OLD MAGIC

Chapter 34: Midnight Planning Session

The castle was finally silent after the long day had ended. Even the most dedicated of students who liked to put in some late hour studying were asleep since it had been an arduous first day back. This was advantageous for Harry. When all he could hear was silence and various snores around him, he quietly eased from bed. Already dressed, he slipped, without a sound made, out of the dorm and down to the commons.

The fire was mostly embers in the huge fireplace and it's flickering light aided Harry in crossing the room without running into things left by students on the floor. He pulled open the door and peered out ... all was quiet ... no one was about. Closing the portrait, he nodded at the fat lady who had been about to sound the alarm but relaxed when she saw who it was.

"Where you be off to this late at night young sir?" She asked, softly.

All the paintings in the school had been told by the castle spirit to allow Harry the freedom of the castle whenever he needed it ... the rules for students not applying to him. And to keep secret his doings from the staff including Dumbledore.

"I'm on an important mission out of the castle. Don't worry I won't be alone," Harry told her, before quickly heading down the hall on silent feet.

"Be safe, young lord!" She called quietly after him. He didn't acknowledge as he was already vanishing from her view. Another silent form hurried past the painting, unseen, as it raced to join the fast moving boy.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Hissing a little, Snape adjusted his cloak over his robes and stepped gingerly, as his ankle was still sore, out of his quarters. He needed to hurry as he'd overslept from his comfortable nap.

He barely made the rendezvous point near the main doors when a quick moving shadow joined him. Snape started a little at Harry's sudden appearance. The boy had not made a sound and had seemed to have been invisible until the moment he appeared beside him. That was ridiculous as he knew Harry didn't have such an ability but it certainly had seemed that he did.

Giving Potter a quick nod, Snape turned and pushed open the left hand door leading outside. The two slipped through, the door closing silently behind them, a third figure easing out with them unseen.

Saying nothing, the two began the trek away from the school, keeping to the shadows so as not to be seen. Only when they were halfway to their destination did Harry dare to speak.

"You're still limping. I thought your potions would have healed that by now," he observed, concerned.

Snape shook his head in annoyance. "It should have and I'm at a loss why it hasn't."

"Best have Hagrid look at it. It's quite possible his magic might have accidentally countered some of your potions."

The lean man blinked in surprise. "I hadn't thought of that ..."

"And neither had I," Hagrid's voice suddenly sounded from nearby though neither could see him yet. "My apologizes, professor. I should have thought of that meself and fixed it when I saw yeu earlier."

Snape jolted. He had not detected the half-giant at all and they were still some distance from the cottage. "I do wish you wouldn't do that, Hagrid," he complained half-heartedly.

A soft chuckle sounded closer and was immediately followed by the familiar hulking shape of the groundskeeper, appearing less than a few feet from them. "It keeps yeu on yere toes, professor. Now let me see that ankle ..." They all stopped walking and Hagrid knelt down.

Harry moved to stand behind Snape to steady the man if he needed it when he lifted his foot so Hagrid could see it.

Gently probing the ankle, Hagrid elicited a hiss of pain from Snape. Tsking to himself, Hagrid did something that filled the ankle with intense heat. The professor gasped then sighed when the pain vanished an instant later. Hagrid lowered the foot to the ground and stood up.

"I can see that's fixed yeu right up, sir. We need to be going now," Hagrid urged as he turned away and led a brisk pace to his cottage where a ghostly tendril of smoke drifted skyward into the clear night from the chimney and the glow of a lantern could be seen through a window.

"Thank you. That was much appreciated," Snape said, walking with more ease.

"Yere welcome and to pay for my thoughtlessness, there be mugs of hot chocolate waiting for yeu both," Hagrid said warmly.

Minutes later they reached the cottage and the half giant opened the door letting the warmth within spill out. He gestured for his guests to go ahead of him.

The old boar hound thumped his tail on the floor from his resting place beside the roaring fire ... too lazy to get up to greet them. Harry walked over and leaned down to give the dog a scratch behind the ears which earned him a warm lick on the hand, then he went to take his seat at the table. The shadow that had followed the three appeared revealing Wine who strutted forward to give the hound a friendly lick on the nose in welcome. The dog huffed at him then flopped his head down to continue his nap while Wine leaped onto the table to enjoy a bowl of milk Hagrid had thoughtfully set out for him.

Taking Snape's cloak, Hagrid hung it on the back of the door before turning to join the two at his huge wood table. Picking up his mug that was as big as two of theirs together, he took a deep swallow then thumped it down firmly, face serious.

"Since our enemy has obligingly decided to go inter the forest for us rather than be led there, we need only change our original plans a little."

"That's true, however, I don't believe he'll use the ruse he planned of an injured unicorn since none are around," Harry observed.

"Nay, I see no reason whyn't he wouldn't 'cept fer not being able to actually find one to bait his trap. Using poor Professor Quirrell's abilities he could simply transfigure some poor defenseless creature to look like one for his purposes." Hagrid shook his head.

Snape looked confused. "Why would he not be able to find a unicorn?"

"Because Hagrid warned them away from here," Harry interjected, smirking.

"Ah, I see. So what else has changed about the plan?"

"Not much really, 'cept for yeu coming on yer own later and me already being in the forest waiting is all. Just so we're all clear, here's how it'll go down. When that evil thing lays his trap and passes the word to Harry, he'll send word to me by Hedwig so I can warn the elders and the centaurs to hot foot it here." Smiling, Hagrid nodded at their surprised expressions. "Aye, we'd discussed how we'd keep that thing from escaping and hit upon this plan. Like nearly all wizarding kind, the thing doesn't know what we're capable of and won't expect a trap by us which is why we intend to surround and take it by surprise when we cast the spell."

Nodding his head, Snape had to agree it was a good plan. "That gives me more confidence we may succeed, however, you're not leaving me out of this," he warned.

"Of course not, professer ... ease yerself. Well I know of yere desire to see this to its end and it be important that yere there anyway because we need to see if yer mark disappears. That will tell us fer certain if we'd succeeded in getting rid of that evil fer good."

Snape was surprised and a little chagrined. He should have thought of that himself.

Turning to Harry, Hagrid added, "Sorry I am to lay this burden on yeu, lad, but only yeu will know when the trap will be set. Insure yeu get the word to me and the professer quickly, eh?"

"Don't worry, I will. And don't be sorry. That evil is fixated on me so nothing else would have worked," Harry said, pragmatically.

"Aye that be true alright. Anyway, to continue ... when we get the word, professer, yeu need to slip out of the castle an hour before Harry does and head fer the Whomping Willow. That direction will keep yeu hidden from watching eyes and allow yeu to slip past my hut and the paddocks to enter the forest from that spot. I'll be meeting yeu there."

Relaxing back in his seat, Hagrid took another gulp of his cocoa. Setting his mug down, he reached over and scratched Wine behind the ears as the kneazle groomed itself just like a cat would. "Any questions?"

"I do have one reservation," Snape said, frowning. "There were some doubts as to whether the spell your elders cooked up would work. What happens if it fails?"

Hagrid's expression turned grim. "Then we hope we figure out a way to quickly take the foul thing out before it takes revenge on we who attempted to end it, especially Harry."

Snape shuddered. Then failure is simply not an option." He pushed his mug aside and got to his feet. "Time for us to return, Harry."

Harry nodded and quickly downed the last of his cocoa before rising as well. Snape pulled his cloak down and drew it over his shoulders as Hagrid rose and walked toward the door and opened it.

"I hope it ends this week. I'm tired of this danger hanging over us," Harry said as he stepped outside, Wine jumping off the table and running outside to join him.

"Oh aye. Yeu'll get no argument from me on that. Keep safe," Hagrid said in farewell as Snape stepped outside as well.

With Wine in the lead, the two wizards strode off into the night heading briskly back toward the castle.