A/N: I don't own anything. Okay? -Okay-. ENJOY! Yet again, I'm sorry that
it's late, but this time I have an excuse!! I lost the disk that this was
saved on, and I just found it today! YAY!! ENJOY!
CHAPTER 6: In the Owlery
Harry sat in one of the squashy red armchairs in the Gryffindor common room, staring at the round portrait hole that led to the long halls of Hogwarts. Harry began to fidget.
"Hermione, where could they be?" he asked Hermione, who was lost in a "captivating" Herbology textbook. "Harry, I'm sure they're fine. Please, stop worrying," she said, slightly irritated. Harry had been asking pestering questions like these for the past hour. Quite suddenly, Harry shot up out of the armchair and went up the stairs towards the boys' room. There was faint shuffling, then he emerged, holding an old, yellow piece of parchment: the Marauder's Map. He took out his wand, placed it on the parchment, and stated, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." "Too right, you are, spying on Ron like this," Hermione mumbled. The map appeared. He surveyed the map carefully, searching for the dots labeled "Ron" and "Claire". As he walked down the staircase towards the squashy armchair again, he told Hermione, "It's just that I haven't seen them since before Potions today and I'm worried." Hermione rolled her eyes behind her book. "I'm sure they're -fine-" she assured him again.
Harry threw himself into the armchair, his eyes fixed on the map. "AHA!! Hermione, I've found them!" he shouted triumphantly. Hermione clapped rather unenthusiastically. "They seem to be in the kitchens," he announced. "Hermione, the dots are really, really close together," he told her, a note of jealousy in his voice. He pressed his nose to the paper, getting a closer look at the dots. He squinted. A speech bubble appeared over Ron's dot, and inside, it read, "Yum!" Claire's dot moved toward the exit, and Ron's followed. The dots headed towards the Fat Lady. Harry took out his wand again, placed it on the map, and said, "Mischief managed!" the map on the parchment disappeared.
"Hermione, they're coming! Look busy!" Harry said, rushing around the room, trying to find something to do. He settled for a Quidditch Book. He propped it open and stared at the pages. He failed to notice that the book was upside down. Hermione peered over her book and blinked at Harry's idiotic behavior. When five minutes of staring at the backwards words passed, Harry shot up from his chair again and seized the map. He muttered the spell and looked at the map. Ron and Claire had passed the common room and had gone to the owlery.
"What in the devil.?" Harry wondered out loud. "What was that?" questioned Hermione. Harry turned to look up at the boys' dormitory. He grinned mischievously. "Oh, nothing, nothing at all." He stated blandly. And with that, he rushed up the staircase as fast as he could and slammed the solid oak door. Hermione jumped. "Harry!? What's the matter?" Up in the dormitory, Harry was rummaging in his trunk for his dad's old Invisibility Cloak. "Oh, I, uh, I don't feel well. I'm just going to, um, rest for a while. Don't check on me!" he shouted, trying his best to sound ill. Hermione settled back into her chair. "Oh, alright then." Harry silently opened the door. The hinges gave a squeak, but Hermione was glued to her book. Harry slipped out of the dormitory, down the stairs and into the common room, his hands fastening the Invisibility Cloak firmly to his sides. Luckily, Hermione coughed the second Harry opened and closed the Fat Lady's portrait. Harry made his way to the owlery.
IN THE OWLERY
"Ron, I'd like you to meet Ptolemy." Situated elegantly on Claire's shoulder was a beautiful brown and white barn owl. Claire stroked his fluffy white neck feathers. Ptolemy hooted lovingly and closed his eyes. "He's my baby," Claire explained, "My parents got him for me as a 'Good luck in wizarding school' gift a little over 5 years ago." Ron glared at Ptolemy as Claire kissed the bird's brown head. -Lucky bird.- he thought.
"He's beautiful," Ron began, "And you deserve nothing less." At this, Ron eyed Claire who looked up and smiled sweetly at him. Ron began again, "He's beautiful. and you're bea- OW!! Ugh!" What appeared to be a small wad of cotton balls had launched itself in the direction of Ron's head. Its aim was very precise. Ron had fallen to his knees in anguish. "Bloody Pig!" Ron hollered. Claire was on the floor too, only she was howling with great gasps of laughter. "Wh-why in the world would they keep a -pig- in the owlery at Hogwarts, Ron!?" Ron grunted as he locked the puff of white firmly in his hands. "He's not -a- pig. He's Pigwidegon! Pig for short." Wriggling wildly was the minute owl that was given to Ron at the very end of his third year.
"Awe.. He's so cute!" Claire leaned over to pet Pig on his fluffy head. She hesitated when the solid door to the owlery creaked open, just enough for someone to peer through the door. Claire withdrew her hand from Pigwidegon's direction and silently moved toward the door, Ron following close behind. In one quick movement, Claire seized the door handle, threw it open and looked in either direction, up and down the hallway. They had never seen it emptier. She stood in her place, looking a little uneasy.
"Ron, c-can we go back to the common room now? I.. I have this thing about people sneaking up on me.. I- I don't like it." Her eyes looked into his, and he agreed. Ron placed Pig on his perch, which was no good; Pig just shot up into the air, hooting wildly once again. The other sleepy owls glared at the obnoxious character before they closed their eyes again. Claire walked over to Ptolemy and kissed his head once more. Ptolemy cooed. Claire and Ron slid out of the owlery and into the hallway, but not before securing the door shut. They headed down the hall towards the Fat Lady. Claire once again looked uneasy. She looked over her shoulder to the empty corridor behind them. "Ron, do you ever get the feeling that you're being followed?" Ron looked at her nervously. "Yes," he began, "like right now."
They hurried on their way, huddled close together.
R&R!! I LOVE YOU ALL!
CHAPTER 6: In the Owlery
Harry sat in one of the squashy red armchairs in the Gryffindor common room, staring at the round portrait hole that led to the long halls of Hogwarts. Harry began to fidget.
"Hermione, where could they be?" he asked Hermione, who was lost in a "captivating" Herbology textbook. "Harry, I'm sure they're fine. Please, stop worrying," she said, slightly irritated. Harry had been asking pestering questions like these for the past hour. Quite suddenly, Harry shot up out of the armchair and went up the stairs towards the boys' room. There was faint shuffling, then he emerged, holding an old, yellow piece of parchment: the Marauder's Map. He took out his wand, placed it on the parchment, and stated, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." "Too right, you are, spying on Ron like this," Hermione mumbled. The map appeared. He surveyed the map carefully, searching for the dots labeled "Ron" and "Claire". As he walked down the staircase towards the squashy armchair again, he told Hermione, "It's just that I haven't seen them since before Potions today and I'm worried." Hermione rolled her eyes behind her book. "I'm sure they're -fine-" she assured him again.
Harry threw himself into the armchair, his eyes fixed on the map. "AHA!! Hermione, I've found them!" he shouted triumphantly. Hermione clapped rather unenthusiastically. "They seem to be in the kitchens," he announced. "Hermione, the dots are really, really close together," he told her, a note of jealousy in his voice. He pressed his nose to the paper, getting a closer look at the dots. He squinted. A speech bubble appeared over Ron's dot, and inside, it read, "Yum!" Claire's dot moved toward the exit, and Ron's followed. The dots headed towards the Fat Lady. Harry took out his wand again, placed it on the map, and said, "Mischief managed!" the map on the parchment disappeared.
"Hermione, they're coming! Look busy!" Harry said, rushing around the room, trying to find something to do. He settled for a Quidditch Book. He propped it open and stared at the pages. He failed to notice that the book was upside down. Hermione peered over her book and blinked at Harry's idiotic behavior. When five minutes of staring at the backwards words passed, Harry shot up from his chair again and seized the map. He muttered the spell and looked at the map. Ron and Claire had passed the common room and had gone to the owlery.
"What in the devil.?" Harry wondered out loud. "What was that?" questioned Hermione. Harry turned to look up at the boys' dormitory. He grinned mischievously. "Oh, nothing, nothing at all." He stated blandly. And with that, he rushed up the staircase as fast as he could and slammed the solid oak door. Hermione jumped. "Harry!? What's the matter?" Up in the dormitory, Harry was rummaging in his trunk for his dad's old Invisibility Cloak. "Oh, I, uh, I don't feel well. I'm just going to, um, rest for a while. Don't check on me!" he shouted, trying his best to sound ill. Hermione settled back into her chair. "Oh, alright then." Harry silently opened the door. The hinges gave a squeak, but Hermione was glued to her book. Harry slipped out of the dormitory, down the stairs and into the common room, his hands fastening the Invisibility Cloak firmly to his sides. Luckily, Hermione coughed the second Harry opened and closed the Fat Lady's portrait. Harry made his way to the owlery.
IN THE OWLERY
"Ron, I'd like you to meet Ptolemy." Situated elegantly on Claire's shoulder was a beautiful brown and white barn owl. Claire stroked his fluffy white neck feathers. Ptolemy hooted lovingly and closed his eyes. "He's my baby," Claire explained, "My parents got him for me as a 'Good luck in wizarding school' gift a little over 5 years ago." Ron glared at Ptolemy as Claire kissed the bird's brown head. -Lucky bird.- he thought.
"He's beautiful," Ron began, "And you deserve nothing less." At this, Ron eyed Claire who looked up and smiled sweetly at him. Ron began again, "He's beautiful. and you're bea- OW!! Ugh!" What appeared to be a small wad of cotton balls had launched itself in the direction of Ron's head. Its aim was very precise. Ron had fallen to his knees in anguish. "Bloody Pig!" Ron hollered. Claire was on the floor too, only she was howling with great gasps of laughter. "Wh-why in the world would they keep a -pig- in the owlery at Hogwarts, Ron!?" Ron grunted as he locked the puff of white firmly in his hands. "He's not -a- pig. He's Pigwidegon! Pig for short." Wriggling wildly was the minute owl that was given to Ron at the very end of his third year.
"Awe.. He's so cute!" Claire leaned over to pet Pig on his fluffy head. She hesitated when the solid door to the owlery creaked open, just enough for someone to peer through the door. Claire withdrew her hand from Pigwidegon's direction and silently moved toward the door, Ron following close behind. In one quick movement, Claire seized the door handle, threw it open and looked in either direction, up and down the hallway. They had never seen it emptier. She stood in her place, looking a little uneasy.
"Ron, c-can we go back to the common room now? I.. I have this thing about people sneaking up on me.. I- I don't like it." Her eyes looked into his, and he agreed. Ron placed Pig on his perch, which was no good; Pig just shot up into the air, hooting wildly once again. The other sleepy owls glared at the obnoxious character before they closed their eyes again. Claire walked over to Ptolemy and kissed his head once more. Ptolemy cooed. Claire and Ron slid out of the owlery and into the hallway, but not before securing the door shut. They headed down the hall towards the Fat Lady. Claire once again looked uneasy. She looked over her shoulder to the empty corridor behind them. "Ron, do you ever get the feeling that you're being followed?" Ron looked at her nervously. "Yes," he began, "like right now."
They hurried on their way, huddled close together.
R&R!! I LOVE YOU ALL!