Chapter 10 – Animal Crackers

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The two boys crept cautiously through the moonlit halls of Hogwarts towards Professor Myfanwy's office.  Inside the Map reported Severus Snape and Rowan Myfanwy.  The dots labeled for Filch and Mrs. Norris skulked along the corridors near the Astronomy Tower and Peeves was busily pulling up carpet on a stairwell three floors down.  "We can't hear them!"  Ron protested quietly, pointing at the closed door of Myfanwy's office where they heard only faint voice‑sounds.  Harry nodded agreement and he pulled out his wand, noting that they should have brought Hermione along to charm the door.

The two froze as a soft scraping inside the office drew their attention and halted the voices.  The door opened slightly allowing the supple dark form of Orion to slither out.  Harry and Ron dived for the door before it latched and caught it, managing to slip inside without being noticed by the two Professors.  The boys moved carefully and silently, wedging themselves back between Myfanwy's worktable and storage cabinet.

Professor Myfanwy apologized for the interruption and took a seat in the large chair behind her desk, facing Snape.  She suddenly seemed to note the rather haggard appearance of her companion and instantly pulled out her wand.

"What are you doing?"  Snape demanded irritably.

"I've eaten and you have not."  She explained calmly, quickly summoning a plate of sandwiches and a goblet of chilled pumpkin juice.  She glanced at him critically.  "And it doesn't appear that you've been taking very good care of yourself.  It won't do for you to collapse in that armchair out of sheer stupidity.  So eat."

Snape grunted something condescending that sounded like "mediwizards!" but obediently served himself and began eating.

"Are you sure of your discovery, Severus?"  Myfanwy asked, pocketing her wand and thoughtfully picking up a slender sugar quill from her desk.

"Yes, Rowan."  He snapped back.  "The Dark Lord is attempting to summon an army of magical creature and, I might add, with some limited success."

"But he hasn't succeeded yet and that's something."  She sighed, shaking her head and standing fluidly.  "We can't allow Voldemort that sort of control."  She noted, pacing across the short distance between her desk and the fireplace.  "We're having a hard enough time fighting the Ministry and the Death Eaters."  Beside him, Harry felt Ron wince at the mention of Voldemort.  Harry's eyes widened.  Professor Myfanwy, he realized knew about the Amulet of Achidnae earlier.  How much more did she and or even Snape know?  "How much progress has been made?"

"You are supposed to be the expert on the Dark Arts here, Rowan."  Snape returned mockingly.

Myfanwy shot him a chilly glare.  "You, Severus, exceed me in all the practical aspects of evil."

Amazingly, a slight flush of color stained Snape's sallow face momentarily at her barb.  "I meant that your knowledge of arcane objects and curses gives you better insight on whether the Dark Lord will succeed in duplicating the effects of the Amulet of Achidnae."

Professor Myfanwy didn't say anything for several long minutes.  "I don't fully understand how it works."  She admitted.  "As it turned out Merlin didn't hold the answer to curing lycanthropy and I abandoned study of those 'arcane objects' as you put it years ago."

"You're wasting time and brilliance on creatures that do not deserve it."  Snape growled sourly.

"Thank you for the compliment.  However, Remus Lupin is one of my closest and oldest friends."  Rowan said, quiet warning creeping into her voice.

"And a monster that nearly killed me, in case you have forgotten!"  Snape snapped back.  Professor Myfanwy sighed, shaking her head in resignation.

"Just because you were foolish enough to take the bait . . ." She began.  Snape cut her off irritably, obviously not willing to let it lie.

"And you, Rowan Myfanwy, were so besotted by Sirius Black that you couldn't . . . " There was a sharp crack as Rowan slapped Snape across the face.  Her face was white and she was shaking with fury, her fists were clenched at her sides.

"Never speak that way around me, Severus Snape.  Ever!  I paid dearly for that schoolgirl crush!"

Harry quickly clapped a hand over Ron's mouth, muffling the startled cheer that threatened to escape while the two exchanged looks of amazement.  Had Myfanwy really slapped Snape?  Harry found himself wishing he'd brought Colin Creevey's camera along.  The look on Snape's pointy face was priceless!

Even Rune - Professor Myfanwy's newly christened snake - glared balefully at the Potions Master.  Harry smiled grimly as he caught the topic of the subdued hissing coming from the three heads in their glass house.  They seemed to be discussing the best way to deal with the situation.  Head One wanted to bite the odious human while Head Three intended to forgive and forget after all, it argued, it was just a Human couldn't really mean that.  And Head One returned that he most certainly did!  Head Two was attempting to agree with both and couldn't make up its mind.  Runespoors, Harry decided, must not get much done; they seemed to be of three minds over everything.

Snape opened his mouth once to say something before apparently deciding against it and striding from the room in an injured huff.  Professor Myfanwy growled something uncomplimentary under her breath before grabbing her cloak and stalking out as well.

Harry pulled the invisibility cloak off him and Ron and slumped into a nearby armchair.  Ron quickly claimed the other.  Ron suddenly straightened a bit as a thought about the conversation struck him.

"Hey Harry?  Has Snuffles ever mentioned that Myfanwy used to fancy him?"  He asked curiously, finding the idea very odd indeed.  Harry thought about it and shook his head.

"He's never really mentioned her at all, but she knows Lupin, doesn't she? And according to Snuffles 'used to fancy him' describes most of the female population of England."  Harry pointed out.

The slight scrape of the door, startled Harry and Ron and they turned to see the wide lamp-like yellow eyes of Mrs. Norris staring at them accusingly.  With a lightning-quick scrabble, the skeletal cat disappeared out the door.

Harry and Ron surged to their feet as Mrs. Norris disappeared.  Mrs. Norris blazing off meant Filch wasn't long in arriving.  Harry immediately tossed the invisibility cloak around their shoulders and they rushed out of Professor Myfanwy's office.

They turned a corner, heading for Gryffindor Tower and ran headlong into another pair of wandering students.  Harry reached out instinctively to stop their fall and grabbed a fistful of black robes.

"Hermione!"  Ron exclaimed, whipping off the invisibility cloak and scrambling to his feet.  He leaned over to help Hermione back to her feet and then Harry noticed whose robes he had a hold of.

Ginny reached up, removed Harry's fist from the front of her robes and quickly smoothed them out, almost hiding the blush that crept stealthily over her cheeks.  "What are you two doing here?"  Harry demanded quietly, watching nervously for any sign or sound of Filch, Snape or Myfanwy.

"Looking for you!"  Ginny hissed back while Hermione answered,

"Following Ginny!"

Harry rolled his eyes and quickly shoved the invisibility cloak into Hermione's hands.  "Hermione, Filch is going to be here any second.  And if you get caught you'll be in a lot more trouble than the rest of us.  Get back to Gryffindor Tower!"

Hermione started to protest but Ron cut her off, casting a worried glance behind him.  "Harry's right.  Let's get out of here before someone catches us!"

"Too late!"  A sickeningly familiar voice cackled close by.

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