Chapter 7

Perky's Demise: Part One

"Wait before you show me what you found," Said Ginny hurriedly before Hermoine could start talking about the book had she'd found, "I must know what happened between you and Snape last night!"

"Well like I said earlier: He threw me on his bed, took of his shirt and boy was he hot!" Said Hermoine excitedly as Ginny cringed in disgust, "Then he lifted my skirt and—" Hermoine was suddenly cut off.

"Hermoine! Ginny!" Both of them whipped around to see who was yelling their names. "This is a Library! Not a social gathering!" Hollered Madam Pince.

"What are you talking about you old hag? We were just studying." Said Ginny in horror to the fact that Madam Pince may have over heard some of their conversation.

"If you're going to chit chat, then do it some place else." Madam Pince said with her chin stuck in the air. "People are trying to read!"

"Well let's state the obvious." Retorted Ginny with her chin stuck in the air just as high.

"Here's something obvious for you to state, smart ass!" Madam Pince was past uterial pain, "You are leaving, NOW!"

Ginny and Hermoine left. "How rude." Hermoine said in a fierce voice.

"It's unbelievable how rude adults are these days." Said Ginny as Madam Pince was thinking, 'It's unbelievable how rude children are these days.'

Draco just stood there for a minute as if he were contemplating what vulgar phase he would throw at Harry and Ron.

"Well, what do you want Malfoy?" Said Harry as if he were talking to a special ed student.

"Chill out! I just want some company for tomorrow night. Besides, Pimp Daddy here is the one I want to talk to not you, Potter!" Spit Draco.

"Fine! I'll leave you two alone." Harry turned to Ron, "I'm gonna go get dressed I'll meet you at dinner."

"Okay." Ron said cheerfully, he was excited about getting money off of Draco.

Harry made his way to Gryffindor Tower and got dressed in his school uniform. That's when he realized he had left his invisibility cloak in the Shrieking Shack. "Shit!" he murmured to himself. He quickly scrawled a note to leave for Ron:

Ron

I may not show for dinner. Don't wait for me.

Harry

Harry quickly pinned the note to Ron's pillow and left. He was heading down the corridor toward the entrance hall when he literally ran into…

"Dumbledore!"

"Oh! Hello Harry!" Replied Dumbledore cheerfully; "I didn't even see you there."

"Um… Yeah sorry for running into you." Harry didn't know what else to say, since last year he and Dumbledore had become a bit distant.

"Where are you off to? I hope you're not planning to take a stroll outside." Said Dumbledore suspiciously eyeing Harry, "It's dangerous out there, this time of the month."

Harry gave him a strange look, "Thanks for the warning." He had to hurry it was starting to get dark and almost dinnertime. Harry watched Dumbledore until he was out of sight and slipped out the doors to the castle. It was a lot darker than he had thought, but the full moon was enough light to see where he was going. He once again strode towards the Whomping Willow bellowing "Diffindo!" The tree stopped all whomping.

Harry was almost all the way through the tunnel that led to the Shrieking Shack when he heard a low growl.

"Leave… hurry!" Growled an inhuman voice. Harry wasn't afraid (he is a vampire after all), but he was full of curiosity. He continued down the tunnel, almost to the Shrieking Shack when he heard the low growl again.

"Who's there?" Harry asked the darkness.

"Leave!" growled the voice again, but this time louder. Harry jumped, okay maybe he was a little afraid. Harry was a few steps from the entrance when he saw two glinting eyes in the shadows at the far end of the room. "Leave!" Warned the growling voice again.

"I just need my cloak, then I'll leave." Insisted Harry. The glowing eyes at the other end of the room glided stealthily closer to Harry.

"I warned you." Breathed the growling voice into Harry's ear. This sent shivers up Harry's spine. He spun around, now face to face with a snarling wolf.

"Lupin?" Harry asked, not sure of himself. Harry backed away slowly; his hand hit something. His cloak! He snatched it up and slung it around his body swiftly in one movement.

Ron snatched the note off his pillow ripping the pillowcase in the process, "Damn it!" he cursed. He quickly looked over the note, crumpled it up, stuck it in his pocket and went off to dinner.

Ginny and Hermoine were already at the table chatting away when Ron sat down across from them.

"Where's Harry?" Asked Ginny sarcastically, she knew how Ron would answer, 'Probably fucking Cho.' She thought to her self amusedly.

"Probably fucking Cho." Replied Ron.

"Why do you have your eye closed?" Ginny asked laughing inside, "I didn't poke you that hard."

"Because, I don't find seeing my sister naked particularly enjoyable." Answered Ron confidently; he knew they would both be dumbstruck.

"You put Hexeropuff in your eye?" Said Hermoine. Ron was dumbstruck instead.

"What the hell is Hexeropuff?" Asked Ginny.

"It's a potion, commonly mistaken for a poison due to its painful effect, that gives one x-ray vision through dead materials." Explained Hermoine knowledgeably, "Didn't you write the essay on it in potions class?"

"Pfft! I never do my homework in that class." Replied Ron and Ginny in unison.

"Hermoine I need to ask you a favor." Ron said quickly.

"Well, I won't agree until you tell me what it is." Replied Hermoine stubbornly.

Ron took a deep breath, he knew this probably wouldn't end well. "Malfoy wants you tomorrow night."

"What!?" Yelled Hermoine her eyes practically bulging from her head. "No way!"

"Hermoine. He already paid me half." Ron looked at her intensely. "I'm willing to give you 60% of the profit."

"We said we were done, Ron!" Said Ginny intervening.

"80%" Hermoine said quickly. Ginny scowled.

"75%, and that's as high as I'm going." Replied Ron.

Hermoine thought about this for 3 seconds, "Deal." They crossed their hearts on it and the deal was sealed.

"He wants to meet you tomorrow at midnight in the astronomy tower." Finished Ron.

"Would you all please lend me your attention?" Dumbledore's voice boomed through out the hall and silenced everyone "We have an emergency announcement to make. Cho Chang has been missing for the past twenty-four hours, if anyone has any information to her whereabouts please consult any available authority. That is all. You may continue to enjoy your dinner." Dumbledore sat down, everyone did as he said and continued to enjoy their dinner.

Harry stood there silently hidden by his cloak. Lupin still knew he was there, he could smell him. Harry was trapped between Lupin and the wall. He couldn't even move to the side, the floors were to old, Lupin would surely hear him.

"KYAHHHHHHHH!" Suddenly there was a piercing scream. Lupin turned at the sound, Harry could see his ears perk. This was his chance. Harry leapt toward the exit. He took one quick glance behind him just as he was going through the door to the tunnel. Harry saw a glimmer of blood dripping from Lupin's chops as he stepped into a sliver of moonlight seeping through the cracked ceiling of the Shrieking Shack. He raced through the tunnel and back to the safety of the castle.

Harry came heaving through the front doors. He was scared out of his wit. It was silent; dinner must be over. He snuck up to the dorms. Everyone was asleep, was it really that late?

Harry couldn't sleep, his mind was filled with thoughts of what had happened that day. He decided to take a walk. He threw on his invisibility cloak and headed out of the dorms.

Dumbledore just had one more thing he had to take care of before he could rehire Lupin as the new DADA professor. He grabbed a small vial of a thick green liquid and left his office.

Penelope finally decided to go see Percy. She had been walking around the school all day worrying about what it was going to be like when she finally visited him. They hadn't seen each other in months.

She knocked on the door to his quarters.

"Who is it?" Hollered Percy, from inside. He sounded tired and irritated.

"It's me Percy, Penelope." Percy opened the door. He looked surprised.

"What are you doing here?"

"Can't I visit my horny-cakes?" She said smiling warmly at him. He raised an eyebrow at the pet name.

"I'm busy." He said coldly and began to shut the door.

"Too busy for me?" Penelope looked up at him longingly. "Percy, we need to talk."

"About what?" He rolled his eyes irritably as he said this.

"Percy." She took a deep breath. "Are you hiding something?"

"Penelope, this is ridiculous." Percy shook his head.

"I want to know the truth!" Penelope hollered. Percy grabbed her arm and dragged her into his room.

"Do you realize what time it is?" Percy said angrily.

"Percy! Tell me the truth! I know your hiding something from me!" Penelope yelled.

"You really want to know the truth?" He looked at her coldly. "I'm having an affair with Cho."