𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕤||𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕠 𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪 [𝟛]

Strange Name on the Map

(There's gonna be two more scenes in this chapter.)

(Harry's P.O.V.)

I was peacefully sleeping when I was woken by Ron's terrified scream. "Ahh!" I bolted up and saw a silhouette with a knife on the window. With a knife.

I grabbed my wand. "Everybody out!" They fled the room. I ran to the window, just to see a figure jumping out of the window with an animal's grace and vanishing.

I rushed to Ron's bed, but he wasn't there. "Ron! Ron!" I yelled, frightened. I looked out the window, but then Ron's head poked out from the bed. "Is he gone?" he asked. 

I was confused. Is who gone?

𓅓𓆙𓅓𓆙𓅓𓆙

We all stood before McGonagall, who was in her night robes. "That's preposterous, Weasley. How could Sirius Black possibly have got through the portrait hole?"

"I don't know how he got in! I was a bit busy dodging his knife!" Ron shouted.

Just then, Crookshanks wandered up curiously and wended his way through Ron's legs. "And this bloody cat ate my rat!" he said, annoyed.

"That's a lie!" Hermione said indignantly.

"It is not and you bloody well know it!" Ron snapped back.

"Silence!" McGonagall turned then and we followed her eye to SirCadogan who, sensing the attention, perked up instantly. "Sir Cadogan. Is it possible that you let a mysterious man enter Gryffindor Tower tonight?"

"Certainly, good lady! He had the password. Had the whole week's, in fact. On a little piece of paper." the painting grinned.

"Which abysmally foolish person wrote down the passwords and then proceeded to lose them?" McGonagall asked loudly.

A hand slowly raised behind. Neville.

"Is it always going to be you, Longbottom?" McGonagall sighed.

"I'm afraid so, ma'am." Neville replied sheepishly.

McGonagall turned back to us. "While we know Sirius Black is gone tonight, I think you can safely assume he will, at some future time, attempt to return. Let me be clear. You are not to move about the castle alone. And you are not to write down the password! Understood?" We all nodded. "Very well, then. Go to bed." 

As the students drifted off, Ron cast a last angry glance toward Hermione, who was now holding Crookshanks in her arms.

 I stared at the window. "I could've killed him. He was right there. Close enough to touch. I could've killed him."

𓅓𓆙𓅓𓆙𓅓𓆙

(Anna's P.O.V.) 

We walked in the courtyard leading to the Covered Bridge.

"Beautiful day," Hermione said.

"Gorgeous. Unless, of course, you've been ripped to pieces!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ripped to pieces?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?" Harry looked confused as well.

"Ronald has lost his rat," Hermione said.

"I haven't lost anything! Your cat killed him!" Ron cried indignantly. 

"Rubbish." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Harry, Anna, you've seen the way that bloodthirsty beast of hers is always lurking about. And Scabbers is gone!" Ron practically yelled.

"Well, maybe you should learn to take better care of your pets!" Hermione snapped back.