Chapter Nineteen

In the Library

Harry was stunned, How could Karakoff be here? He wondered to himself. Didn't he disappear at the end of last term? Well, there was nothing else for him to do, so he sat down in the chair in front of Dumbledore's desk and waited.

After about half an hour the professors returned. All three looked discouraged and dismayed. Harry quickly threw the map back on the desk.

"As you know, Harry, Karakoff was in the Forbidden Forest." Dumbledore said with a twinkle that meant he knew Harry had seen the map.

I'm sorry sir, you left so suddenly. I wasn't..."

"It's quite alright. However, by the time he had gotten there, he had vanished."

Suddenly, for once, Hermione's voice popped into Harry's head.

"But sir, you can't apparate or disapparate on school grounds."

"I am well aware of this."

"So, where did he go?"

"I do not know, Harry. I do not know."

"And why is it such a big deal that he was here?"

"Because, Harry, he is , we think, working for Lord Voldemort. If he some how got a hold of you, well, you can figure out what would happen."

"I see, sir."

"Well, Harry, it's just about time for lunch, I suggest you head down to the Great Hall."

"Yes, sir."

"And, Harry."

"Yes."

"Do take care of yourself."

When he got to the Great Hall, he found Ron and Hermione and told them what had transpired that morning.

"So Karakoff was in the forest?" Ron said. "Now can you tell us your theory?"

"Yes, Ron," Hermione said. ":I think that Karakoff may have been taking the Polyjuice Potion to become whoever was Professor Salia is and trying to get Harry."

"What do you mean, get him?"

"Well, Karakoff was a Death Eater. So I think that he is trying to rake Harry to You-Know-Who to try to redeem himself."

"What!?" Ron and Harry said in unison.

"Remember how lost year he ran off after the Dark Mark came back on his arm? He fled You-Know-Who, so now he'd have to redeem himself to go back."

"And you think he will? Harry asked her worriedly.

"That's what it looks like to me."

"Well then, with the Marauder's Map in Dumbledore's Office how are we supposed to know who Karakoff is bieng?" I mean, He could be any one of you for all I know."

"You're right, Harry," Ron told him.

"I don't know, I guess you'll just have to follow your instincts," Hermione told him, then left, presumably for the library.

After he and Ron had finished their lunch, Harry decided that they should see if Hermione was still in the library, and what she was up to.

They found her at a cornier table filled with stacks upon stacks of books.

"What are all of these books for?" Ron asked her.

"I am trying to find out how you can tell if a person is using the Polyjuice Potion." she said, rather annoyed with his question.

"We could always leave you know."

"No, don't be silly, Ron."

"Would you like us to help you, Hermione?" Harry asked her. "We could look through some books if you wanted."

"That would be great, Harry. I've already looked through these two piles. So you two can look through those, but let me know which stack you're reading so I don't look through the same ones again," Hermione said, returning to her book.

Stack after stack of books were gone through until Madame Pince shooed them out.

"Well, that was an extremely enlightening session," Ron sarcastically said. "All we found out was that people who have taken the Polyjuice Potion act and talk differently than they normally would. Fat load of help."

"Well, actually, it could be of some help," Hermione told him in the lecture-like tone she usually used. :If you know the person well enough to know their habits and speaking pattern."

"hey, Harry, no one could ever fool us by turning into Hermione because she's the only person in the world who can quote Hogwarts: A History!"

"That's not funny, Ron," she said quickly, turned her back, an huffily walked towards Gryffindor Tower.

"I was only joking," Ron told Harry as they reluctantly followed.

Around nine o'clock in the evening, a few days later, Ron asked Harry, "Hey, where's the Marauder's Map? I could really do with some Honeydukes right about now."

"Dumbledore has it, remember?" Harry told him. "Besides, the shop is probably closed.

As if out of thin air, Collin Creevy appeared in front of Harry.

"Harry, Professor Lupin need to see you in the Entrance Hall tight away."

"Wonder what he need?" Ron said to Harry as they both walked toward the portrait hole.

"Thanks Collin," Harry yelled over his shoulder. "See you in a bit then," he said , now looking at Ron, and he climbed out of the Common Room.

He walked at a fairly normal pace to the Entrance Hall. He figured it would be a routine visit. Never did the thought of danger cross his mind.

It should have.