Chapter 12
The three balked, immediately grouping together out of instinct. The creature let out a booming bay and lunged where Harry and Ron were huddled beneath the cloak. Instead of attacking them directly though, it snapped and caught its teeth in what appeared to be thin air, but as the creature whipped its head back and forth, Harry and Ron's cover fell. The creature snarled and backed up, the Invisibility cloak in its jaws. It dropped the cloak in front of itself, the light fabric pooling by its paws, and looked at the three a moment before lifting its head, howling loud into the night.
Once it had stopped running and attacking. they realized that the creature was a wolf. Its fur was a tawny brown with yellow gold eyes that were glaring at them. Hermione reached for her wand and the wolf's fur bristled and it growled low with menace. Harry looked desperately sideways, whispering strongly, "Don't." Hermione let her hand slowly fall back to her side.
Ron let out a noise that sounded like a whimper; his eyes wide and he whispered to them, "What do we do?"
"Just stay still." Harry whispered back.
The wolf narrowed its eyes a moment and lifted its head once more, howling loud and clear. The call echoed off the stonewalls and carried far down. Hermione, Ron, and Harry stayed huddled, wondering what the wolf was doing, wondering why it wasn't biting at them, it just stood glowering and calling.
Then the realization of what it was doing came to them when Filch came running, Mrs. Norris at his side. He jumped at the sight of the wolf and tried to shoo it off, by acting bold. The wolf lunged at him, snarling and snapping it's foaming jaws, and then returned to its position in front of the three students, growling low.
"Don't move." Filch commanded, and started stepping closer to the wolf, his hands out with fingers spread. He called out in a stern voice "GET!" Mrs. Norris arched her back and hissed loudly, her mottled brown fur standing on end.
"Unless you're not fond of your fingers Argus, I would not continue any further." Came a silky voice from behind them. It was Professor Snape, the lank haired Potions Master; obviously he had heard the commotion and had come to see what was going on. He strode right up to them, black cloak billowing, ignoring the snarls of the wolf and lifted his wand calling out "Colligo Chalybs" and a steel chain sprang from his wand and wound itself around the wolf, creating a harness and restraining muzzle. The creature snarled in rage and lashed out, Snape smirked and pulled back on his wand, jerking the wolf backwards. "Heel Aconite!"
The group stared in mild shock as the wolf lowered its head picking up the cloak gently in its jaws with a bit of difficulty due to the chain muzzle and padded over to Professor Snape, settling down onto its haunches right beside the teacher. Even though it obeyed, that did not keep the wolf from grumbling and snarling in the direction of Filch and the students.
"Aconite. another name for Wolfsbane, also known as the wolf killer." Hermione said to nobody in particular.
"Yes, irony makes quite a fitting name, shall I give you a medal for figuring it out." Snape said nastily. "My office NOW." He started off, the wolf lagged behind a moment and earned itself another jerking from Snape. The students glumly follows after as well, and Filch was left grinning broadly. Mrs. Norris was continually walking between his ankles, purring contently to her master.
He led them to his office and once inside he settled behind his desk smirking. The students were left standing before him, looking rather uncomfortable in the dingy office; due to the fact that Snape had purposefully kept a loose lead on the wolf and was letting it sit within range of them. "Now explain to me, Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, why you three are out sneaking around the castle at such an hour? And." He leaned down and lifted the cloak, frowning when the wolf's jaws did not release it. "Drop it." He ordered and the wolf released the cloak to him. Snape lifted the cloak up, studying it, "Most interesting, an invisibility cloak. Mr. Potter I believe this may be yours?" He asked in a taunting sort of tone.
Hermione spoke up, "Sir I can explain-"
Harry cut her off though, "It is all my fault sir, and these two are not to blame."
Snape made a tut-tut sort of noise and gave a sadistic sort of grin, "Oh I know Miss Granger is free from punishment, she is a Prefect after all. but it is you two who will not be escaping my punishments."
"But Sir, please let me explain!" Hermione begged.
Professor Snape growled, "Shut up girl, it is not your place to be arguing against my word." He stood up and stepped over towards the fireplace, where no fire was lit, he lifted his wand, muttering a spell, causing flames to appear. He tossed in a powder making the flames glow green, and declared "Minerva, I need you to get down here, I have some of your. things."
Out of the flames stepped Professor McGonogal. She had her graying hair out of its usual bun and was wearing a dark blue nightgown. McGonogal looked as if she had just been woken up. "Yes Severus?" Then her eyes drifted over to the crowd in the room. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, do you realize what time it is?"
They nodded solemnly. Hermione started to argue once more, but Harry and Ron sent her a glance that said silently 'don't'.
"My advice to you Minerva, is to keep track of your little beasts more carefully." Professor Snape said maliciously.
"I assure you that these students, shall be escorted back to their rooms immediately and punishment shall be given." Professor McGonogal said, making sure to use the word student rather then little beasts. She then glanced at the cloak, "I believe I'll confiscate this as well." Snape handed over the cloak, but not before looking even sourer. She turned to Hermione, "Continue your patrol, you can see these two tomorrow." McGonogal came up to the boys and escorted them out. Hermione followed after, giving a small wave to Harry and Ron as they were led down the corridor, being lectured about the rules. Hermione gave a sigh as she started down the hall, but she paused when she heard yelling from Snape's office, she ducked behind a suit of amour and listened.
It was Snape's voice and he was apparently he was rather miffed with the animal, she heard him yelling at the wolf. Through the door she heard. "Get out of my chair you mangy beast!" There was a pause, "You slobbered all over my notes!" There was a clatter and the sound of something falling, glass breaking. "NO! Get out!" She heard stomping footsteps and the door jerked open, she peeked around the amour and saw Snape dragging the wolf by its scruff and heaving it out the door. "Go on! Finish your patrol!" There was a brief pause, "Get out of my sight." He then slammed the door and the wolf snarled, getting itself up and glowering at the slammed door hard before skulking off down another corridor. Hermione leaned back against the wall, wondering what the heck was going on. She waited until the wolf was out of sight before walking onward, thoughts racing through her mind, trying to contemplate, and she would have plenty of time left to think, there remained another hour in her shift for the night.
The three balked, immediately grouping together out of instinct. The creature let out a booming bay and lunged where Harry and Ron were huddled beneath the cloak. Instead of attacking them directly though, it snapped and caught its teeth in what appeared to be thin air, but as the creature whipped its head back and forth, Harry and Ron's cover fell. The creature snarled and backed up, the Invisibility cloak in its jaws. It dropped the cloak in front of itself, the light fabric pooling by its paws, and looked at the three a moment before lifting its head, howling loud into the night.
Once it had stopped running and attacking. they realized that the creature was a wolf. Its fur was a tawny brown with yellow gold eyes that were glaring at them. Hermione reached for her wand and the wolf's fur bristled and it growled low with menace. Harry looked desperately sideways, whispering strongly, "Don't." Hermione let her hand slowly fall back to her side.
Ron let out a noise that sounded like a whimper; his eyes wide and he whispered to them, "What do we do?"
"Just stay still." Harry whispered back.
The wolf narrowed its eyes a moment and lifted its head once more, howling loud and clear. The call echoed off the stonewalls and carried far down. Hermione, Ron, and Harry stayed huddled, wondering what the wolf was doing, wondering why it wasn't biting at them, it just stood glowering and calling.
Then the realization of what it was doing came to them when Filch came running, Mrs. Norris at his side. He jumped at the sight of the wolf and tried to shoo it off, by acting bold. The wolf lunged at him, snarling and snapping it's foaming jaws, and then returned to its position in front of the three students, growling low.
"Don't move." Filch commanded, and started stepping closer to the wolf, his hands out with fingers spread. He called out in a stern voice "GET!" Mrs. Norris arched her back and hissed loudly, her mottled brown fur standing on end.
"Unless you're not fond of your fingers Argus, I would not continue any further." Came a silky voice from behind them. It was Professor Snape, the lank haired Potions Master; obviously he had heard the commotion and had come to see what was going on. He strode right up to them, black cloak billowing, ignoring the snarls of the wolf and lifted his wand calling out "Colligo Chalybs" and a steel chain sprang from his wand and wound itself around the wolf, creating a harness and restraining muzzle. The creature snarled in rage and lashed out, Snape smirked and pulled back on his wand, jerking the wolf backwards. "Heel Aconite!"
The group stared in mild shock as the wolf lowered its head picking up the cloak gently in its jaws with a bit of difficulty due to the chain muzzle and padded over to Professor Snape, settling down onto its haunches right beside the teacher. Even though it obeyed, that did not keep the wolf from grumbling and snarling in the direction of Filch and the students.
"Aconite. another name for Wolfsbane, also known as the wolf killer." Hermione said to nobody in particular.
"Yes, irony makes quite a fitting name, shall I give you a medal for figuring it out." Snape said nastily. "My office NOW." He started off, the wolf lagged behind a moment and earned itself another jerking from Snape. The students glumly follows after as well, and Filch was left grinning broadly. Mrs. Norris was continually walking between his ankles, purring contently to her master.
He led them to his office and once inside he settled behind his desk smirking. The students were left standing before him, looking rather uncomfortable in the dingy office; due to the fact that Snape had purposefully kept a loose lead on the wolf and was letting it sit within range of them. "Now explain to me, Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, why you three are out sneaking around the castle at such an hour? And." He leaned down and lifted the cloak, frowning when the wolf's jaws did not release it. "Drop it." He ordered and the wolf released the cloak to him. Snape lifted the cloak up, studying it, "Most interesting, an invisibility cloak. Mr. Potter I believe this may be yours?" He asked in a taunting sort of tone.
Hermione spoke up, "Sir I can explain-"
Harry cut her off though, "It is all my fault sir, and these two are not to blame."
Snape made a tut-tut sort of noise and gave a sadistic sort of grin, "Oh I know Miss Granger is free from punishment, she is a Prefect after all. but it is you two who will not be escaping my punishments."
"But Sir, please let me explain!" Hermione begged.
Professor Snape growled, "Shut up girl, it is not your place to be arguing against my word." He stood up and stepped over towards the fireplace, where no fire was lit, he lifted his wand, muttering a spell, causing flames to appear. He tossed in a powder making the flames glow green, and declared "Minerva, I need you to get down here, I have some of your. things."
Out of the flames stepped Professor McGonogal. She had her graying hair out of its usual bun and was wearing a dark blue nightgown. McGonogal looked as if she had just been woken up. "Yes Severus?" Then her eyes drifted over to the crowd in the room. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, do you realize what time it is?"
They nodded solemnly. Hermione started to argue once more, but Harry and Ron sent her a glance that said silently 'don't'.
"My advice to you Minerva, is to keep track of your little beasts more carefully." Professor Snape said maliciously.
"I assure you that these students, shall be escorted back to their rooms immediately and punishment shall be given." Professor McGonogal said, making sure to use the word student rather then little beasts. She then glanced at the cloak, "I believe I'll confiscate this as well." Snape handed over the cloak, but not before looking even sourer. She turned to Hermione, "Continue your patrol, you can see these two tomorrow." McGonogal came up to the boys and escorted them out. Hermione followed after, giving a small wave to Harry and Ron as they were led down the corridor, being lectured about the rules. Hermione gave a sigh as she started down the hall, but she paused when she heard yelling from Snape's office, she ducked behind a suit of amour and listened.
It was Snape's voice and he was apparently he was rather miffed with the animal, she heard him yelling at the wolf. Through the door she heard. "Get out of my chair you mangy beast!" There was a pause, "You slobbered all over my notes!" There was a clatter and the sound of something falling, glass breaking. "NO! Get out!" She heard stomping footsteps and the door jerked open, she peeked around the amour and saw Snape dragging the wolf by its scruff and heaving it out the door. "Go on! Finish your patrol!" There was a brief pause, "Get out of my sight." He then slammed the door and the wolf snarled, getting itself up and glowering at the slammed door hard before skulking off down another corridor. Hermione leaned back against the wall, wondering what the heck was going on. She waited until the wolf was out of sight before walking onward, thoughts racing through her mind, trying to contemplate, and she would have plenty of time left to think, there remained another hour in her shift for the night.