Hazel spent the next while thinking a lot about the strange building in the Forest. There were so many questions; why had it been built in the Forest, away from prying eyes? Had the Hogwarts founders really been the ones to build it and if so, why had they done so? What did it do that couldn't done within the castle? Most importantly of all, why had her mum's wand led her straight to it, down a path that no one could have ever found on their own? She lay awake for hours, listening to Romilda Vane snoring and running her fingers over her wand, these questions and others running around and around in her mind with no chance of answers. All they had was the worn magical sign above the door, the Brave, the Cunning, the Clever and the Kind. It did sound like something the Hogwarts founders would do; didn't everyone say how brave Gryffindors were supposed to be, how Ravenclaw took the smartest students, Helga Hufflepuff took in anyone. The only one that confused her was Slytherin. Was he known for being cunning?
When she finally got to ask Atia and Ginny about it, Atia frowned in response, "Salazar Slytherin was famous for his ambition but also his cunning, yes. It would not have been the trait he most famous for however."
"I imagine it was convenient," Ginny scowled down at her Potions homework, "It sounds a lot better than 'The Brave, the Clever, the Kind, The Evil Snake-breeding Git', doesn't it?"
Atia rolled her eyes, but Hazel couldn't keep from giggling. That earned her a very stern look from Madam Pince, the librarian who patrolled silently between the tables that like a book-loving dementor. There was another question that Hazel had been struggling with ever since they'd returned to the castle that night, perhaps the one that had kept her up more than any other.
"Do you think I should tell Harry?" She asked.
"You can," Ginny whispered with a quick check to make sure Madam Pince wasn't anywhere near,
"But you know what'll happen if you do."
"He'll tell me to stay away from it," Her stomach dropped at the very idea. They were supposed to be keeping themselves out of trouble, with Sirius Black on the loose and dementors everywhere and she knew that's what Harry would say. He'd want her to stay in the castle where it was safe. It wasn't exactly fair, given how many times Harry had thrown himself into danger without thinking. It was only last year that he'd had heard voices in the wall talking about killing people and run straight at them. This wasn't even that dangerous really, it was inside the school grounds after all. In the Forbidden Forest admittedly but still inside the walls. Besides, Harry was back at quidditch training now so he wasn't in the Common Room much anyway.
Ginny nodded, "That's why I'm not telling Ron. It's bad enough getting lectured by mum, dad and Percy without having him on my case as well."
"Shush!" Madam Pince had this amazing skill of making a whispered word sound like the most dangerous thing on the planet and they quickly went back to their homework. Well, Ginny and Atia did as Hazel had finished her potions homework that morning before breakfast. Snape may have been making potions even more unpleasant than usual, thanks to some rumours about Lupin and a boggart in Defence Against the Dark Arts, but the class itself was still interesting.
No, Hazel had opened in front of her Hogwarts: A History, looking for any clues about what the strange building might be. It wasn't proving easy, as the book was the size of a large paving stone and had detailed everything to do with Hogwarts in such mind-numbing detail that it was a surprise Professor Binns hadn't written it. Hazel had already glossed over the 'Great Retiling of 1124' and 'The Strange Smell Of The Western Corridor' with just a headache, a growing frustration and a determination to avoid the western side of the school whenever possible.
"There must be a way to get inside," She sighed without thinking, running her finger along the paragraph regaling with great enthusiasm 'The Chicken Count of the Coronation Year.'
"It has to be a spell," Ginny looked up eagerly from where she'd been doodling stickmen Snapes on her potions book, "Just imagine how powerful the founders' protective charms would be."
"So you keep saying," Atia looked up as she dipped her quill in her ink bottle, "And as I keep saying, there are no spells to unlock a door other than alohomora."
"Since when did you become the spells expert?"
"Everyone knows that; it is common sense."
"Well if you're so smart why did they make it a keyh-"
BANG!
All three girls screamed as Madam Pince slammed a book the size of a paving slab on the table between them. While they tried to get their breath back, Madam Pince pointed to the door with one long, thin finger, "OUT!"
Hazel gave the library a wide berth for the next few days, until Madam Pince had calmed down a little bit. It was a Thursday morning when she woke early as per usual. The last few mornings she'd just stayed in bed but today she felt like trying the library again. So she got out of bed, crept to the door so she didn't wake the other girls, not that it mattered much, Hagrid could have been line-dancing across the room and they couldn't have heard it over Romilda, washed, dressed and headed down to the Common Room. It was, as usual, almost entirely deserted apart from one table that was piled high with massive books so thick they made Hogwarts: A History look like a colouring book. Hermione sat at the table, her nose inches from Gabbling in Goobledegook: A beginners guide to goblin speak.
"Morning, Hermione?" Hazel asked, hesitantly.
"What? Oh, good morning," Hermione looked around. There were bags under her eyes that Hazel didn't remember seeing there before, "I thought I would get up early, get a head start on some of my new classes."
"How long have you been awake?" There were enough books on the table to fill out a small library, "And what new classes?"
"Oh, I've been up for a few hours now," Hermione said as she went back to her book, "And I discovered that there's voluntary classes you can take without classes. Did you know there's an O.W.L in Goobledegook? And then there's Magical Theory, that I just had to take!"
"Don't you think you're maybe taking on too much?"
"Oh no! I'm only doing fourteen subjects! My timetable just about fits in the twelve, if I don't mind catching up on some classes but I couldn't drop anything! I think it's terrible that there's no Professor for goobledegook, we should be building stronger relations with goblins and this would help us understand them so much more than making them speak our language all the time! Of course, I did look up in Hogwarts: A History and there hasn't been a goblin professor at Hogwarts since Slabor the Slighted left in 1888."
"And magical theory?"
"That's the most amazing subject yet! We spend all our time at Hogwarts leaning how to cast spells, what words and motions we need to make for things to happen, but Magical Theory is the art of how spells are created, how witches and wizards refine them and the theory around charm construction! It's absolutely fascinating! I wish they'd taught it to us in first year, it would make things so much clearer!"
Hazel wasn't sure how it would, their classes were difficult enough, but Hermione looked very tired and very stressed so now didn't seem the best time to disagree, "Are you going down to the Great Hall for breakfast? I'm going to the library so I could walk with you that far?"
"Oh, the library!" Hermione perked up, "I need to visit today, there's a book I need to get, 'The Fundamentals of Magical Theory' by Eleazar Fig to help with my first homework assignment."
"Okay, and breakfast?"
"Oh no, I won't have time for that! I might grab something at lunch though. Now, I really need to get back to this," Hermione tapped impatiently at her book, "Goblin tenses are so very complicated. I wish I'd spent more time learning French this summer, it would have made this so much easier to understand!"
Duly dismissed, Hazel climbed out of the portrait hole and headed for the library. Poor Hermione, at the rate she was going, they'd be lucky if she had another meal between now and Christmas. What on earth had possessed her to take on fourteen subjects? Ginny said Bill and Percy had done twelve each and that they'd been a nightmare to live with for the entirety of their O. . Hermione was the smartest person she knew but surely even she was going to struggle with so many?
She was walking without even really noticing, on autopilot as she headed for the library. As she passed the bathrooms on the third floor, the door of the boy's bathroom burst open and frightened the life out of her. It was Peeves, the Poltergeist floating above her with rolls of toilet paper under one arm and a cruel grin on his wicket face.
"Who did I hear as I sat on my throne?" He cackled as he bobbed and weaved in front of her, "Why it's ickle wee Potter and she's all on her own!"
"Go away, Peeves," she tried to get around him but every time she moved, he would swoop to either side to block her way, his face just inches from hers. It was alarming to see how his eyes popped as he hoovered and how long and large his teeth were.
"Where is wee Potter trying to sneak? That's why the others still think she's a freak!"
"I'm not a freak!" she tried to push him away, but he moved just out of her way, cackling and giggling the whole time. Her heart sank horribly as he kept dancing in front of her. Wasn't that what Aunt Petunia had called her mum two years ago, in that tiny hut in the middle of a storm?
"I was the only one who saw her for what she was, a freak!"
Peeves cackled even more cruelly, "What do we do when the freak starts to shout? We pelt her with bog roll, that sorts her right out!"
He took one of the toilet rolls and threw it at her, Hazel yelped as she ducked the first shot but the second one hit her in the forehead. Tears were starting to prickle at the corner of her eyes, why wouldn't he leave her alone? Why did he have to torment her?
"Levisio!" A voice shouted from behind her. The toilet roll in Peeves' hand rose up out of his grasp and slapped him in the side of the head. He shouted in anger as the others he still had tucked under his arm did the same, swarming around and attacking for their former master. Cursing and yelling, Peeves zoomed down the corridor with the paper in hot pursuit like a cloud of angry bees. Hazel laughed as he disappeared, the sadness gone in a flash as he got some measure of comeuppance and looked around for her new hero.
It was a prefect in Hufflepuff robes, a sixth year with blonde hair and, Hazel couldn't help but notice, a very handsome face. He had his wand out and he was looking at her with concern,
"Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"I'm okay," Hazel tried to wipe her eyes without him noticing. She didn't want him to see she'd been crying, "Thanks for helping."
The boy smiled warmly, and Hazel felt her cheeks go a little pink. He really was very, very good looking. His smile was a little like Lockhart's, only not so forced, and with the ability to actually do some magic, "You'll learn that one in fourth year. It's very handy for dealing with Peeves. That's why he usually leaves older students alone. Where were you going?"
"The library," Hazel managed to say, because it felt like her brain had forgotten how words worked. She was trying very hard not to stare but he had the most amazing eyes...
"Ah, I'm heading down to breakfast," He put his wand away, "You shouldn't need to worry about Peeves, that spell will last a little longer. I'm Cedric, by the way, Cedric Diggory."
"I'm Hazel," There was a moment of awkward silence then she cleared her throat, "Hazel Potter."
"Oh, cool," His eyes swept up to her forehead and she knew he was looking for a scar. It didn't happen very often but sometimes people did check just in case. Her happiness deflated a little bit, "I'll see you around, Hazel."
He walked off past her. Hazel stood rooted to the spot and tried to process what had happened. Her cheeks were still bright red, she could feel how warm they were when she touched them. Why did she suddenly feel so happy as well? She shook her head to clear it, if she wanted to get anything done before classes then she needed to hurry up. As it turned out, the library was a waste of time. It was just like Atia had said, every single reference she found to unlocking doors said to use alohomora. No help there then. She was still early enough down to breakfast that she was able to take a couple of rounds of toast and a cup of tea up to the Gryffindor common room. If Hermione wasn't going to go to breakfast, then breakfast would have to come to her.
They tried every book they could think of in the library, everything from Hogwarts: A History to When Taps Attack: Magical Handiwork Gone Bad but there was nothing. No spells, no clever incantations or ancient charms. Hazel was starting to think that Ginny was right, if the founders really had protected that building then there was no way they would find the answer in a book.
"Well," Ginny slammed the book she'd been researching shut, "There's only one thing for it, we'll have to go back."
Atia snorted, "Perhaps you think the house has changed it's mind?"
Hazel however had come to the same conclusion as Ginny, "There must be something we missed the first time around. Maybe we couldn't see it in the dark."
"Oh, you mean like another door perhaps? Or maybe they left a note to come back in a week."
"You just don't want to go back into the Forest," Ginny smirked.
"It is not that," Atia said coolly, "We were lucky not to be caught last time, especially with Hazel. We are taking a risk for no gain."
Hazel had thought about that as well, that perhaps the sensible thing to do was just to forget about it. But no, something was burning inside her, something desperate to know why she'd been led to it in the first place.
"I'm going back," She said finally, "This evening. After dinner."
"We can say we're going to visit Hagrid," Ginny nodded.
"The path is nowhere near Hagrid's hut," Atia rolled her eyes, "We are going in the opposite direction."
"Then we'll just tell them you're useless at directions. Easy," Ginny hummed as she went back to her book and skilfully avoided the glare from Atia.
Dinner went by at a crawl. Partly because Hazel was preoccupied by thoughts of the building and kept checking the clock but mostly it was because of Draco Malfoy. He was still walking around with his arm in a sling and acting like he'd survived a fistfight with a dragon. It made her blood boil to see him telling the Slytherins how much it hurt and how he raised his voice every time Hagrid walked past.
"If he does that one more time," said Ginny through gritted teeth as Malfoy groaned loudly in pain as Hagrid left the hall and then sneered at his back, "I'm going to rip that arm off and stuff it down his throat."
Atia was watching her brother intently, hands playing over one another and a look of worry, "Maybe he is still hurt. Maybe it's grown worse since he left the Hospital Wing."
"You know that's not how magical healing works," Ginny snapped, "He's faking it, trying to get Hagrid into even more trouble."
"You heard how he twisted what happened," Hazel scowled over at the Slytherins, "He's telling everyone Buckbeak's dangerous, and you know he's not."
Atia gave her brother another long and searching look as he gave another wince and hissed like he'd just been shot. The Slytherins gathered around him in concern, but Hazel saw the smirk before he was hidden from view.
It was a relief when dinner was finally over, and they could get away from Malfoy's goading. Hazel had been worried there might be a teacher or a prefect on patrol in the entrance hall but thankfully it was clear apart from a few students heading back inside for the night. There wasn't much light as soon as they were out of the castle, the moon was hidden by the same overcast skies and the winds whipped the autumnal leaves across the lawns. It was already way darker than the last time they'd followed Hazel's wand, and they hurried across the grass, keeping as close to the original path as they remembered. It was bad enough that they were out in the dark but if the castle closed down for the night and they were still outside then they'd be in serious trouble. Luckily they didn't run into anyone, though they had to stop a few times so Hazel could cast revelio and get them back on the right track. Finally, they found the same narrow pathway between the trees and before long they were back at the stone house.
It looked exactly the same as it did the last time, still as mossy and overgrown, still as solid and still completely shut. They tried pushing on the door without any luck and Ginny even tried knocking but all that did was bring up the same riddle as before. Atia spent her time striding in a small circle close to the door with her wand out, jumping at every little noise until finally, Hazel and Ginny came back to her.
"Alright," Ginny sighed, "I admit it, this was a waste of time."
"I told you," Atia said, "I told you it would be. We should go befo-"
Boom. Boom.
Atia's mouth snapped shut as she went a deathly white. The ground trembled beneath their feet and the branches rustled, showering them in autumn leaves. All three of them were frozen to the spot in complete silence. There were more booms, the ground shook. They were definitely footsteps. They were definitely getting closer. She didn't even dare look around. She could hear Ginny and Atia breathing very heavily to either side of her. What could it be? A thousand possibilities ran through her mind, each more terrifying than the last. It couldn't actually be a dragon could it? She even thought it might be a dementor until she realised that they floated rather than stomping.
Boom!
There was another rumble through the ground, larger than the last few and the footsteps stopped. There was a deep, grumbling noise that sounded like rushing water. Then another. And then another. Whatever it was, it wasn't getting any closer. Atia turned her head painfully slowly to look at the other two, like any sudden movement would bring the thing down on top of their heads in a flash. For a moment they just looked at one another, waiting to see if that little movement had alerted whatever the monster was. When it was obvious there wasn't a basilisk or a gargoyle or more giant spiders about to swoop down on them, Atia whispered to them, but it was so quiet that Hazel basically had to try and read her lips.
"Let's go."
Ginny nodded but Hazel hesitated. She took a deep breath and stepped forward. Atia stared at her in disbelief. She wasn't tiptoeing away from the building, away from the noise. She was sneaking towards it. Ginny gave her a very pointed look, like she'd completely lost her mind but then looked up to the treetops and then followed her.
"What are you two doing?" Atia mouthed at them and waved her arms as silently as she could. Hazel couldn't even really explain it. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her mouth was bone dry, but something was urging her forward. She had to know what it was. What if it was something to do with the protective charms? What if it was actually something harmless? Every footstep sounded deafening in her ears as she stepped down on twigs and dried leaves that had fallen from the trees above them. It would be amazing if they couldn't hear it back in Privet Drive, it was so loud! But still, on she went, holding her breath without even noticing. As if that was going to be the thing that gave her away. Ahead of them, just off the path was a large shelf created by the roots of a fallen tree. The grumbling noise was coming from behind it, louder than ever, like standing behind a jet engine.
She climbed the ledge as carefully as she could, holding on the damp, rough tree roots and hoping they could take her weight. The smell of moss was even stronger here and she could feel the cold mud soaking into her tights at the knees as she climbed. Her hands were shaking, and she stopped a minute to take a breath. At least Ginny was beside her and looked every bit as scared as she did. There was a slight rustle from behind and she looked to see Atia climbing up behind them. At last, they reached the crest. Hazel called up all the courage she had and looked over the top.
Despite how loud the noise had been, the…thing was actually quite a distance away, on the other side of a small clearing. It was tucked in under a massive tree with its back to them. It was very oddly shaped, its lumpy head looked twice the size of what it should have been, and it looked to be wearing rags of some sort? A large wooden club lay beside it on the ground as it gave another grumbling snore. How it couldn't hear Hazel's heart thumping in her chest, she had no idea.
"That's a troll," Hazel whispered. It looked exactly like Harry had described it from his first year, even down to the revolting stench of stale sweat that she could smell over the moss right under her nose.
"I don't understand," Atia was still whispering so quietly it was nearly impossible to hear her, "What is it doing?"
Ginny rolled her eyes, "It's playing hopscotch, what do you think it's doing?"
Atia glared down at the troll, "I mean, it is a mountain troll. It should not be in the middle of a forest."
"Oh, that's alright then," Ginny hissed, "You can go tell him he's in the wrong place."
The troll sucked in a breath through its nose, a revolting gargling sound that made Hazel's skin crawl before it snorted out so loudly that it sent birds scattering from the tree above it. She was never going to complain about Romilda's snoring again, never. She was about to say something to Ginny and Atia about the stink when the troll turned over. It was so fast that it made all three of them flinch, but the troll didn't wake up. It just lay there, eyes closed, snot running out of its nose and a large puddle of drool pooling at the corner of its mouth. It was absolutely disgusting.
"Let's go," Hazel whispered and carefully climbed down the tree roots. Knowing that it was a troll sleeping nearby wasn't doing much for the fear as they went back up the path as carefully as they could. Only when the snores of the troll couldn't be heard anymore did they speed up. They'd been out way longer than Hazel had planned, the sun was nearly fully gone, and it was nearly impossible to see where they were going, even with all three wands lit up.
"We need to hurry up," Ginny said as they finally broke free of the Forest and hurried for the bright lights of the castle, "If we're caught we'll be in so much trou-"
"Wha' do ya think yer doin'!" They jumped in fright as the huge figure of Hagrid came striding towards them with his lamp in hand, each step covering the distance of three normal steps. The relief that it was Hagrid who had found them and not Professor McGonagall didn't last very long because the closer he got, the easier it was to see how furrowed his brows were and how red his cheeks were.
"Hagrid!" Hazel was thinking very quickly, "We were just out walking and lost track of time."
"Have ya los' the plot?" Hagrid shouted and Hazel felt the hairs on her arms stand up. An angry Hagrid really was a terrifying sight, "Sirius Black ou' there lookin' fer ya and yer jus' out walkin' in the dark!"
"He can't get into the grounds, Hagrid," Ginny said a little carefully, "Not with the dementors at all the entrances. We were just a bit late."
"Tha' na the point!" Hagrid roared and Ginny took a half step back in alarm, "Ya need ta be takin' care of yerself! Come on! I'll walk ya up to the castle myself but if I catch ya out after dark again, I'll put ya in detention!"
"You wouldn't!" Ginny said in shock. Hazel could hardly believe that Hagrid would put her in detention, Professor or not but then she had never seen him so cross before. It was perhaps better not to try his patience, not at the minute anyway.
"Try me! Now come on!" The four of them walked in silence up to the castle, the three girls looking between themselves while Hagrid kept shaking his head and muttering under his breath. Perhaps it was best if they didn't tell him about the troll they'd found, or the strange building that it was sleeping beside. With the mood Hagrid was in, they'd be lucky if they were let outside again. It didn't keep Hazel from thinking about that riddle and if there really was a spell somewhere in the magical world that she could use to get inside.
They kept up their research for the rest of the week but didn't dare go near it again. Hagrid would surely be keeping an eye out for them going anywhere near the forest again and, as Atia had been very keen to point out, there was nothing else they could do until they found a way to get inside it. Besides, the closer it got to Halloween the more work their teachers seemed determined to give them. They were lucky now to get near the library for maybe an hour a day, the rest of their time was spent pouring over star charts, researching potions ingredients or studying transfiguration theory.
"We'll be lucky to be done with all this before Christmas," Ginny groaned as she flicked through her history of magic textbook, "Can anyone remember why the West Saxon Sorcerers council met in Ireland again?"
"I don't remember Professor Binns talking about Ireland," Hazel was flicking through her own book and rubbed at her temples. They'd already been working at this essay for an hour and her head was pounding. Why had the Saxons sent so many wizards to this stupid council? And why had every single one of them been called Eadmund and Edmund?
"To be fair, I don't remember Binns talking about anything," Ginny had her tongue between her teeth as she turned the page over, "But I definitely saw something about them visiting Ireland somewhere."
"They didn't," Atia tutted as she looked up from her own essay and gave Ginny a scornful look.
"Uh, they did," Ginny pointed at the book, "Look, they met up in Munster in 1146 where Gerhald the Grumpy took offence at the shape of the host's teapot."
"They met in Münster," Atia said, "It's in Germany."
"Oh, that would make more sense. Anyway," Ginny put her quill down, "Did you hear what happened to Eloise Midgen today?"
"No?" Hazel looked up, interested, "What?"
"She's in the Hospital Wing, apparently she tried out a spell for trimming grass on her eyebrows, but she got the incantation wrong. So instead of cutting grass, the spell makes it grow."
Atia shook her head, "What a ridiculous thing to do. You never practise charms or jinxes on yourself, it's the first thing we're taught."
"Why not?" Hazel asked.
"Because it's incredibly difficult to work a spell when you can't look directly at what you are charming," Atia sighed impatiently, "It takes a lot of skill and patience because you have to picture yourself exactly as you are, otherwise you make mistakes."
"In fairness," Ginny said thoughtfully, "my Great-Uncle Tiber was fantastic at giving himself buck teeth. He used to do it at parties for us, until Charlie distracted him one day and he jinxed his nose instead of his teeth. We had to bring him up to St. Mungo's with a rake on a skateboard to hold his nose for him."
"Will Eloise need to go to St. Mungo's?" Hazel bit her lip while Atia snorted and went back to her essay.
"Nah, Madam Pomfrey can fix her up once her eyebrows stop growing. I think they're down to her knees at the minute. Imagine how great they'd look if she could find a mascara to hold them up."
There was a roar from the other side of the Common Room. Ron was standing next to Hermione's book-laden desk and swinging his bag above his head. She was still trying to work out what he was doing when there was a yelp and something ginger flew away from his bag. Crookshanks hissed as he hit the ground and bounded up onto a terrified-looking Hermione's knee.
"KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM SCABBERS!" Ron bellowed as he stormed towards the dormitories. There was an awkward pause after he left before people settled back into their tasks though muttering as they did so. Ginny looked back at Hazel and Atia with raised eyebrows, puffed out her cheeks and shook her head before going back to her essay.
The next day was Saturday and Hazel's first thought was to get back to the library for more research on the stone building, but Ginny dragged her out and down to the quidditch pitch to watch the Gryffindors train. Atia didn't join them, she preferred to spend her morning in the dormitory, tucked up in bed and reading. Hazel thought she had the right idea, because as fun as it was to watch Harry doing something he loved, and he was very, very good at it, the wind was absolutely freezing up in the stands and the stony silence between Hermione and Ron was getting very awkward. Ron was sitting beside Ginny, Hermione beside Hazel. They wouldn't even look at one another and any attempts at conversation were like drawing blood from a stone. It felt like hours before training was finally finished, and Hazel could go back up to the warmth of the castle along with Hermione. Ginny stayed behind to throw the red ball around with Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell and Alicia Spinet while Ron went over to talk with Harry and Oliver Wood. Hermione's company would have nice if she had talked about anything other than Ron.
"Honestly!" She said again, "You would think I was setting Crookshanks on his rat! It's not my fault he's a cat! What am I supposed to do? Keep him locked up in the dormitories all day? That's not fair on him, is it?"
"No," Hazel agreed awkwardly. She did really like Crookshanks, and it was so nice to see him walking around the Common Room, purring and rubbing himself against people's legs but then, if it probably wasn't fair that Scabbers needed protecting twenty-four hours a day. She didn't say this though, Hermione didn't seem to be in the mood. They were halfway back to the Common Room when someone shouted from behind them.
"There she is!"
"The very girl for the job!"
It was Fred and George, who were still in their quidditch robes, hurrying down the corridor to catch up with broomsticks over their shoulders. They were both grinning from ear to ear.
"Alright, what scheme are you two planning now?" Hermione folded her arms suspiciously and looked between the twins, "You shouldn't be dragging Hazel into it. She doesn't need that sort of attention."
"Us?" Fred put his hand on his heart as if Hermione had just insulted him horribly while George tutted and shook his head sadly, "As if model students like ourselves ever put make anyone look bad!"
"Yeah," George added in a very serious voice, "We just wanted to have a quick chat with Hazel about potions theory. It's ways been a favourite topic of ours. Oh, the hours we've wiled away talking about all those different concocti-"
"Alright, fine," Hermione scowled at them and looked over at Hazel, "I'll see you later."
Hazel waited until Hermione was out of sight before she turned to the two Weasleys. Her nerves were jangling a little bit. Hermione was right, Fred and George were always up to something, "So what do you really want to talk to me about?"
George sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation, "Potions theory, of course."
"Really?"
"No," Fred said as they both sniggered at Hazel's annoyed expression, "We'd like your help with something. You don't have to say yes but just know that not helping might have catastrophic consequences for the future of all wizard kind."
"Is that so?" Hazel crossed her arms as well, "What are you up to?"
"It's nothing bad," Fred said, and Hazel gave him a sceptical look, "It isn't! We just need a hand getting something of ours back."
"You see, we may have accidentally let off a stink pellet or twelve in the Divination corridor a few days ago," said George.
"That smell was you two? Everyone was saying a dragon had an accident on the roof of the tower!" The stench had ended up spreading around most of Hogwart's north-sided rooms and made for a very revolting afternoon. It had taken days to get the smell out of her hair and she could still smell dung on that uniform.
"Yeah, it was brilliant," Fred sighed happily as if remembering a cherished memory, "Anyway, we may have run into Filch straight afterwards and he made us turn out our pockets. He thought it was us who'd dropped the stink pellets!"
"Which it was."
"Yeah, but he couldn't prove it," Fred said.
"Because we'd dropped them all," George added helpfully.
"Precisely! He was obviously a bit peeved, old Filchy because he just confiscated the first thing he could, which in this case was a handful of dried gillyweed."
"Dried what?" Hazel asked with a frown.
"Gillyweed!" said Fred, "Looks like seaweed, smells like seaweed. Even tastes like seaweed apparently but once you'd eaten it, you'll be able to breath underwater!"
Hazel's first thought was that it sounded amazing. She couldn't swim herself but just the idea of being able to breath underwater seemed so cool. It was her second thought that she voiced, "And what were you doing with it? Why did Filch take it?"
"Well, students technically aren't supposed to have it," George shook his head, "We don't even think he knows what it is. We reckon he just wanted to annoy us. Which he has."
"Can't you just get some more?"
Fred gave a barking laugh, "Are you joking? The only place we could get it was Snape's store cupboard and not even we're thick enough to try raiding that again. We reckon he won't miss a few leaves of it but if anymore goes missing, he'll make that Sirius Black manhunt look like a search for a lost knut in the sofa."
"And why do you want my help?" The nerves were jangling a little more now and she was starting to get a feeling of growing dread.
"Your part's easy," Fred clapped his hands together, "George and I are going to distract Filch on the other side of the castle, but we'll need someone to slip into his office and grab it for us."
Sneak into Filch's office? No one ever went to Filch's office until forced there by the caretaker himself. She would rather have a sleepover with Matilda Tallow than go into that office, given the choice, "Easy, is it?"
"Sure!" Fred waved his hand dismissively, "We'll drag Filch well away and keep him busy. It doesn't matter if we get detention as long as we get that gillyweed back."
That feeling of dread was only growing, "What's so important about it? Why do you want it back so badly?"
Fred and George glanced at one another and Hazel got the feeling that a whole conversation had passed between them in the time it took for them to look back at her.
"It's for a school project of ours," Fred said, choosing his words carefully, "Can't really go into details at the minute about it, all in the planning stages."
"But if we get it back, then we'd owe you a huge favour," George said, "Are you in?"
Hazel looked into their eager faces and sighed. Of course she wanted to help, she always did, but the idea of this going wrong and facing an angry Filch was terrifying, worse than ever facing Uncle Vernon could ever be. But the twins had never asked for her help before, and she hated the idea of disappointing them. There really was only one thing she could do, "Alright."
"Brilliant," said the twins together, "Let's go!"
Hazel's doubts grew as they headed down through the castle again with the twins getting plenty of looks in their scarlet robes and with their brooms. This seemed like such a bad idea now that she was properly thinking about it. What if Filch locked his office? What if he'd just thrown it out rather than locking it away? What if the twins' distraction didn't work, and he was just waiting for her in his office? Even the thought of it made her shudder in fear. As they got closer and closer, the stupid hope that the twins would just find some gillyweed on the floor and forget the whole thing shrank further and further. They reached the steps to the dungeons where Snape's potions classes were held and where Filch usually lurked in his office. There weren't many people around which wasn't too surprising, who wanted to hang out in the dungeons if they could avoid it?
"Right," Fred said in a surprisingly business-like tone, "You wait here, Hazel. As soon as you hear the signal, get into his office. There'll be a cabinet marked 'contraband' that he'll have stuffed it in."
"Fred, George," her stomach was starting to flutter very unpleasantly, and she bit her lip, "What if he's thrown it out? Wouldn't he just think it's a bit of weed?"
"No way," George shook his head, "There's no way Filch would throw out anything he's taken from us. It's all evidence to him."
"Now, remember, wait for the signal before you go," Fred said.
"What's the signal going to be?"
The twins grinned and Fred said in a cheerful voice, "When you hear it, you'll know. Good luck!"
"See you on the other side!" said George.
They disappeared around the corner, taking their brooms off their shoulders and Hazel did her best to look casual and innocent. How did she stand normally? Did she lean against the wall? Cross her legs? Fold her arms? Should she just look at the floor in case he saw the super-guilty look on her face? She remembered Uncle Vernon watching a film about spies in Privet Drive and they always had a newspaper to cover her face, but there was no way she had time to go grab a copy of the Daily Prophet, even if she could find one.
Bang! She jumped at the almighty noise that came from the floor above. It was so loud that a thin shower of dust fell from the ceiling into her hair.
Well, I suppose that's the signal.
There was a roar from down the dungeon stairs and Filch came running past her with his lanky, greasy hair and long coat billowing behind him. He didn't so much as glance at her as he pushed past with Mrs Norris, his loyal cat, trotting behind him. Hazel gave him another minute, partly in case he doubled back for something and partly because she was frozen in place. He hadn't looked very happy, what if he caught her in this mood? Nevermind detention, she would be lucky not to be expelled.
Come on, get a move on!
She hurried down the dark, dank and damp smelling corridor until she came to the door marked 'Caretaker's Office'. Thankfully in his rush, Filch had left it slightly open. Hazel checked up and down the corridor one last time before she pushed the door open. The office was quite small and cramped, that was mostly due to the stacks and stacks of cabinets against every wall. There were so many! Fred and George had made it sound like there'd be one in the centre of the room for her to look through at her leisure. If anything, the smell of damp was even worse in here and even the oil lamps looked grimy and disgusting. Why was this his office? Why would anyone want to work somewhere so horribly depressing? He couldn't even tell if it was day or night. A bit like the cupboard under the stairs.
Doing her best to ignore the manacles that hung from the wall behind Filch's desk, the one shiny thing in the entire room, Hazel scanned each of the cabinets. There was an entire cabinet dedicated to the Weasley twins, and the others were labelled but none with contraband. This was taking way too long! Filch could be back at any minute! Finally, she found it, a huge cabinet marked 'contraband'. She opened it up and stuck her hand in to move the clutter around, then pulled her hand out with a yelp as a fanged frisbee nipped at her finger. She rummaged again, a little more carefully, moving aside frisbees, gobstones, catapults, books and strange objects she'd never seen before. Was the gillyweed definitely in here? How hard could it be to find a lump of seaweed?! At last she found it hiding under a Chudley Cannons scarf that was making loud banging noises like a cannon going off and grabbed it. For something supposed to be dried it felt very slimy as she slammed the contraband cabinet shut and hurried from the office. Yes! She'd done it! She's gotten away with-
"Potter!"
She stopped dead in her tracks as her stomach turned to ice. The feeling of delight turned to a horrible, clawing dread. Professor Snape was standing at the entrance to his classroom and staring at her through the curtains of his greasy, black hair.
"What were you doing in the caretaker's office?" He asked in a cold voice. She knew it well enough by now, she was in serious trouble.
Her mind raced as she turned to face him with her hands behind her back to hide the gillyweed from him. Then a thought hit her with a horrible clunk. The twins had stolen this from Snape's personal stores! If he recognised it…suddenly Filch's punishment seemed like a summer walk through the grounds compared to what Snape would do to her.
"Well?" He said without looking her in the eye. He never did. Not that she was trying to catch his eye, she was too busy looking at her shoes. At the same time and as carefully as she could so he wouldn't notice, she tucked the gillyweed into the waist of her skirt and hid it with her top.
"I," She hesitated and wished she didn't sound so breathless. She couldn't help it her heart was trying to escape out of her chest. What did she say? Harry was so much better at thinking on his feet, "I was…I was checking the confiscated items list in Fil-I mean, Mr Filch's Office."
"Is that so?" Snape's lip curled into a very unpleasant sneer. Her heart hadn't beaten this loudly since she'd been sneaking up on the sleeping troll and somehow that was less scary than facing Snape, "Looking for anything in particular?"
"Not really," she said rather pathetically, "Just looking."
"Then you can tell me what the first item on the list is?"
Hazel just looked at him. Why had her mind gone so completely blank? She had literally been looking in a drawer full of banned stuff just a few minutes ago! What had she seen?
"No?" Snape's sneer grew, "Can you tell me anything on the first page? Anything at all?"
The silence dragged on but for the dripping of water in the corner of the dungeons.
"Fanged Frisbees?" She tried. It had to be something like that, surely.
Snape shook his head slowly, with a look like he was sentencing her to life in prison, "Tut tut. Clearly you and Potter have more in common than I thought, he loves lying as well."
"He does not!" She said angrily, "Harry isn't a liar!"
"Silence!" Snape snapped with a sudden anger that made her flinch, but it was there for only a moment before he calmed down again and his voice was low and dangerous, "What's in your hands, Potter? Let me see. Then turn out your pockets."
Hazel wiped her hands on her jeans and showed him her palms. They were a little greasy but there wasn't anything too wrong there. Same with her pockets, a few sweet wrappers and her wand was all she was carrying. The gillyweed on the other hand was soaking through her top to the t-shirt underneath. It felt so gross, like a bogey slowly sliding down her back.
Snape scowled, "Come with me, Potter. We're going to see the headmaster."
He turned with a swish of his cloak, and she had no choice but to follow him with that horrible hollow feeling in her stomach. What was Dumbledore going to say? She'd been in trouble before but never this much trouble. Was he going to shout at her? Then she had a horrible thought, Harry had always said that Dumbledore had ways of knowing things that were happening around the school, that he was the most powerful wizard who had ever lived. Would he just know what she'd done? Would he tell Snape? She didn't want to see Snape's face when he found out he'd been right all along and even if he didn't, she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep the gillyweed hidden where it was, because it was starting to stick to her skin. No matter what happened, Fred and George owed her, big time!
"I would have thought," Snape said without turning around, "That you would have learned your lesson from last year."
She didn't say anything, because she wasn't entirely sure what he was talking about? What was she supposed to have learned? Other than stay away from basilisks and giant spiders.
"I warned you that you were too much like him. Too reckless, too arrogant-"
"-I am not arrogant!" Hazel snapped. No matter how much trouble she was in, she would never let anyone talk about her brother like that, "And neither is Harry!"
"He has already paid for his mistakes," Snape didn't raise his voice but rather lowered it and somehow that was more threatening, "He refused to listen to reason in his arrogance and now look at him."
"What are you talking about?" Hazel asked, confused despite her anger, "When has Harry never listened to reason? Do you mean in his first year? He didn't exactly make a mistake did he, when he saved that stone? Or do you mean last year, when he saved my and Ginny's lives? No matter what Harry does, you just hate him for no reason!"
Snape stopped dead and spun on his heel to face her, cape billowing alarmingly. His yellow teeth were bared, and his eyes were narrowed to slits. She had definitely gone too far. All of a sudden, the gillyweed and a meeting with Dumbledore was the least of her worries. She braced herself for what was to come, if she could put up with Uncle Vernon all these years, then she could do this. Instead, Snape's sallow skin went even paler than usual as he looked over Hazel's shoulder.
"Snape," It was Hawthorne who had walked up the corridor behind them. She was wearing a thick travelling cloak and had her hair up in its usual tight bun. She looked even less friendly than usual with her brows furrowed and her jaw clenched. She looked just like Uncle Vernon when he was trying not to shout at her, "What do you think you're doing?"
"I don't see how that's your concern," Snape scowled but he shifted his weight as if expecting Hawthorne to launch herself at him.
"Is that so?" She gave a mocking, humourless laugh as she stepped right up to him. He didn't step back, "Have you forgotten our conversation already?"
Hazel had never seen Snape look so angry and it was a terrifying sight. Hawthorne looked just as furious though and Hazel held her breath to avoid drawing their attention. It felt like being caught between two dragons shooting fire at one another. She didn't dare move.
"I am a teacher at this school," Snape said through gritted teeth, "I do not need lectures from the likes of you."
"You're the same as you've always been," Hawthorne had to look up into his face but even with the height difference she was no less scary, "Despite what people say. In fact, this is well timed. I'm on my way to talk with Dumbledore about the security in the castle and I would just love for you to join me."
Snape said nothing but looked like he was thinking hard. Finally, he looked at Hazel and snarled, "Why are you still standing there, Potter. Go!"
Hazel didn't need asking twice and she ran from the corridor, forgetting all about the gillyweed that was pressing so horribly against her back. She could feel both their eyes burning into her back and she didn't stop until she was on the floor below, bending over to get her breath back. What had that been about? She'd never seen Snape to angry and so worried at the same time. And Hawthorne standing up to him like that, she'd never seen anyone do that to Snape. She couldn't imagine anyone even trying. Was she that confident because she was an auror? Or was it the other way around?
Fred and George got their revolting plant back and seemed very pleased about it. As far as they were concerned, everything went smoothly.
"And we only got a detention!" Fred said, "No big deal, we already have one to do anyway."
"I thought you said Filch didn't give you one the first time?" Hazel asked.
"He didn't," said George cheerfully, "Remember our No-Detention-On-Our-First-Day-Back display? Yeah, one of the rockets escaped out of the window and hit the greenhouses. Sprout wasn't happy."
It was a quick wash and then back down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast and it was as spectacular as ever with swarms of bats fluttering high up in the enchanted night ceiling. Every so often they would swoop down along one of the tables at head height as people yelled and ducked out of the way. Hagrid had grown some of his enormous pumpkins again and they sat in the corners of the hall like massive houses with light pouring from their triangular eyes and jagged mouths. Normal jack-o-lanterns weren't too bad, but these were actually terrifying, if only because it was like standing next to an oven if someone got too close. The ghosts performed an incredible display of flying above them after dinner and Nearly-Headless Nick gave a very interesting, and grim, re-enactment of his own botched beheading. Not even Draco Malfoy could ruin it with his swooning and constantly pointing up at the ceiling and yellowing "Look out Potter! Dementors!"
Dumbledore sat the head of the table as always, clapping loudly and cheering at the ghosts while Snape sat in his usual seat. He didn't look quite as angry as earlier but he refused to look down the table to where Hawthorne sat. If she enjoyed the performance then she didn't show it, instead she kept looking around Professor Sinistra and Professor Lupin to throw dirty looks at the potions master.
"I still can't believe she did that," Ginny had said it a dozen times through the feast but said it again as they headed back to the Common Room, surrounded by happy and full Gryffindor students, "Imagine standing face-to-face with Snape! I wonder how revolting his breath was."
Atia looked troubled, "I don't like her."
"She told Snape to do one, how can you not like her?" Ginny shook her head in disbelief.
"There's something off about her. I can't put my finger on it, but her demeanour is worrying."
"She was like that in the summer as well," Hazel remembered the look on her face as she'd approached Snape. It was the same anger as when she'd found Hazel and Harry in Little Whinging at night, it was like she was furious at something, or someone, "She shouted at us for wandering off."
"And now she's got you out of trouble with Snape so I'd say you're even," Ginny yawned and stretched, "Blimey, that chocolate tart was good! Do you reckon they'll do it again tomorrow nigh-"
She was interrupted as she crashed into the fifth year in front who had suddenly stopped. Hazel only just managed to avoid hitting Cormac McLaggen in front of but it didn't stop Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan stepping painfully on the back of her leg.
"Ow!"
"Sorry, Hazel," said Seamus, craning his neck to try and see over the crowd, "What's the craic? Is it Peeves?"
"It's the Fat Lady," Atia had elbowed a fourth-year girl out of the way and was looking through the tightly packed students, "She's not opened."
"Probably off pinting with her mate again," Seamus groaned, "She'll be gone for hours."
"It's not like her though," Hazel was getting worried as she tried to get a look while avoiding being crushed by the masses of people moving around in the corridor.
"Out of the way, get out of the way," Percy said in his most pompous voice as he came ploughing through the crowd, pushing Ginny into Hazel as he went, "The Head Boy is here, what seems to be the trouble! Get out of my way."
He stopped and there was a moment of tense silence, "Someone go and get Professor Dumbledore, right now!"
There was worried whispering passing amongst everyone now. Hazel felt her stomach drop and she bit her lip as Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape and Filch came surging up the corridor. There was no need for Dumbledore to push people out of the way, the crowd parted like he was a magnet. She finally got a chance to look down at end of the corridor and gasped. The Fat Lady was gone, and her portrait had been cut and ripped as if by a wild animal. There were gasps of shock all through the Gryffindors. Further down the corridor, Hazel saw Harry turn around and look right at her and judging from his worried expression, he was thinking the exact same thing she was.
"She must be found," Dumbledore said in a calm voice, "Argus, please start checking the paintings around the castle. Have the ghosts help you. Severus, please fetch Minerva and Alexandria."
"Oh you think that's bad," Peeves was doing cartwheels in the air above them, "You should see how she looks. Dreadful, absolutely dreadful! She wouldn't let him in without the password you see and he has a nasty temper, that Sirius Black."