Chapter 10
What Is The Password?
The rest of the lessons went well, and as they finished dinner that evening, Harry, Ron and Hermione headed back to their common rooms. "I'm so tired, I think I'll go to bed," Harry said, yawning hugely. "No you won't" Hermione said, frowning. "And why is that?" Harry asked her, raising his eyebrows. "Well…first you have a lot of homework to do, and second you've got a detention to attend at 8 o'clock" at these words, Harry moaned. They arrived to the common room and sat next to the fire. "What's the time now?" Harry asked Ron, "it's 8 to five minutes," he said, yawning. "I better go" Harry got up, he left his bag on the chair and headed to Snape's office. When he arrived, he knocked on the door. "Enter" the cold voice answered from inside. Harry entered and closed the door behind him. "Sit down" his professor said; pointing at the only extra chair in the office, Harry sat down. "Well…you'll be filing these names for Mr. Filch, so get started" Harry saw the sacks of papers on the floor.
Two hours passed, while Harry just filed and filed the names of thousands of students. Three, four hours passed, and Harry's fingers were bleeding from the tip of the papers. Finally, after another two hours, Snape stopped him, and looked up. "Here" Snape said, handing Harry a wet napkin, "thanks professor" Harry said, surprised that Snape would care to give him something like this. As Harry was wrapping his hand with the napkin, Snape noticed the ring again, but Harry was quick enough to cover it with the napkin. "Can I go back to the Gryffindor common room sir?" Harry asked, feeling annoyed and angry because Snape is trying to take a good look at his ring. "Yes Potter, I think that's enough for you…you may go" Snape went back to his work, and Harry headed to the door quickly, not having anything else to do. "Potter?" Snape suddenly said, Harry knew that something was coming. "Yes, sir?" he said, turning around to look at Snape. "Try not to be late for my class again or I shall give you another detention," he said, but Harry saw Snape's eyes shifting to his hand while he spoke. "Yes professor" Harry said, covering his hand even more. "Good" Snape said, "And close the door behind you". Harry hurried out of the office closing the door. Why is Snape so interested in my ring? Harry thought, as he headed back to the common room, was it because of the snake emblazed upon it? He arrived to the portrait of the fat lady, "password?" she asked, Harry looked up at her, "uh…" Harry just realized that he didn't know the new password, last time they were in the common room, Hermione said it, but Harry didn't focus on what she said. "No password, no entering the common room" she said, angrily.
"but I don't know the password" Harry said, "but you know me…you know that I'm in Gryff…"
"No" she shouted, stopping Harry in mid-sentence. Harry wanted to argue more with her, but he saw no success in it. He turned around and headed towards the great hall. Maybe I will find someone on my way there, He thought, as he walked in the corridors alone. When he entered the great hall, it was empty, and there was no one near the door. "What am I supposed to do?" he whispered to himself, as he closed the doors and went in the other direction. Harry was surprised that he felt scared, looking at the dark, tall walls all around him, his shadow hunting him from behind, not leaving him alone. "Go away" he said, looking at the shadow, but it didn't answer. Look at me, Harry laughed, talking to the shadow. He's definitely going to be crazy if he stayed alone a minute longer. He thought of going to the headmaster so he could get the password from him, and he agreed on that idea, because he didn't have another choice. He ran quickly in the direction of Dumbledore's office and arrived there a minute later. He stood panting and looking up at the statue of the office. Then he realized that he didn't have the password of this office. "Oh no" he moaned quietly, sitting down on the floor and covering his face with his arms and legs. "Why me…why me" he moaned again, "I'm tired…please let me know the password" he sat there for a long time, he might have slept while he sat, he didn't know…he didn't know anything anymore.
"Excuse me…ere…excuse me boy" a man was calling gently from far above. "Boy…can you hear me?" a hand touched his head, and it lifted it up. Harry's eyes were closed, and his head was dazed. "Harry?" the voice seemed to recognize the boy who was sleeping in the corridor. "Harry…are you ok?...Harry?" the voice asked, and the hand was now slapping Harry gently on the face. "wha…?" Harry opened his eyes slowly and looked at the face that was peering at him. When he realized who was in front of him, Harry jumped up quickly and opened his eyes properly. "I'm sorry professor Dumbledore," he said, looking at the floor, what would the headmaster think of him seeing him sleeping in the corridor? "I'm sorry sir…I didn't mean…I wasn't…I wanted to see you sir" Harry didn't know what words could explain the scene that he was in moments ago. "What's wrong Harry? Why did you want to see me?" Dumbledore asked, looking worried, and then he said quickly, "come inside my office…come" he held Harry's arm and led him inside the dark office. Dumbledore seated Harry on a nearby chair and sat on another chair himself. "Yes Harry? What do you want?"
Harry was too embarrassed to speak, he didn't know what to say, the headmaster looked at Harry with confusion and Harry sat there in silence. "Harry?" Dumbledore said, after a minute of waiting. "I…I was doing detention with Snape…" Harry began, and then Dumbledore said, "Professor Snape, Harry" Harry was in a bad mood of Snape because he wanted to see his ring, that he just said, "yeah…him…he kept me so late in his office that it was…I don't even know when" Harry was now feeling angry, he continued. "He let me go so late, that no one was outside in the corridor…so I couldn't enter the common room" he finished, looking at Dumbledore. "But…" Dumbledore said, looking more confused, "why was the detention the reason for you not entering the common room?" Dumbledore asked, frowning at Harry. "Oh…" Harry realized that he didn't tell Dumbledore about the password thing. "Professor I didn't know the password, and I didn't find anyone outside the common room to help me" he looked at Dumbledore. "Well…I'll look it up for you," he said, getting up and heading to his desk. He opened his drawer and drew a parchment from inside. "Here…" he handed Harry the parchment. Harry took it and looked. There was the name of each house and its password next to it. He saw that their password was Dunderdam.
"Well…I think I know it now," he said, smiling at Dumbledore, Dumbledore smiled back at him. "Well then, I think I'll have that back now and you go to your common room to have some sleep" he went back to his desk and put the parchment inside the drawer. "Thank you sir…and I'm sorry for…" but Dumbledore cut across him, "there's no need to apologize for it…there is nothing wrong with sleeping" he winked at Harry and gave him a wide smile. "Goodnight sir" Harry said, and he turned around to leave, but then he turned back again, "ere…I was just wondering…what time is it?" he asked. Dumbledore looked at his watch and said, "Oh…it is three in the morning" he smiled at Harry.