(A thousand apologies that this chapter has taken so long in arriving.
Chapter 11 soon, I promise!)
**Chapter 10**
Harry, Ron, Hermione and the Hobbits all sat quietly up in the boys dorm as students and teachers rushed around, preparing for the Orcs. Frodo seemed worst affected and sat slightly apart from the group, and stayed very silent. Hermione watched him and whispered to Harry, 'do you think we should help him?' 'How?' asked Harry 'I dunno, but I can't just sit here and watch while he's so scared.' Sam was also watching Frodo and he heard Harry and Hermione whispering. 'I'm very sorry Miss Hermione but I don't think anyone can help Mr. Frodo,' said Sam, 'but I don't think the Orc's will get in,' he added, 'Strider and Misters Gandalf and Dumbledore will deal with them.' 'Well, if they can't, then we're ready,' added Merry who still had Fred's wand. 'Don't you two go meddling,' said Sam, 'after your last trick we don't need any more spells from you.' 'Don't worry, Sam,' said Ron, 'I don't expect they've learnt enough ''magic'' to do any damage. At least not from Fred and George,' he added laughing. Suddenly from outside came a terrible noise, a horrific, angry screeching. Ron rushed to the window and peered out. 'What the hell...' he exclaimed and scrambled back from the window, visibly shaken. 'What is it Ron,' asked Hermione but he didn't answer. The shrieking noise came again, more terrible then before. 'Run!' shouted Harry, looking at the panicked expression on Ron's face. Frodo jumped up from his chair and ran after Harry, Ron, Sam and Hermione. Merry and Pippin paused, obviously debating whether to try a spell on the creature, but as it shrieked again, they thought better of it and ran after the others. 'What is that?' cried Hermione as they ran down the corridor. 'Black Rider,' panted Frodo, clutching at the chain around his neck, which held the Ring. When they came to an empty Charms classroom, Ron stopped running and opened the door. 'Did you see that?' he panted, closing the door after Merry and Pippin as they ran into the room. 'Did you *hear* it,' said Hermione, 'that sound was awful.' 'They've been chasing us since we left The Shire,' explained Sam. 'How terrible!' exclaimed Hermione. Suddenly the door flung open, and for a moment, Harry thought a Black Rider was standing in the doorway, but to his surprising relief, he saw it was Snape. 'What are you doing here?' Snape asked 'We - we -we,' stammered Hermione. 'Go back to your common room,' ordered Snape, 'the Orc's have been dealt with.' 'They've gone?' asked Harry 'Yes, Potter. Now go back to your common room,' spat Snape angrily. Merry and Pippin appeared to be hiding behind Snape's cloak, probably not wanting to be seen by him. Personally, Harry didn't blame them one little bit. 'Sir, what about the Black-' began Ron 'Weasley! The Headmaster has dealt with them! Now go back to your common room!' shouted Snape. Then he caught sight of Merry and Pippin. 'Well well well, and what do you two - things think you are doing?' 'Nothing, Sir,' said Pippin politely. Snape sneered, and turned round and left the classroom. As he watched him walk away, Harry noticed that a Snape had a 'kick me' sign stuck to his back. Merry and Pippin were laughing gleefully. 'I'm not even gonna bother asking who did that,' chuckled Ron as they left the class and walked back up to the dorm.
**Chapter 10**
Harry, Ron, Hermione and the Hobbits all sat quietly up in the boys dorm as students and teachers rushed around, preparing for the Orcs. Frodo seemed worst affected and sat slightly apart from the group, and stayed very silent. Hermione watched him and whispered to Harry, 'do you think we should help him?' 'How?' asked Harry 'I dunno, but I can't just sit here and watch while he's so scared.' Sam was also watching Frodo and he heard Harry and Hermione whispering. 'I'm very sorry Miss Hermione but I don't think anyone can help Mr. Frodo,' said Sam, 'but I don't think the Orc's will get in,' he added, 'Strider and Misters Gandalf and Dumbledore will deal with them.' 'Well, if they can't, then we're ready,' added Merry who still had Fred's wand. 'Don't you two go meddling,' said Sam, 'after your last trick we don't need any more spells from you.' 'Don't worry, Sam,' said Ron, 'I don't expect they've learnt enough ''magic'' to do any damage. At least not from Fred and George,' he added laughing. Suddenly from outside came a terrible noise, a horrific, angry screeching. Ron rushed to the window and peered out. 'What the hell...' he exclaimed and scrambled back from the window, visibly shaken. 'What is it Ron,' asked Hermione but he didn't answer. The shrieking noise came again, more terrible then before. 'Run!' shouted Harry, looking at the panicked expression on Ron's face. Frodo jumped up from his chair and ran after Harry, Ron, Sam and Hermione. Merry and Pippin paused, obviously debating whether to try a spell on the creature, but as it shrieked again, they thought better of it and ran after the others. 'What is that?' cried Hermione as they ran down the corridor. 'Black Rider,' panted Frodo, clutching at the chain around his neck, which held the Ring. When they came to an empty Charms classroom, Ron stopped running and opened the door. 'Did you see that?' he panted, closing the door after Merry and Pippin as they ran into the room. 'Did you *hear* it,' said Hermione, 'that sound was awful.' 'They've been chasing us since we left The Shire,' explained Sam. 'How terrible!' exclaimed Hermione. Suddenly the door flung open, and for a moment, Harry thought a Black Rider was standing in the doorway, but to his surprising relief, he saw it was Snape. 'What are you doing here?' Snape asked 'We - we -we,' stammered Hermione. 'Go back to your common room,' ordered Snape, 'the Orc's have been dealt with.' 'They've gone?' asked Harry 'Yes, Potter. Now go back to your common room,' spat Snape angrily. Merry and Pippin appeared to be hiding behind Snape's cloak, probably not wanting to be seen by him. Personally, Harry didn't blame them one little bit. 'Sir, what about the Black-' began Ron 'Weasley! The Headmaster has dealt with them! Now go back to your common room!' shouted Snape. Then he caught sight of Merry and Pippin. 'Well well well, and what do you two - things think you are doing?' 'Nothing, Sir,' said Pippin politely. Snape sneered, and turned round and left the classroom. As he watched him walk away, Harry noticed that a Snape had a 'kick me' sign stuck to his back. Merry and Pippin were laughing gleefully. 'I'm not even gonna bother asking who did that,' chuckled Ron as they left the class and walked back up to the dorm.
