Harry was trotting across the grounds of Hogwarts toward Hagrid's cabin. He and Hermione had done their best to simplify their plan, so that nothing could go wrong. Hermione would approach Professor Dumbledore in his office and invite him on a walk, partly for fun, and partly as an escort so she could go ask Hagrid review questions for tomorrow's exam. Harry, meanwhile, would go directly down to Hagrid's and mention seeing a unicorn earlier in the day. When Hermione arrived with Dumbledore, she and Harry would send Dumbledore and Hagrid on a walk through the Forbidden Forest to search for the unicorn. Once Harry and Hermione were alone, they would steal away on the motorcycle and prepare to rescue Sirius.
As Harry walked past the hippogriff pen, he saw Ron and Hermione leaving Hagrid's cabin, on their way toward the Shrieking Shack. Harry waved and they exchanged "hellos" as they passed. Harry then walked up to Hagrid's door and knocked loudly. It took Hagrid only a moment to answer Harry's knock.
"Harry! Haven' seen yer in a while. Come on in! Would yer like summat to drink? I have a pot o' water boilin', if yer'd like a spot o' tea."
Harry wasn't a fan of Hagrid's tea; it worked better as a cleaning solvent than as a beverage. Harry accepted the tea anyway, because he needed to keep Hagrid occupied with casual conversation for several minutes before mentioning the unicorn. If Harry brought up the unicorn too early, Hagrid was liable to charge into the forest immediately, before Dumbledore and Hermione had arrived. But Harry knew that both Dumbledore and Hagrid needed to be present to discover Harry and Sirius at the lake, so Harry had to stall. There was so much riding on this bit of small talk that Harry could feel himself beginning to sweat. It was the most nerve-wracking casual conversation that Harry had ever had.
As Hagrid made tea, Harry looked around the hut, trying to think up some subject for conversation. His thoughts kept returning to Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, no matter how much Harry tried to think of something else. It took Harry several moments to realize that asking questions about his parents and their friends was a natural subject of conversation, and that Hagrid wouldn't find anything suspicious about it.
"Hagrid, earlier this year you said that you knew my parents and Sirius Black, right?" Harry asked.
"Sure did, Harry. We weren' best friends, but I knew 'em. They were younger 'n me, 'n' all."
"Tell me about them," Harry said. "How did my father and Sirius Black meet?"
Hagrid laughed. "They met on the train ter Hogwarts, an' no one could separate 'em after that. They were always up to summat or another. Thick as thieves, those two were."
"What about Professor Lupin and Peter Pettigrew?" Harry asked.
"Those two came later," Hagrid said. "Professor Lupin and Peter were a quiet sort. Didn' have many friends, those two. Always gettin' made fun of by the Slytherins, Professor Lupin fer how he dressed, an' Peter fer beein' the portly type, if yer know what I mean." Harry nodded in understanding. It wasn't too far off how Draco treated Neville Longbottom. "Peter and Professor Lupin and Peter got ter know yer dad 'n' Sirius in their second or third year, maybe. It was almost like yer dad an' Sirius adopted 'em."
"Did you know Peter Pettigrew very much?"
Hagrid shrugged. "Yeh, I knew 'im a bit. Like I said, quiet lil' guy. Bad way ter go, the way he went. Only ever found his lil' finger, yer know."
"Oh, I know," said Harry with a scowl. "What was he like?'
"He was nervous, always lookin' over his shoulder. Squirrelly, yer know? I never understood why yer Dad liked 'im so much. Yer mum never liked 'im, yeh know. But then agin', yer Dad never liked how close yer mum was to Snape."
Harry's head snapped around. "What?"
Outside, there was a loud squawking. Hagrid turned his head. "Somethin's upsettin' the hippogriffs," he said, more to himself than to Harry.
Harry looked out the window, as well. The cause of the commotion was clear: the hippogriffs were screeching at Hermione and Dumbledore as they walked past the hippogriff pen.
"Looks like I hafter put on more tea," Hagrid said. "Wouldjer answer the door fer me, Harry?"
Harry opened the door just as Hermione and Dumbledore arrived. Hermione was standing slightly behind Dumbledore, and she gave Harry a thumbs-up. Things seemed to be going according to plan.
"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said. "How delightfully unexpected to see you here. When Ms. Granger proposed that we take a walk to visit Hagrid, I didn't expect such good company."
"Hello, Professor Dumbledore, sir!" Hagrid called from the stove. "I have some tea on, if yeh'd like!"
"Yes, please," Dumbledore said as he stepped inside the cabin.
"Good ter see yeh again, Hermione," Hagrid said. "What happened to Ron?"
"He was headed back to Gryffindor tower," Hermione said. "I decided that I wanted to come back down and ask some more questions about tomorrow's exam."
Harry feigned surprise. "Our exam is tomorrow? Hermione, you promised you'd help me study!"
Hermione gasped and raised her hands to her mouth. The gesture was comical—she was a terrible actress. "Harry! I totally forgot! Whatever shall we do?"
Dumbledore smiled gently. "It seems our walk must be cut short, in the interests of your marks. A regrettable development; I had grown quite fond of the idea of a stroll through the forest."
"It would be a good night for it," Harry said casually. "I think I saw a unicorn earlier."
Hagrid spun from the stove. "A unicorn? That's great, Harry! The unicorns kep' away after sommat was eatin' 'em two years ago. If they're back…" Hagrid's face fell suddenly. "But I can't go lookin' for 'em tonight, not with all the dementer's aroun'. Give me the willies, they do."
"Perhaps I can accompany you," Dumbledore said. "I consider managing the Forbidden Forest to be official Hogwarts business, after all. The rest of my work can wait." Dumbledore smiled, and his blue eyes twinkled.
"Hermione and I can stay here and study," Harry suggested. "When you and Professor Dumbledore come back from your walk, Hermione and I will go back to the castle."
"This is not the safest plan we have ever devised," Dumbledore said. "Not with dementors surrounding the school and Sirius Black still at large."
"We'll be safe," Harry said. "We'll lock the door and draw the curtains. Nobody will even know we're here!"
Hermione put her two cents in, as well. "Professor Dumbledore, if there's a unicorn in the forest, it's best to know right away. If Hagrid can't find it and help it settle in the forest, it might move on!" Hermione reached up to her neck and scratched, right at her collar. Her hands caught the chain of her time turner. "Besides," she said, "I'm sure it'll be worth your time."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled again. "Indeed? Well, why not. The two of you seem responsible enough." Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "Would you suggest a particular location for our stroll?"
"Try the bridge, first," Harry said. The location was far away from Hagrid's hut, and it would allow Harry and Hermione to safely abscond with the motorcycle. "If not there, stop by the lake on your way back."
Dumbledore smiled. "A fine suggestion for a walk, Mr. Potter. Shall we, Hagrid?" Dumbledore opened the door to the cabin, and led Hagrid into the night. Harry and Hermione waited several minutes, pretending to study, making sure that Dumbledore and Hagrid were well away from the cabin.
"Okay, I think they're gone for good," Harry said. "Now we just need the keys to the motorcycle. Hagrid told me earlier in the year that he locked them in the box on the bookshelf, but we need to find the key to that box."
Harry and Hermione started rummaging around the hut, searching for the hidden key. They looked under the bed, atop the doorframe, in various boxes and jars, but they couldn't find the key anywhere. Harry quickly grew frustrated. As Hermione continued to search, Harry stood in the middle of the room, arms folded. Where would Hagrid keep his keys?
As Harry looked around, something shiny caught Harry's eye. Hanging from a hook next to the door was a small key.
It seemed ridiculous, but then again, Hagrid had never been one for safety. Harry snatched the key off the hook and thrust it into the locked box. It turned easily. Harry removed the keys to the motorcycle and jangled them lightly in the air.
"Where'd you find the key to the box?" Hermione asked.
"Er…" Harry closed and locked the box, then returned the key to its hook. "Here?"
"It's like 'The Purloined Letter,'" Hermione said. "Hiding in plain sight."
"Sure," said Harry. "I bet that's exactly what Hagrid was going for."
"So where's the motorcycle?" Hermione asked.
"Hagrid said it's down in the stables," Harry said as he walked to the door.
"Hogwarts has stables?" Hermione said.
Harry nodded. "I've seen them on the Marauder's Map before, but I just figured that they weren't being used any longer. Hagrid says he keeps thestrals in them, sometimes." Harry stopped at the threshold of Hagrid's cabin and reached into the pockets of his robes. After a moment's rummaging, Harry found his invisibility cloak and unfurled it. "Get under this," Harry said.
Hermione stepped closer. "What is it?" she asked.
With a twirl, Harry pulled the cloak around them. "It's my invisibility cloak," he said.
"You have an invisibility cloak!?" Hermione yelled, voice full of excitement.
"It doesn't work if you shout," Harry said.
"You have an invisibility cloak?" Hermione repeated, more quietly. She turned to Harry, and realized that she was standing unexpectedly close. Their faces were only inches apart.
"I've had it since first year," Harry said in a low voice. "It used to be my dad's."
"It's amazing," Hermione said, lightly touching the cloak with her hands. She glanced up at Harry, looking at him through her eyelashes. Harry suddenly noticed the smell of Hermione's shampoo, a fruity sort of apple smell, which was very strong under the cloak.
"I… er… I thought Ron would have told you," Harry whispered.
"Ron. Right." Hermione turned her head to one side. "He knows about it?"
"He and I used it first year to go see Fluffy at Christmas," Harry said. He was puzzled. A second ago, things had seemed like… something. But now they weren't.
"We need to focus," Hermione said. "Let's get to the stables."
"This way," Harry whispered. He put a hand at the small of Hermione's back, gently moving her toward the door. Harry opened the door for Hermione, but left his hand on her back. It was absolutely necessary to do so. They had to stay quiet under the invisibility cloak. And close. So the cloak wouldn't flutter up and reveal their feet. No other reason.
"You don't have to keep pushing me," Hermione said, as they stepped outside. Her face was a little red, and she looked straight ahead, refusing to turn and look at Harry standing next to her.
Harry jerked his hand back. "Sorry." He closed the door behind them, then pointed to an old path leading away from Hagrid's cabin, past the pumpkin patch and out of sight. "This way."
Harry was quiet for the rest of the walk. Things had gotten strange. As if things could possibly become stranger than time travelling to rescue an escaped convict from execution.
The stables were obviously ancient, and in a terrible state of disrepair. There were holes in the roof in multiple places, and there were no doors attached to the enormous hinges at the entrance of the stables. The open entrance did not give the impression of hospitality. Instead, Harry was left with the feeling that the it was some sort of sinister lure, inviting him to enter with the false promise of an easy exit.
Despite the dilapidated appearance of the stables, Hagrid was clearly using them for something. There were several fresh bales of hay piled near the entrance, and next to the hay was large, frost-covered metal box. The box seemed to be enchanted with a permanent cooling charm, and Harry was wondering what it contained when he noticed the dark stains on and around the box's steel colored doors. Harry couldn't be sure from this distance, but those looked like bloodstains.
Harry was not interested in moving closer to confirm his suspicions.
"What is Hagrid doing down here?" Hermione asked quietly. She and Harry had stopped short of the stables. The invisibility cloak was wrapped tightly around them, and they had both drawn their wands.
"I don't know," Harry whispered in reply. "Should we go back?"
"There isn't enough time," Hermione said. She was right—the broom closets would be locked by the time they made it to the quidditch pitch. They were committed to their plan.
"I guess we go in," Harry said. But neither Harry nor Hermione took a step forward.
After several more seconds spent staring at the stables, Hermione shivered. "It's so quiet," she said. "I don't like it."
Harry nodded. "It feels like we're being watched," he said.
Again, the two students fell silent, staring into the darkness of the stables.
"Nothing's going to get accomplished if we just stand here," Hermione said. Her words were far more confident than her voice.
"The sooner we get the motorcycle, the sooner we can leave," Harry agreed.
"Right."
"So…" Harry drew out the word, doing his best to delay the inevitable. "Ready to go in?"
Hermione shuddered again. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Harry transferred his wand to his left hand, the same hand he was using to hold the cloak shut. He reached down with his right and took Hermione's hand in his. Harry was certain that Hermione would pull away, but she immediately threaded her fingers through his. Harry gave her hand a squeeze, and Hermione squeezed back.
"Okay," Harry said. "Let's go find a motorcycle."
The two students entered slowly. The stables were creepy, even though they were completely empty. The vacant stalls on either side of them loomed like open mouths, gaping ominously in the gloom. Many of the stalls were filled with piles of hay, arranged in large lumps with a depression in the middle, as if some sort of animal had been using the stable to sleep. A few of the stalls had dark smears on the ground or on the walls, the same red-black substance that had stained the doors of the meat cooler.
There were probably a thousand innocent explanations for Hagrid to keep a bloodstained meat cooler… Harry just couldn't think of any at the moment, in the fading twilight.
They found the motorcycle in the last stall, lashed under a tarp. Harry quickly uncovered the bike and hopped onto the seat. He used lumos to light the dark stall and took a few moments to familiarize himself with the controls.
Hermione waited for Harry at the stall's entrance. She had pulled down the hood of the invisibility cloak, but was keeping the cloak wrapped around her shoulders, clutched tightly in her hands. As Harry examined the motorcycle, Hermione began to glance nervously behind her, into the deepening darkness of the stables. There was almost no light left from the sun.
"Can you hurry?" Hermione asked nervously. "The light's almost gone."
"I'm doing my best," Harry said. Luckily, wizards considered muggle technology to be a mystery, and Hagrid had labeled the majority of the controls with pictograms or small words. As Harry moved his hands around the bike, he began to see how everything made sense.
Hermione let out a shriek of fright and spun around, raising her wand and pointing it into the darkness. "Something touched me!" she shouted.
Harry raised his wand and aimed it into the blackness of the stables, moving it quickly from side to side. The light of his lumos charm revealed nothing.
"There's nothing there," Harry said.
"Something touched me," Hermione repeated.
"It's just your nerves."
"Then why haven't you put your wand away?" she asked angrily.
It was a fair point. Harry was still aiming his wand into the darkness, just like Hermione. "Where did-" Harry began.
"Shh." Hermione shook her head. "Listen."
Harry fell silent. The only sound he could hear was his own breath. Nothing moved in the stables—Harry and Hermione might as well have been standing in a crypt.
Except…
"There," Hermione said. Harry listened, and then he heard it again. A rustling noise. The scraping sound of hay.
"It's probably just the wind," Harry said weakly. But he knew there was no wind.
"Lumos," Hermione incanted. Her wand lit and she shined the light into the darkness. There was no movement in path at the center of the stables, but as Hermione directed the light from stall to stall, Harry saw something that made his blood run cold. The hay in the stall across from them was moving and shifting, but not in the way that hay would blow in the wind. Instead, the hay was sinking and compressing, as if some sort of invisible weight were settling upon it.
"Hermione, get on the bike," Harry said. He glanced down at the controls of the motorcycle. He wasn't precisely sure he knew how they worked, but it was time to find out.
Hermione was still moving the light from her wand around the stables. It seemed as if she had not seen the movement of the hay. "What is it?" Hermione said.
"Just… do what I say and get on the bike," Harry said.
Hermione began backing toward Harry, light still pointed into the darkness of the stables. Something in Harry's voice had finally conveyed the urgency of the situation.
"Get on the bike behind me," Harry said, once Hermione had reached the motorcycle. Hermione took one last look into the darkness before extinguishing her wand. Hermione moved toward the motorcycle, then hesitated, glancing at the sidecar.
"Come on," Harry said impatiently. At the edge of the light from his wand, he could see that the hay in the opposite stall was still moving unnaturally.
With a shake of her head, Hermione stepped forward and climbed onto the bike behind Harry. "It'll be easier for Sirius to get into the sidecar," Hermione said quietly, and Harry wasn't sure whether she was speaking to him or to herself. "Where do I hold on?" Hermione asked.
"There's only one set of handles," Harry said absently. The movement of the hay was beginning to change, but Harry couldn't see it clearly enough to know what was happening. "Grab around my waist."
Hermione blushed, but scooted forward and wrapped her arms around Harry's waist.
"Here we go," Harry said. He turned the key and the motorcycle engine roared to life, a deep, bass thrumming. The headlight flared and flooded the opposite stall with light. Harry could see the hay clearly, now, and the invisible weight appeared to be lifting. Whatever had settled on the hay before had changed its mind, and was now standing up.
"Did you see that?!" Hermione yelled over the sound of the engine.
"Yes!" Harry yelled back. Harry twisted the accelerator, and the bike gingerly moved forward and into main row of the stables. As the bike left its stall, Harry saw the hay across from him was being pushed backwards. The invisible thing was coming forward, out of its stall.
"HARRY!" Hermione yelled.
"I KNOW!" Harry shouted back. Harry twisted the throttle and the bike jerked forward, but not before Harry a blast of hot, rancid-meat breath on his face. Harry put his head down and focused on controlling the motorcycle as it rumbling toward the entrance of the stables. As Harry continued to accelerate, he felt the front wheel of the motorcycle began to shake and wobble. Hermione's arms wrapped tightly around him as he struggled to maintain control over the enormous motorcycle. Harry was pushing the limits of his ability to drive, but he would rather face the danger of the motorcycle than whatever invisible carnivorous monster was lurking behind in the darkness.
With a roar, the motorcycle burst out of the stables. The sound of the engine echoed through the trees, and Harry thought that the blue-black of the night sky had never seemed so welcoming.
Harry did not release the accelerator until he and Hermione were a substantial distance away from the stables. The motorcycle coasted to a halt, and Harry turned to look back. There was no sign that anything was following them.
Now that he was away from the stable, the panic that Harry had felt only moments before seemed foolish. There were no invisible monsters in the Hogwarts stables. Just the wind and the darkness and Harry's mind playing tricks. Maybe the smell of rotting meat from Hagrid's awful meat cooler.
But Harry wasn't about to go back and check.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked Hermione, glancing over his shoulder.
Hermione's arms were still wrapped tightly around Harry's chest, and her face was crushed against his back. "Are we safe?"
"I think so," Harry said. "We're not dead yet, at least."
Hermione looked up, loosening her grip slightly, but she didn't let go of Harry. When she saw that the stables were still in sight, she made a face.
"I want to get as far away from here as possible," she said.
"I can manage that," Harry replied. He glanced back down at the controls. Now that he had an extra moment to consider them, Hagrid's pictograms made perfect sense. "Ready?" Harry asked.
"For what?"
Harry grinned and pressed a button, then jammed the throttle forward. The motorcycle leapt into the air with a mighty roar of its engine. No matter how loud the engine was, it was not loud enough to drown out the sound of Hermione's scream of surprise. Hermione tightened her arms around Harry's chest, once again pulling herself close and burying her head into the back of Harry's robes.
Moments later, Harry and Hermione were above the Forbidden Forest, looking down at the night. The stables were out of sight, hidden by a distant line of trees. Hermione was still clinging to Harry, almost violently.
"Look at everything," Harry said, gesturing to the landscape. "It's so beautiful."
"It's beautiful from the ground, too," Hermione said in a small voice.
Harry paused for a moment, lost in thought.
"There's something I need to say," Harry said. He paused for a moment, trying to find words for what he was going to say next.
"Harry," Hermione said, "I don't know if this is a good idea…"
"I think I saw my dad tonight," Harry said.
"What?" Hermione seemed thrown, as if she had expected Harry to say something else.
"At the lake, with Sirius. There was somebody else on the other side. I was trying to keep the dementors back, but I couldn't stop them all. They were attacking me and Black, and they were going to kiss us both. Just before I passed out, I saw someone across the lake. He looked… like my dad."
"Harry, your father passed away years ago."
"I know what I saw," Harry said. "But even if you don't believe me, we can see for ourselves, before we rescue black from the tower. I have another chance, and I want to figure out who it was."
"We have to stay hidden, Harry."
"We will. But I have to know."
Hermione pulled herself closer and rested her head against Harry's back. "Okay, Harry. We'll go."
Harry pulled the bike around to look at the Hogwarts clock tower. It was almost nine fifteen, and the full moon had risen above the horizon.
The moon.
Harry pressed down on the motorcycle throttle and the engine roared once again. The bike raced forward into the night.
"Harry! What are you doing?"
"The moon just rose, Hermione! In a few seconds, Pettigrew is going to steal your wand and run out of the Shrieking Shack." Harry leaned forward and hit the throttle again. "I'm going to be waiting for him."
A/N: Only three more chapters to go in this book! Then we're on to Book 4, Harry Potter and the Tri-Wizard Tournament. (I have the worst titles, I know.) It's probably time to favorite me as an author, if you haven't already, so that I don't lose you when I switch books.