-It's time for some action! Qui… er… um…you will see.

Chapter21- Mysterious Night

"Harry? What's wrong!," Hermione asked at the sight of Harry's frustration.

"My- My scar hurts…" Harry replied hoping that Hermione wouldn't worry too much.

"Harry,that's serious, I could try to charm it maybe… Do you want…"

"No, it's ok." Harry interrupted still wanting the horrible pain to go away.

"It's a sign of trouble, don't make it stop." Harry protested seeing Hermione put back her wand.

"Should we wake Ron?" Hermione questioned as Harry let go of his forehead.

"No… but if you want to…," Harry began "Just wait here… I have to get something." Harry said beginning to hustle up the stairs.

In a matter of seconds Harry had come back down the stairs to show Hermione a blank piece of paper. Holding it closer Hermione could see words appear that wrote 'The Marauder's Map'.

"look." Harry whispered.

Hermione saw it to and immediately looked absolutely terrified.

"There are… two, no, THREE Malfoys!," Hermione whispered trying to control her fear. "How could that be possible."

Harry spoke up. "One in Snapes office, another one in the dungeons, and…"

"Oh!" Hermione bursted out. "Look! One just outside our portrait."

Both Harry and Hermione's slight feeling of shock turned to a confusing matter.

Finally Hermione spoke up. "Look, Draco's heading back, maybe we could follow him."

"Come with me…" Harry said motioning her forward. "I'll get my dads cloak out"

Soon Harry and Hermione were snuggled close together in the cloak, which was rather tightly cramped, and were heading out the portrait to follow Malfoy.

"Ron can stay asleep. I don't want to worry him and we don't have any more room in this cloak." Harry explained swinging open the portrait to the hall.

"Let's go"

The two followed the trail on the map until they could see Draco walking ahead of them nearly fifteen feet ahead.

Hermione was holding the map and Harry was leading them to the right direction.

Hermione whispered softly "I don't know what he's after."

Harry stayed quiet, as did Hermione until they followed Malfoy who walked in the direction of Snape's office. Malfoy opened the door and began to have a discussion with Snape.

"Severus! I haven't found him all night! We need his map!"

"WHAT WE NEED!" Snape shouted. "IS A DECENT STUDENT WHO CAN FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS!" Snape bellowed so hard that he nearly blew open the door that Harry and Hermione had recently sneaked through.

Watching closely behind an old desk inside his office, Harry and Hermione listened as Snape spoke again, this time slightly calmer.

"Where are the clones! I told the clones to be here at exactly twelve O'clock midnight! Why did Voldemort choose such stupid student to carry out his orders! Why did he choose you to be his clones! Why didn't he just kill Potter when he had the chance."

Harry and Hermione stood frozen with fear for several reasons.

They knew Snape wasn't supposed to be at Hogwarts, They couldn't believe that Snape had clones of Malfoy, and both of them(Malfoy and Snape) seemed to be completely delirious.

Harry knew he had to speak to Dumbledore but he couldn't move his legs. Just then the door swung open as two of the Malfoy clones entered the room.

Snape was delirious.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN! WHERE'S POTTER! I TOLD YOU TO CPTURE HIM AND BRING HIM TO MY OFFICE!"

Hermione was trying to control her tears as Harry held her closer. They seemed to notice something else. Something they hadn't seen before. Snape was a ghost! Harry could see through him and look at the desk behind Snape as he howled with rage.

Harry and Hermione made their way to the door, creaked it open, and ran out fast before Snape could see them.

Darting like a falcon, the two bolted up the steps and into the portrait hole and into the commonroom.

"I think I'm going to be sick…" Hermione said taking deep breathes. "THERE ARE CLONES OF MALFOY! Snape is a mad ghost! Oh Harry!" Hermione wailed looking up at Harry. "There after you! Why does everything always happen to you! We have to tell Dumbledore!"

Harry spoke before Hermione could finish. " Not tonight, if Snape finds me… but he's a ghost! How on Earth did he become a ghost! And how are they, I mean, Vol-uh, You-Know-Who… He made clones of Malfoy! He…He's controlling him! Voldemort is using Malfoy, but this time he's actually controlling somebody." Harry spat trying to sit down.

Both students seemed shocked and confused at the same time.

"ok." Hermione said. "This is about Voldemort."

Harry looked up. "You said his name?"

"Look Harry! This is serious! Voldemort is controlling Malfoy. Dumbledore said that Snape poisoned Malfoy, so Voldemort must be controlling Snape, who is trying to clone Malfoy and control him"

Harry interrupted. "I don't know whats going on here."

"Voldemort can't get in the school, so Snape had to be the one making clones. The question is, how and why did Snape do this."

Harry said trying to make sense of it all.

"Somehow Voldemort is controlling Snape. And somehow Snape had been murdered. Now he's a ghost…" Said Hermione as she let out a loud yawn. "I'm going to bed, all this stuff is freaking me out."

"Shouldn't we tell Dumbledore." Harry questioned

"No!" Hermione protested. "If we get caught then who knows what punishment we'll face!" Hermione continued "Tomorrow, okay?"

"Right… Goodnight…"

"Night"