𝓘'𝓶 𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓒𝓪𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓪 {𝓗𝓮𝓻𝓶𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓖𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓻}

12

We headed to Three Broomsticks to get drinks. We sat at the corner where no one could see us.

"Harry, how did you get out of the castle?" I questioned.

I can't have him disappearing on my watch I might fail on this mission.

"Did you learn to Apparate?" Ron questioned.

"'Course I haven't" Harry told us about the Marauder's Map.

"How come Fred and George never gave it to me!" Ron said outraged "I'm their brother!"

"But Harry isn't going to keep it!" Hermione said as though the idea were ludicrous. "He's going to hand it in to Professor McGonagall, aren't you, Harry?"

"No, I'm not!" Harry said.

"Are you mad?" Ron said goggling at Hermione "Hand in something that good?"

"If I hand it in, I'll have to say where I got it! Filch would know Fred and George had nicked it!"

"But what about Sirius Black?" Hermione hissed. "He could be using one of the passages on that map to get into the castle! The teachers have got to know!"

"Hermione does have a point" I agreed.

"He can't be getting in through a passage" Harry said quickly. "There are seven secret tunnels on the map, right? Fred and George reckon Filch already knows about four of them. And of the other three one of them's caved in, so no one can get through it. One of them's got the Whomping Willow planted over the entrance, so you can't get out of it. And the one I just came through well it's really hard to see the entrance to it down in the cellar so unless he knew it was there"

Harry hesitated. I cleared my throat significantly and pointed to a notice posted on the inside of the sweetshop door.

BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

Customers are reminded that until further notice, Dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of Hogsmeade residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall.

Merry Christmas!

"See?" Ron said quietly "I'd like to see Black try and break into Honeydukes with Dementors swarming all over the village. Anyway, Hermione, the Honeydukes owners would hear a break-in, wouldn't they? They live over the shop!"

"Yes, but -but -" Hermione seemed to be struggling to find another problem "Look, Harry still shouldn't be coming into Hogsmeade. He hasn't got a signed form! If anyone finds out, he'll be in so much trouble! And it's not nightfall yet what if Sirius Black turns up today? Now?"

"He'd have a job spotting Harry in this" Ron said nodding through the mullioned windows at the thick, swirling snow. "Come on, Hermione, it's Christmas. Harry deserves a break."

Hermione bit her lip, looking extremely worried.

"Nothings going to happen to him I can a sure you" I said calmly.

"Are you going to report me?" Harry questioned Hermione, grinning.

"Oh of course not but honestly, Harry"

"Tell you what," said Ron, his teeth chattering "I'll grab us something to drink"

"I'll have a butterbeer" Harry said.

"I'll have the same" Hermione said.

"You Chase? What will you have?" Ron questioned.

"I'll have a fire whiskey" I said.