Chapter 2

Harry sat at a small desk in Professor Snape's heavily scented office, his mind racing. He had to go and meet Ron and Hermione now before it was too late to kill the vile creature that had caused much havoc in the wizarding world. The Hevera. About two weeks ago, the Hevera had killed a number of well-known wizards including Fiona Goonsbee, the main journalist of the Daily Prophet and Thomas Fudge, a famous Auror and cousin to Cornelius Fudge. Onlookers said the victims were killed by strangulation.

People began to live in fear. They rarely left their houses and began buying alarming amounts pepper spray, which came in very handy because the Hevera would go blind for three minutes, giving someone enough time to escape. It felt as if the Hevera was actually Voldemort.

When Harry, Ron and Hermione went to the Burrow for Christmas a week ago, to their very great surprise, they found the Hevera lurking behind a clump of bushes. A truly disgusting thing it was. It resembled a house elf, except it was slightly smaller and had large, blood-colored eyes. Its mouth contained numerous razor sharp teeth and its hands had very long fingers, perfect for strangling. After a furious struggle, which involved a broken nose for Harry, a bleeding lip for Hermione and a few hairs yanked out for Ron, they managed to subdue the Hevera. Secretly, they took it upstairs to Ron's room, bound it tightly in a cloak and put it in Harry's trunk. They did not want anyone to know as that would have attracted too much attention, especially from the Ministry, and the only way to kill it was to give it a Death Potion. That meant doing it at school. At the top of the Astronomy tower.

Harry fidgetted in his chair and cleared his throat loudly. Snape, who was seated behind his desk and reading a large volume, looked up.

"Yes?' he hissed.

'I was wondering if I could go now, sir?' Harry said.

Snape surveyed him for a while then buried his greasy nose into the book again, as if Hary hadn't said anything. He's gonna smear the pages, Harry thought, he's gonna smear the pages with his –

'Potter!' Snape snarled. 'Need I remind you that I am accomplished when it comes to reading minds? You are disturbing my concentration.'

Harry's heart skipped a beat. What if he knows about the Hevera? What if he reads Harry's mind and sees the Hevera?

"Where are you so eager to go Potter?' Snape said quietlt, his eyes scrutinizing Harry's.

Harry knew he was doing it now so he tried to think of something else, anything else, like desperately wanting to use the loo.

Snape looked revolted and Harry felt satisfied.

'Give me your lines,' he said coldly.

Harry stood up and held the paper with 'I will not swear at my teacher again' written repeatedly on it to Snape. Snape snatched it from him just as the silence was interrupted by a polite knock on the door.

'Come in!' Snape Harry's surprise, Ron and Hermione entered, looking very flushed. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione gave him a look that said shut up!

'What do you want?' Snape demanded.

'Please, sir,' Hermione said, 'but Harry has to come and finish his Transfiguration essay or else he'll be in trouble with Professor McGonagall tomorrow.'

Snape narrowed his eyes, looked from Harry to Hermione to Ron, who stood there looking very grim, and said,' There's something that you three are up to. But I will not question it. You may go, Potter, and next time you use any vulgar speech in my lesson I will get you expelled.'

Harrry gave a curt 'thank you' then hurried out of the room with Ron and Hermione.

'We need to hurry!' Hermione burst out once they were two floors away from Snape and they started to jog under the Invisibility cloak through the deserted hallways.

''Snape's a real nosy scumbag, isn't he?' Ron said.

'Yes, it's like he knows,' said Harry. 'I tried; he wouldn't let me go out.'

'It's not going to work, I just know it! That means we'll have to keep it for another three days!'

'Hermione, relax!' Ron said, as they began to climb the spiral staircase that led to the trapdoor.

When they reached the top, Hermione cursed herself for leaving the door open.

'How could I?' Hermione sobbed as they emerged at the top of the tower.

'Oh no,' Ron said, 'where is it?'

They all looked around and saw nothing except the abandoned cloak. The Hevera had escaped.