Chapter 12: Sneaking Out
Getting in to Dumbledore's office was crucial. Harry, Ron and Hermione couldn't wait for Dumbledore, or whoever had replaced him to return. They needed their suspicions proven or disproven now, and in order to do that they needed to break into Dumbledore's office. Tonight.
Harry insisted he would go alone. If he got caught, then it would only be him who got into trouble. Besides they were all too big to fit under the invisibility cloak together now. And Harry knew he stood a better chance getting in and out undetected if he was alone.
Ron however objected, He claimed they were all in this together no matter the outcome, and that he and Hermione would not let him do this on his own.
Hermione however agreed with Harry.
"Hermione, what do you mean we should let Harry do this on his own?" said Ron, confused.
Normally Hermione would have agreed with Ron on matters of Harry going off on his own, but not tonight.
"I mean Harry is right. He stands a better chance of getting in and out of Dumbledore's office if he's on his own. Besides I have to make sure that my mum is safe"
Both Harry and Ron fell silent, in their haste to find out whether or not Dumbledore was been impersonated, they had forgotten that Hermione's mother was dating a Death Eater and maybe in mortal danger.
Of course Hermione had to get home and make sure her mother was safe, thought Harry. And Ron seemed to agree.
"Ok then" said Ron. "I'll go with you"
Hermione didn't know how she felt about that. Confronting a Death Eater was dangerous and she didn't like the idea of putting anyone else in danger, over something that was very personal to her. Let alone putting the one person she loved most in danger.
yet again confronting a Death Eaterwas dangerous, and having the person you love the most by your side was something you might need. .
"A moment ago you were all set to help Harry sneak into Dumbledore's Office. Now you're all set to let Harry go off on his own."
"Well I've had a change of heart. Besides like you said, Harry has a better chance of getting in and out if he is alone."
Hermione looked into Ron's eyes, and knew there was no way of talking him out of it. where she went he would fellow.
"Ok then" said Harry. "you guys take the Marauders map. It'll help you sneak to the one- eyed witch passageway. There you can enter honeydukes and apparate to Hermione's house"
"Ok, But what about you?"asked Hermione.
"Don't worry about me" said Harry. "I've got the invisibility cloak."
"Ok then, I guess this is it, we'll see you later"
The fat lady's portrait swung open as Harry, Ron and Hermione left the Gryffindor common room. Harry put on the invisibility cloak and made his way to Dumbledore's office, while Hermione and Ron checked the marauders map for teachers patrolling the hallways.
The coast was clear, and Hermione and Ron made their way to the third floor corridor. When they arrived, they checked the map again to see if the coast was still clear. But this time It wasn't, this time it showed Argus Filch the caretaker stood right next to the Statue
"We have a problem" said Hermione.
"What is it" asked Ron.
"Filch is stood right next to the one-eyed witch passageway" said Hermione.
"Well lets wait a minute" said Ron. "maybe he'll move."
Hermione didn't like the idea of waiting, every minute that went by, was another minute that Arnold Parkinson could be torturing her mother.
A minute passed and Filch still hadn't moved. Hermione wondered why he was stood there, had he figured out that this was a secret passageway, and he had taken it upon himself to guarding it?
" He still hasn't moved" gasped Ron.
"We can't wait for him to move" said Hermione.
"Hang on" said Ron "I'll check what he's doing."
Ron poked his head around the corner. Argus Filtch wasn't stood besides the one-eyed witch statue, in fact he was on his hands and knees scrubbing out a big green slimy mess next to it.
"Blooming kids" he mumbled. no doun't this was a practical joke from one of the students, because that big green mess, was one of the Weasley's wizarding wonders products. A slime bomb that is designed to go off when someone specific gets in range. It takes hours to clean up.
This was just bad timeing.
"what is it Ron?" asked Hermione.
Ron turned back to face Hermione. "It's one of Fred and George's special slime bomb's" he said.
Hermione huffed in frustration. "Those two."
"Yeah, and by the looks of things he'll be there all night"
" We need a distraction" said Hermione.
"leave it to me" said Ron.
"Ron what are you going to do?"asked Hermione.
"something I've wanted to do for a very long time" said Ron.
He then walked round the corner and into Filtch's sight. For a moment, Ron and Filtch just staired at each other, like two cowboys waiting to draw. Ron then cupped his hand and shouted
"Hay Filtch, Mrs Norris is a maingy smelly beast.
Filtch's face went red with anger. He had never looked so angry in his life. That was it. The mess would have to wait, right now he was going to get that Weaslay brat. He had suffered at the hands of the Weasley's before, but this time they had insulted his cat and no one gets away with that.
"Come here you!" he shouted.
Ron quickly made a run for it and Filtch chased after him.
Hermione had hidden behind a suit of armor, so Filtch hadn't seen her as he ran passed. Not that he would have noticed her anyway, his attention was so focused on Ron, that he wouldn't have seen a giant.
Hermione made her way to the statue. there was no way of getting to it without stepping through the mess, she just hoped that it wouldn't leave a stain.
"Dissendium" she said saying the password. And the statue's hump opened. Hermione slided into the tunnel and proceeded to Honeydukes.
Hermione had never been through this tunnel before and was surprised by how long it took. She worried about her mother, she needed to get through this tunnel as quickly as she could.
Once she was through and in Honeydukes cellar, Hermione took a breath to compose herself, she was about to go into battle against a very cunning Death Eater and she was alone, she needed a moment. Then hesitating no longer she apparated out of sight.