Chapter 20: Caught
Before they knew it, the next few weeks flew by in a flash, and it was mid-May. The exams were upon them. However, Harry was facing his Defense Against the Dark Arts practical exam with happiness; he knew it would be another obstacle course similar to his third year, and he was ready for it. Sure enough, Lupin had prepared a large area of the Hogwarts ground as an obstacle course, and Harry found himself combating a vampire, a bugbear, two hinkypunks that tried to mislead him, a kappa, one boggart, and a Hairy MacBoon. By the time the course was finished, Harry was almost exhausted, but he grinned when Lupin said, "Full marks Harry. That was very well done."
Knowing he had scored well on his Defense exam, Harry went to lunch feeling almost famished but content after his struggles through the obstacle course. Ron and Hermione, however, were a little unnerved; "I could have taken on that vampire a lot quicker if I had just concentrated a bit," said Ron, "I think Lupin took some marks off for that. He almost bit me." "I did fairly well I think," said Hermione, "but one of those blasted hinkypunks got me off course and I landed in a bog. It was dreadful. Luckily I know a few good Cleaning Spells or my robes would never have been free of muck."
Their last exam of the week, Charms, went over fairly well as Harry had spent most of his time with the D.A. practicing charms and spells, and Flitwick even gave him some extra credit for being able to cast an Impervious Charm, which he was not supposed to learn until his seventh year. "Very good, Mr. Potter, very good," squeaked Flitwick, throwing a few spells at Harry to check that the Charm had worked. They bounced off Harry, and Flitwick marked him for ten extra points. Things were going wonderfully for Harry, and he was content knowing that most of his tests would score well.
That night they enjoyed a party in the Gryffindor common room, and Harry was so happy with himself that he asked Ron and Hermione if they shouldn't go down to Hagrid's and visit. "I don't know Harry," said Hermione cautiously, "I mean, it's getting late..." "Oh come now Hermione," said Ron with a grin as he drank some butterbeer, "it's the end of the year and we've made it without too many bad things happening. Why not? Come on Harry, get your Invisibility Cloak, let's go." The two of them (plus a reluctant Hermione), headed out the portrait hole and down to the front stairs, then trekked across a moonlit lawn to Hagrid's hut, where the lights were on the chimney was smoking merrily.
"It's us!" whispered Harry when Hagrid opened the door. "You three!" said Hagrid exasperatedly, "Come on in, I can' believe yeh are here! Hurry up now, don' want ter be seen!" They shuffled in quickly and Hagrid shut the door with a click; a moment later, they were all enjoying tea and stoat cakes, which the three of them politely declined after having experienced Hagrid's food before. "Enjoy yer Care o' Magical Creatures exam then?" asked Hagrid as he drank from a mug the size of a bucket. "Oh yes," said Harry, "of course," although silently he hoped he never had to feed a Fire Crab ever again. "Well," said Hagrid proudly, "I had some trouble findin' a Fire Crab, but once yeh get hold o' one, they seem ter take ter yeh pretty well, so there's no losin' 'em. I'm thinkin' about usin' Crabbie for me seventh year exam next year too, what do yeh think?"
The three of them tried to sway Hagrid that this was a bad idea; number one because they did not want to see Crabbie ever again, and number two because Fire Crabs were illegal. Hagrid, however, brushed them off, although they argued with him for some time, until there was a knock on the door. "Hide under that cloak you three," said Hagrid in a whisper as he went to answer the door. Once he saw that they were well-concealed, he opened the door. "Professor Snape! What brings yeh here?" asked Hagrid, allowing the tall and menacing Professor Snape to enter the hut. "Nothing in particular Hagrid," said Snape easily, looking around the hut. Harry instantly felt as if a ball of dread had welled up inside him; Snape knew they were here some how.
"However," said Snape, turning to face Hagrid, "I am a little concerned. You see, I happened to visit Remus Lupin a few minutes ago but he was not in his office; however, a special piece of parchment was laying on his desk that allows the viewer to see exactly where everyone is in Hogwarts. It said that Potter, Weasley, and Granger were here in your hut; is that so, Hagrid? Because you know just as well as I that none of them are allowed down here, especially at this late an hour." Hagrid looked as if he was sweating, and he could only stumble through his words, "Ah, well, don' know about the three o' them bein' down here..." "Hagrid," said Snape silkily, "you do realize that I'm only here for their protection, don't you? I would hate for something to happen to any of them."
'I'll bet you would,' thought Harry silently, hoping Hagrid could pass Snape's detection. "So would I," said Hagrid, "I wouldn' like anythin' ter happen ter them either." They both stared at each other in silence, Snape's black tunnel-like eyes staring into Hagrid's black beetle- like eyes, and finally Hagrid said, "Professor...they're...they're right there." He pointed to the corner where they were hiding. "Run!" said Harry as Snape dove at them, yanking on the Invisibility Cloak. They were caught. "So," said Snape, rounding on them, "so. You three are above the rules yet again, I see. Decided to venture down here for a little late night chat despite everything the Headmaster has told you about not going anywhere after hours?"
Harry's heart stung with that statement, mostly because he knew it was true, but Snape continued, "Of course I should have expected this. You three have always been above the rules, haven't you? Well we'll see how above the rules you are when I take you to the Headmaster." Snape turned to Hagrid, "Thank you, Hagrid. You made a wise move." Harry looked at Hagrid pleadingly; he knew in his heart that Hagrid had done the right thing, but still... "I'm sorry Harry," said Hagrid, "but I've bin afraid for you three ever since yeh got here this year. He's right."
The four of them left Hagrid's hut in silence, Snape in the lead, when suddenly he stopped and turned to face the three of them, each looking ashamed at their foolhardy behavior. "You know," said Snape easily, "I might be persuaded into not taking you to the Headmaster for expulsion." The three of them looked up at Snape, wondering how this persuasion might occur and what it would take. "I," said Snape, "have a favor that needs doing." He produced a scrap of parchment from his robes and said, "This is a portkey. It will take us to the Ministry of Magic. If Potter agrees to give up his Animagus license, I will not take you three to the Headmaster for expulsion." Harry stared at Snape for a minute; what was he playing at? Harry knew Snape didn't want him to be an Animagus, but to turn in his license just so the three of them wouldn't get expelled?
"All right," said Harry firmly, "I'll do it." He reached out to touch the portkey as Hermione said "Harry wait! Don't do this!" But too late. Harry, Snape, and now Hermione were spinning off to the Ministry of Magic.
Before they knew it, the next few weeks flew by in a flash, and it was mid-May. The exams were upon them. However, Harry was facing his Defense Against the Dark Arts practical exam with happiness; he knew it would be another obstacle course similar to his third year, and he was ready for it. Sure enough, Lupin had prepared a large area of the Hogwarts ground as an obstacle course, and Harry found himself combating a vampire, a bugbear, two hinkypunks that tried to mislead him, a kappa, one boggart, and a Hairy MacBoon. By the time the course was finished, Harry was almost exhausted, but he grinned when Lupin said, "Full marks Harry. That was very well done."
Knowing he had scored well on his Defense exam, Harry went to lunch feeling almost famished but content after his struggles through the obstacle course. Ron and Hermione, however, were a little unnerved; "I could have taken on that vampire a lot quicker if I had just concentrated a bit," said Ron, "I think Lupin took some marks off for that. He almost bit me." "I did fairly well I think," said Hermione, "but one of those blasted hinkypunks got me off course and I landed in a bog. It was dreadful. Luckily I know a few good Cleaning Spells or my robes would never have been free of muck."
Their last exam of the week, Charms, went over fairly well as Harry had spent most of his time with the D.A. practicing charms and spells, and Flitwick even gave him some extra credit for being able to cast an Impervious Charm, which he was not supposed to learn until his seventh year. "Very good, Mr. Potter, very good," squeaked Flitwick, throwing a few spells at Harry to check that the Charm had worked. They bounced off Harry, and Flitwick marked him for ten extra points. Things were going wonderfully for Harry, and he was content knowing that most of his tests would score well.
That night they enjoyed a party in the Gryffindor common room, and Harry was so happy with himself that he asked Ron and Hermione if they shouldn't go down to Hagrid's and visit. "I don't know Harry," said Hermione cautiously, "I mean, it's getting late..." "Oh come now Hermione," said Ron with a grin as he drank some butterbeer, "it's the end of the year and we've made it without too many bad things happening. Why not? Come on Harry, get your Invisibility Cloak, let's go." The two of them (plus a reluctant Hermione), headed out the portrait hole and down to the front stairs, then trekked across a moonlit lawn to Hagrid's hut, where the lights were on the chimney was smoking merrily.
"It's us!" whispered Harry when Hagrid opened the door. "You three!" said Hagrid exasperatedly, "Come on in, I can' believe yeh are here! Hurry up now, don' want ter be seen!" They shuffled in quickly and Hagrid shut the door with a click; a moment later, they were all enjoying tea and stoat cakes, which the three of them politely declined after having experienced Hagrid's food before. "Enjoy yer Care o' Magical Creatures exam then?" asked Hagrid as he drank from a mug the size of a bucket. "Oh yes," said Harry, "of course," although silently he hoped he never had to feed a Fire Crab ever again. "Well," said Hagrid proudly, "I had some trouble findin' a Fire Crab, but once yeh get hold o' one, they seem ter take ter yeh pretty well, so there's no losin' 'em. I'm thinkin' about usin' Crabbie for me seventh year exam next year too, what do yeh think?"
The three of them tried to sway Hagrid that this was a bad idea; number one because they did not want to see Crabbie ever again, and number two because Fire Crabs were illegal. Hagrid, however, brushed them off, although they argued with him for some time, until there was a knock on the door. "Hide under that cloak you three," said Hagrid in a whisper as he went to answer the door. Once he saw that they were well-concealed, he opened the door. "Professor Snape! What brings yeh here?" asked Hagrid, allowing the tall and menacing Professor Snape to enter the hut. "Nothing in particular Hagrid," said Snape easily, looking around the hut. Harry instantly felt as if a ball of dread had welled up inside him; Snape knew they were here some how.
"However," said Snape, turning to face Hagrid, "I am a little concerned. You see, I happened to visit Remus Lupin a few minutes ago but he was not in his office; however, a special piece of parchment was laying on his desk that allows the viewer to see exactly where everyone is in Hogwarts. It said that Potter, Weasley, and Granger were here in your hut; is that so, Hagrid? Because you know just as well as I that none of them are allowed down here, especially at this late an hour." Hagrid looked as if he was sweating, and he could only stumble through his words, "Ah, well, don' know about the three o' them bein' down here..." "Hagrid," said Snape silkily, "you do realize that I'm only here for their protection, don't you? I would hate for something to happen to any of them."
'I'll bet you would,' thought Harry silently, hoping Hagrid could pass Snape's detection. "So would I," said Hagrid, "I wouldn' like anythin' ter happen ter them either." They both stared at each other in silence, Snape's black tunnel-like eyes staring into Hagrid's black beetle- like eyes, and finally Hagrid said, "Professor...they're...they're right there." He pointed to the corner where they were hiding. "Run!" said Harry as Snape dove at them, yanking on the Invisibility Cloak. They were caught. "So," said Snape, rounding on them, "so. You three are above the rules yet again, I see. Decided to venture down here for a little late night chat despite everything the Headmaster has told you about not going anywhere after hours?"
Harry's heart stung with that statement, mostly because he knew it was true, but Snape continued, "Of course I should have expected this. You three have always been above the rules, haven't you? Well we'll see how above the rules you are when I take you to the Headmaster." Snape turned to Hagrid, "Thank you, Hagrid. You made a wise move." Harry looked at Hagrid pleadingly; he knew in his heart that Hagrid had done the right thing, but still... "I'm sorry Harry," said Hagrid, "but I've bin afraid for you three ever since yeh got here this year. He's right."
The four of them left Hagrid's hut in silence, Snape in the lead, when suddenly he stopped and turned to face the three of them, each looking ashamed at their foolhardy behavior. "You know," said Snape easily, "I might be persuaded into not taking you to the Headmaster for expulsion." The three of them looked up at Snape, wondering how this persuasion might occur and what it would take. "I," said Snape, "have a favor that needs doing." He produced a scrap of parchment from his robes and said, "This is a portkey. It will take us to the Ministry of Magic. If Potter agrees to give up his Animagus license, I will not take you three to the Headmaster for expulsion." Harry stared at Snape for a minute; what was he playing at? Harry knew Snape didn't want him to be an Animagus, but to turn in his license just so the three of them wouldn't get expelled?
"All right," said Harry firmly, "I'll do it." He reached out to touch the portkey as Hermione said "Harry wait! Don't do this!" But too late. Harry, Snape, and now Hermione were spinning off to the Ministry of Magic.