Chapter 11 – Narrow Escapes

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"Students out of bed this late at night?"  Peeves leered gleefully, startling the foursome with his sudden appearance.  "Should tell Filch, I really should.  It's not safe for you to be out after dark in these dangerous times."

"No, Peeves please don't!"  Hermione begged, edging closer to Ron.  She cast an apologetic look toward Harry and received an almost imperceptible nod.

"Oh, but it's my school duty, Miss Perfect Prefect!"  Peeves giggled madly, drawing a deep breath.  Harry quickly raised his wand.

"Waddiwasi!"

"Speculum Phasmatis!"  Harry and Ginny's voices rang out at the same time and . . . nothing happened!  Then the silvery shape of the Bloody Baron appeared, glaring balefully at Peeves.  Peeves and Harry both yelped in surprise.  The Slytherin Ghost raised an accusing hand and Peeves started groveling.

Hermione and Ron vanished as she tossed the Cloak over them and Ginny wasted no time grabbing Harry's hand and shooting off around the corner.  "That's not going to hold him long!"  She noted urgently.

Harry's eyes boggled slightly.  "That was a spell?  Where'd you learn it?"

"Professor Lupin."  She grinned, pulling up short as the staircase under their feet started swinging to a new placement.  Harry checked the Map and glanced quickly over to Ginny.  "Peeves is still up there but Filch is coming.  We'd better go."  He jumped off as the stair settled and held out a hand for Ginny.

"Gryffindor is that way!"  Ginny protested, pointing behind them.  Harry shook his head.

"But so are Ron and Hermione."  He called back over his shoulder, pulling Ginny behind a tapestry and down a secret corridor.  "We need to give them time to get back without leading Filch straight to them."

"Oh, right."  Ginny blushed slightly.  She glanced curiously at the Map in Harry's hand.  "What's that?"

Harry cast a sideways look at her wondering what how much to tell her.  "A Map of the school.  Your brothers gave it to me."

"You actually trust something Fred and George gave you?"  Ginny asked disapprovingly, regarding the parchment with skepticism.  Harry flushed slightly in embarrassment.

"They didn't write it."  Harry assured her.  "It's safe enough."

Ginny still looked like she didn't fully trust his assessment, but let it slide.  "Where are we?"  She asked instead.

"Pretty close to the Staff Wing."  Harry replied, recognizing his surroundings more than reading the Map.  They continued down the corridor until familiar voices drifted down the torch-lit hall, stilling them.  "It's Lupin and Hagrid!"  Harry identified in a whisper.  Ginny grabbed Harry's robe and pulled him into an unlocked classroom.   

"That is the absolute last time I let Sirius talk me into one of his drinking games."  Lupin slurred, weaving dangerously.

"Steady on there, mate.  Easy does it."  Hagrid cautioned, gingerly guiding the tipsy werewolf down the hall.

"I should never go near the Hogshead with him involved."  Lupin continued, nearly walking straight into a ribbon-bedecked suit of armor.  Luckily the armor saw him coming and crashed noisily out of the way.

Lupin blinked owlishly at the noise before he grinned and jauntily saluted the armor before continuing his wobbly way down the corridor.

Ginny and Harry slipped out of cover and crept down the Charms corridor, suppressing their laughter as they went.  Most of the torches along the hall had long since burned out, casting pools of darkness across the stones.  Harry lit his wand and studied the map for a moment and managed to trip over the lurking form of Orion.  The black cat glared haughtily at the pair, lightly flicking his tail in contempt before rubbing up against Ginny's legs.  Ginny bent down and quickly stroked his sleek coat.  Apparently, the cat had no desire to rat them at the moment.

"We're too close to the Staff Wing."  Ginny pointed out.  "We're going to get caught if we don't hurry."

"Right."  Harry agreed.  He glanced quickly at the Marauder's map and pointed down a side hall.  "This way looks clear."

They made it less than fifty steps before the next obstacle happened by.  This time Harry grabbed Ginny and pulled her behind a particularly hideous statue of a hump-backed wizard as Snape swept around the corner sporting a charmed icepack across one side of his cheek and an almost visible cloud of anger.  "Inhuman brat!"  he snarled to himself.  "I can not believe Dumbledore hired that demoness!  As though the Werewolf and Black weren't bad enough!"

Ginny looked at Harry in surprise wondering if Snape was merely slandering Myfanwy or if they truly had a new dark creature teaching them.  Harry shrugged and shook his head before turning back to watch Snape's retreating form.

Suddenly Ginny coughed, the dusty dry smell of the statue stone, tickling her throat.  Snape halted, turning slightly to follow the sound.  Ginny and Harry didn't even dare breath as Snape retraced his steps back to the statue and they drew further into the shadows.  Snape's sallow hand rested lightly on the hump of the statue as he leaned around to peer into the shadows.  Harry began considering exactly how long a detention he'd receive for simply leaping out and bowling Snape over, giving Ginny time to escape down the hall when a misty voice suddenly drifted down the corridor and Snape snatched his hand back.  The Potions Master cast a panicked look down the corridor before stalking off again in a decided hurry.  It was about then Harry realized he'd drawn Ginny protectively into his arms and quickly released her, blushing furiously.

"Myfanwy's part demon?"  He stammered, attempting to break the uncomfortable silence then coughing and flushing more as his voice came out unnaturally high.  Ginny giggled slightly, visibly fighting down the color of her own face.

"Myfanwy's part veela," she noted thoughtfully.  "But that's hardly demonic."

"Maybe he's just mad because she slapped him."  Harry shrugged, pulling Ginny out of hiding and beginning their trek back to Gryffindor.

"She what?"  Ginny gasped before dissolving into a fit of quiet giggles.  "Oh that must have been priceless!  What happened?"

"He insulted Professor Lupin."  Harry replied, feeling a wave of dark satisfaction at Professor Myfanwy's reaction.  He had never completely forgiven Snape for causing Lupin's resignation two years previous.  Or for his version of events that very nearly got Sirius' kissed by the Dementors.

"She slapped him for that?"  Ginny asked incredulously.  "Snape better have more of those cooling charms handy.  He's in for a time of it this year."

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