The Secret Relationship: The Angelic Witch and Draco Malfoy (Book 3)

Sirius Black

They set off back toward the castle, walking slowly to keep themselves hidden under the bubble shield. Hermione had the Invisibility cloak hung around her shoulders. The light was fading fast now.

By the time they reached open ground, darkness was settling like a spell around them.

"Scabbers, keep still," Ron hissed, clamping his hand over his chest. The rat was wriggling madly. Ron came to a sudden halt, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket. "What's the matter with you, You stupid rat? Stay still -- OUCH! He bit me!"

"We can't make noise!" Heroneka reminded him. "The shield keeps us invisible but people will hear us."

"Ron, be quiet!" Hermione whispered urgently. "Fudge'll be out here in a minute --"

"He won't -- stay -- put --"

Scabbers was plainly terrified. He was writhing with all his might, trying to break free of Ron's grip.

"What's the matter with him?" Harry hissed.

But Heroneka had just seen -- stinking toward them, his body low to the ground, wide yellow eyes glinting eerily in the darkness -- Crookshanks. Whether he could see them or was following the sound of Scabbers's squeaks, Heroneka couldn't tell.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione moaned. "No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!"

But the cat was getting nearer --

"Scabbers -- NO!"

Too late -- the rat had slipped between Ron's clutching fingers, hit the ground, and scampered away. In one bound, Crookshanks sprang after him, and before Heroneka, Harry or Hermione could stop him, Ron had gotten off their hands from him, broken the circle and pelted away into the darkness.

"Ron!" Hermione moaned.

The bubble shield blinked a few times and then vanished. They looked at each other.

"Let's get Ron and get out of here!!' Heroneka ran after him.

Hermione and Harry looked at each other, then followed at a sprint. They could hear Ron's feet thundering along ahead and his shouts at Crookshanks.

"Get away from him -- get away -- Scabbers, come here --"

There was a loud thud as Ron fell, catching Scabbers.

"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat --"

Heroneka dropped to the ground a little away from Ron. She quickly undid her bottle locket and drank from it. Her heart was burning now. The pain from earlier had just added to it.

Harry and Hermione almost fell over Ron; they skidded to a stop right in front of him. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump.

"Let's get out of here!!" Said Heroneka. "Harry! Get them here!" She tried to focus and activate her invisibility shield but because of her pain, the bubble kept flickering like a broken table lamp.

"Ron -- come on! We have to get under the shield --" Hermione panted. "Dumbledore -- the Minister -- they'll be coming back out in a minute --"

But before they could cover themselves again, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws... Something was bounding toward them, quiet as a shadow -- an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.

Heroneka felt her heart thump painfully. She tried to crawl away from all of them as Hermione ran towards her and away from the black dog.

Harry reached for his wand, but too late -- the dog had made an enormous leap and the front paws hit him on the chest; he keeled over backwards in a whirl of hair.