a prefect."
"Ron!" cried Julie, then laughed. "All right, let's get a move on. I see Smogen... or is it Negoms?, packing up his stuff on the quidditch field."
Ron sighed. "He's probably just going to his room to get a good night's sleep. Honestly, Julie, must there always be a mystery? And if he is a death eater, this could be very dangerous! I think we should just go back to the common room. Or we could go up to the Astronomy tower..."
"Don't be such a chicken," said Julie. "I mean, you're fifteen years old, surely you're ready for a little excitement? And look, he's not heading towards the school... he's going into the forbidden forest!"
"I'm not going in there, I'm not going in there," Ron muttered under his breath. But it was too late. Julie had already grabbed his hand, and was dragging him under the invisibility cloak towards the woods.
They followed Smogen for awhile, not really getting anywhere in particular. Once, Ron had stepped on a twig and it had made a loud cracking sound. Julie was sure that Smogen must have heard and would whirl around and capture them, but he didn't do anything. It seemed like he didn't even hear it.
Finally he stopped. They stopped walking, too. He stood there, just listening or something for awhile. Suddenly, and without warning, he lunged at them and snatched the cloak away.
Julie gasped. Ron shrieked. And Smogen laughed. A chilling laugh. "So, I've got you captured, have I?" he asked them. They just stared at him.
Then Julie realized what she should be doing. She whipped out her wand and cried, "I won't let you get away with this!"
But Smogen was too quick for them. With one "expelliarmus!" he had both Julie and Ron's wands in his hands.
Then he turned to Julie and sneered. "Don't try and play the part of a heroine, little girl," he told her. "Your real hero and 'rescuer' will come soon enough."
"What do you mean?" growled Ron.
"I should think that would be obvious!" exclaimed Professor Smogen. "Who is always the hero in our world? Who has saved this school from so much 'evil?' Who has been challenged by Lord Voldemort himself?"
"Harry!" gasped Julie.
"That's right. Famous little Harry Potter, hero of the wizard world. But I shall soon be able to present him to my master!"
"What are you talking about?" asked Ron. "Harry is going to come and save us, and defeat you, like he always does!"
"How can he, Ron?" cried Julie in dispair. "He doesn't have any idea where we are! He thinks we're up in the Astronomy tower! Even I don't know where we are!"
"Ahh, but I do. Don't you see?" Smogen cried gleefully, "This was a trap! It was all a trap! You are my bait to Harry Potter!"
Julie said one word. "How?"
Smogen smiled. An ugly, cold smile. "Simple. I wrote a note to him and sent it by owl, just before I came here. I signed it from you two, saying you were trapped in the Forbidden Forest and gave him the exact location. I knew you two would come. You, girl," he rounded on Julie. "I knew you'd figured out my secret. After you left the Quidditch game, you'd left a picture lying on the bleachers. I picked it up and saw it was my old self- Henry Negoms. It was then that I knew you'd figured me out. And I knew you'd come."
"But-" started Julie.
"Wait," Smogen interrupted her. "I will tell you everything. I'm sure you're dying to know about my past and what happened. And you will find out. I will tell you my story, while we wait for your precious Harry Potter to arrive."
************************************************************************
A/N: I had fun writing this chapter! The story is almost finished. I've been trying to write this story as an action/adventure more than a romance, like most of my other stories are. Funny, but this one isn't nearly as successful. Anyway, it should be finished up soon.
Thanks to all reviewers, and if you haven't already... please review!
Surprisingly, he was back with it quite soon. "What did you tell him?" asked Julie.
"Oh, not much," said Ron in an offhand sort of voice. "I couldn't really think of anything to tell him, so I just told him that you and I wanted to sneak up to the astronomy tower and, you know... do a little making out. And we needed the cloak because you were so in fear of getting caught and ruining your chances of becoming a prefect."
"Ron!" cried Julie, then laughed. "All right, let's get a move on. I see Smogen... or is it Negoms?, packing up his stuff on the quidditch field."
Ron sighed. "He's probably just going to his room to get a good night's sleep. Honestly, Julie, must there always be a mystery? And if he is a death eater, this could be very dangerous! I think we should just go back to the common room. Or we could go up to the Astronomy tower..."
"Don't be such a chicken," said Julie. "I mean, you're fifteen years old, surely you're ready for a little excitement? And look, he's not heading towards the school... he's going into the forbidden forest!"
"I'm not going in there, I'm not going in there," Ron muttered under his breath. But it was too late. Julie had already grabbed his hand, and was dragging him under the invisibility cloak towards the woods.
They followed Smogen for awhile, not really getting anywhere in particular. Once, Ron had stepped on a twig and it had made a loud cracking sound. Julie was sure that Smogen must have heard and would whirl around and capture them, but he didn't do anything. It seemed like he didn't even hear it.
Finally he stopped. They stopped walking, too. He stood there, just listening or something for awhile. Suddenly, and without warning, he lunged at them and snatched the cloak away.
Julie gasped. Ron shrieked. And Smogen laughed. A chilling laugh. "So, I've got you captured, have I?" he asked them. They just stared at him.
Then Julie realized what she should be doing. She whipped out her wand and cried, "I won't let you get away with this!"
But Smogen was too quick for them. With one "expelliarmus!" he had both Julie and Ron's wands in his hands.
Then he turned to Julie and sneered. "Don't try and play the part of a heroine, little girl," he told her. "Your real hero and 'rescuer' will come soon enough."
"What do you mean?" growled Ron.
"I should think that would be obvious!" exclaimed Professor Smogen. "Who is always the hero in our world? Who has saved this school from so much 'evil?' Who has been challenged by Lord Voldemort himself?"
"Harry!" gasped Julie.
"That's right. Famous little Harry Potter, hero of the wizard world. But I shall soon be able to present him to my master!"
"What are you talking about?" asked Ron. "Harry is going to come and save us, and defeat you, like he always does!"
"How can he, Ron?" cried Julie in dispair. "He doesn't have any idea where we are! He thinks we're up in the Astronomy tower! Even I don't know where we are!"
"Ahh, but I do. Don't you see?" Smogen cried gleefully, "This was a trap! It was all a trap! You are my bait to Harry Potter!"
Julie said one word. "How?"
Smogen smiled. An ugly, cold smile. "Simple. I wrote a note to him and sent it by owl, just before I came here. I signed it from you two, saying you were trapped in the Forbidden Forest and gave him the exact location. I knew you two would come. You, girl," he rounded on Julie. "I knew you'd figured out my secret. After you left the Quidditch game, you'd left a picture lying on the bleachers. I picked it up and saw it was my old self- Henry Negoms. It was then that I knew you'd figured me out. And I knew you'd come."
"But-" started Julie.
"Wait," Smogen interrupted her. "I will tell you everything. I'm sure you're dying to know about my past and what happened. And you will find out. I will tell you my story, while we wait for your precious Harry Potter to arrive."
************************************************************************
A/N: I had fun writing this chapter! The story is almost finished. I've been trying to write this story as an action/adventure more than a romance, like most of my other stories are. Funny, but this one isn't nearly as successful. Anyway, it should be finished up soon.
Thanks to all reviewers, and if you haven't already... please review!