Grindelwald's Burden (Books 1-7)

43. Cat, Rat and Dog.

Y/n stood rooted to the spot with shock. The other three stood transfixed with horror under the Invisibility Cloak. The very last rays of the setting sun were casting a bloody light over the long-shadowed grounds. Then, behind them, they heard a wild howling.

"Hagrid..." Harry muttered. Without thinking about what he was doing, he made to turn back, but Y/n and Ron seized his arms.

"I know how you feel but we cannot Harry." said Y/n, whose face was now sporting a look of both regret and anger.

"He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him." Ron added.

Hermione's breathing was shallow and uneven. "How...could...they?" she choked. "How could they?"

"Come on." said Ron, whose teeth seemed to be chattering.

They set off back toward the castle, walking slowly to keep themselves hidden under the cloak. 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!"

"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 on earth is the matter with him?" Y/n asked.

But Harry 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, Harry couldn't tell.

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

But the cat was getting nearer...

"Scabbers...NO!" Ron cried.

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 Harry, Y/n or Hermione could stop him, Ron had thrown the Invisibility Cloak off himself and pelted away into the darkness.

"Ron!" Hermione called.

She and Y/n looked at each other, and then the three followed at a sprint. it was impossible to run full out under the cloak, they pulled it off and it streamed behind them like a banner as they hurtled after Ron, they could hear his feet thundering along ahead and his shouts at Crookshanks.

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

There was a loud thud.

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

Harry, Y/n and Hermione almost fell over Ron as 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.

"Ron... come on back under the cloak..." Hermione panted.

"Dumbledore and the Minister... they will be coming back out in a minute..." Y/n said also out of breath.

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 of an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.