Chapter 3
Harry and Ron's jaws' dropped.
"But— but if they don't get out—we—what will happen?" said Ron.
"I don't know. But these teachers haven't gone in before. It said that they only one person's made it out alive."
Ron gulped.
"But why did all of them go? I mean Professor McGonagall is kind of—you know—old and Flitwick's a bit small, and Binns, what could he possibly do?" said Harry.
"I don't know! I know as much as you do, so don't ask me the questions. But we have to find a way to stop the Erumpents."
"I'll look in Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them." said Ron.
"No that's no good! Surely at least one of the Professors's had the mind to look in that book, or one of the people who have gone in there before. We have to look in the restricted section in the library."
"I'm not going this time!" said Harry. "Last time Filch almost caught me."
"Ok, ok. Ron, do you want to go? Because I can go if you don't want. I don't mind."
"I'd prefer not to. I get in lots of trouble. They'll probably let you off the hook with your straight A's."
"Alright. I'll go tonight after dinner. I need you guys to back me up."
"Sure thing." said Harry.
"I just hope I can find something. Maybe they've already looked in the restricted section! What will happen if they did? And what if they didn't find anything?"
"Hermione calm down. Look in some books that look like they haven't been touched for ages. They probably wouldn't have looked in those."
"But what if one of the other people that went there did? That 16 year old girl? Maybe they found them and did what they said but it didn't help! What if I find something and we go there and it doesn't work?"
"Hermione! We'll get out! We'll be fine! Nothing will happen!" said Ron.
"That's probably what that girl's friends said also!" said Hermione, tears coming into her eyes.
"And she went in and—and got herself killed!" She sobbed into Ron's arms.
"You know, we don't have to go." said Harry.
"Yes we do!" said Hermione wiping away her tears. "We have to save our teachers! I'm going down to breakfast." She grabbed her bag and went out of the portrait hole.
Ron looked at Harry nervously for a second.
"I'm going up to change mate." he said.
"Alright." said Harry. He gazed into the burning fire. 'What if Hermione is right?' he thought 'What if we don't find anything? What will happen to our teachers?' He picked up Hogwarts, a History and flipped to the bookmarked page. He read it once more. 'I hope she's wrong, or there are going to be some big changes around here...'
At breakfast, Hermione ate very quickly and ran back up to the dormitories.
"What do we do for classes?" asked Seamus. "I mean, all our teachers are gone! Where are they?"
"I think we have substitutes." said Parvati.
"What if all classes are canceled until they return?" said Lavender.
"What about our N.E.W.T.S.?" asked Neville.
"Stop asking each other these ridiculous questions and go ask Dumbledore!" said Dean. "Apparently he's the only one around here who knows what's going on."
"Yeah, if you don't count us." mumbled Harry. Ron nodded and finished his toast.
"Um—I think I'm going to go see how Hermione is. She's pretty stressed out." said Ron.
"Why? I mean, they're just teachers. It's not like it's her uncle in there..."
"I know, but someone's in there that she cares about, more than just a teacher. And I want to find out who that is."
"Well start eliminating then. It's not Snape, not—not—well the only person we can eliminate for sure is Snape. The rest we have to ask her."
"Let's go."
They ran to the common room to find Hermione sitting by the fire reading the Secret Door page again.
"Er, Hermione?"
"Ah, oh, you scared me. I'm just reading it over. Just checking for anything that might help."
"Right, uh, Hermione—"
"Yes?"
"Is there—uh—something that—uh you're not—um—telling us?" said Ron.
"Well, nothing off the top of my head no. Why?"
"Because you seem really, really worried that if something happens to one of the teachers we're doomed."
"Well, there sort of is—something I need to tell you more than I want to tell you."
"Go on."
"Well, you see Professor—"
"Hey, who turned off the fire? It's freezing in here!" The rest of the Gryffindor students had come in the common room.
"Hermione what?" said Harry.
"I'll tell you later."
"Hey, who's up for Hogsmeade? It's better than here!" said Dean.
"I'll come." said Hermione.
"Me too!" said Seamus.
"Us also." said Parvati and Lavender.
"I guess Harry and I are coming too." said Ron.
"Neville? Are you coming?" asked Seamus.
"I guess so."
"Great that's all of us. Let's go." said Dean.
Everyone dressed in warm clothes and they went off to Hogsmeade.
"Let's just hope we don't run into any Slytherins." said Lavender, and that's exactly what happened.
When they were passing by Honeydukes, Malfoy and his 'body guards' came out of nowhere.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" he snickered. "The lions have come out to play."
"At least we're not snakes like you!" said Hermione taking one step closer.
"The mudblood has got guts, I'll give you that." said Malfoy.
"I would punch you, but I've already done it before." said Hermione.
"Only because I let you!" lied Malfoy.
"Is that why you were shivering and whimpering?" said Hermione.
"It's called acting, stupid mudblood!"
"Stop calling her that!" said Ron as he stepped up next to Hermione.
"Are you defending your girlfriend, Weaselby?"
"She's not my girlfriend, but yes, I am defending her!" yelled Ron. "You'd never have enough guts to defend anyone but yourself."
Malfoy glared at him.
"Come on Crabbe, Goyle."
"See, you're just afraid because you're outnumbered!" said Hermione, stepping even closer to him.
"Why would I be afraid of a mudblood, a weasel, a scarface and their little friends?"
"Because you've always been scared of us! Especially Harry! You were jealous from the first day you saw him. That's why you always picked on him and us! Because you're a jealous little SNAKE!" she yelled and jumped on top of him wrestling him on the ground.
"Hermione!" yelled Harry, as he tried to push Malfoy away from Hermione.
"Rictusempra!" yelled Hermione and Malfoy rolled around the floor laughing like crazy; all the Gryffindor's laughing at him.
"Tar-tarantallegra!" he managed to yell between his laughs.
Hermione started dancing uncontrollably and Crabbe and Goyle started snickering.
"Furnunculous!" yelled Hermione and boils started popping out on Malfoy's body.
"Ah! What is this! Granger!" It was Professor Snape. Hermione's eyes opened in shock and she looked like she wanted to hug him for a second.
"Pro-professor Snape! You're—you're back?"
Harry and Ron's jaws' dropped.
"You're the first one that made it our alive!" blurted out Ron.
"Ron! No!"
Snape glared at the three of them.
"Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle, please escort young Mr. Malfoy to the Hospital Wing. Potter, Weasley, help Granger into my office." he said.
"Ron, now he knows we know about the Secret Door! We're busted!"