Hexad

Book three, chapter eighteen

Harry Potter and the Grim Truth.

Chapter eighteen: Cat, Rat, Dog and Snake.

I haven't read over this one either 🔥🔥🔥 

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Harry's mind had gone blank in such an instant that he could've been practicing occlumency. They all stood transfixed with horror underneath the Invisibility Cloak. The final rays of the setting sun were casting a bloody light over the long, shadowed grounds. And then, a wild howl followed.

Padma twitched and her head swung in the direction it came from. Harry didn't think of what he was doing, turning back, but was caught off-guard when he found Draco still holding his hand, pulling him back.

"Let me go!"

"Shhh! I'm not letting you go! You can't go back!" Draco whispered sharply, "We'll be lucky if Macnair doesn't point that axe at you! He's wrapped around my father's finger like a ring, and I can bet he's not all that happy You-Know-Who's gone!"

Harry gave him a look. He stepped closer to Draco, whispering silent enough so only he'd hear.

"Dray, you and I are the only ones who know about that prediction Trelawney made. If that turns out to be real, you can't really expect me to just--"

"OW!" Ron howled. "He bit me! What is the matter, you stupid rat?"

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

"He's-- not-- staying-- put--"

Scabbers was utterly terrified. He was writhing with all his might, trying his hardest to free himself from Ron's grasp.

"This way," Hissed a voice so familiar it was almost irritating.

"Hydrus! What are you doing out here?" Harry asked silently, wheeling around to see Hydrus; Followed by Crookshanks. Harry couldn't tell if Hydrus actually knew where they were, or if they were simply following the sound of Scabbers' squeaks, but both were admittedly likely options.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione gasped. "No, no, no, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!"

"Hydrus! Hydrus, no!" Harry hissed.

Although, as if deaf, they continued forward.

"Scabbers, please-- NO!"

It was all too late; The rat had slid between Ron's fingers, leaving behind dirty bandages and patches of hair, hitting the ground and scampering away. Crookshanks sprang after him, Hydrus slithering along. Before any of them could stop him, Ron had ran away, disappearing into the darkness, nearly taking the cloak with him, but Hermione caught the end of it.

"He's trying to get himself killed!" Padma gasped, dropping Lisa off her back. They all had not even glanced at eachother, chasing after him; It was Harry dragging Draco along this time. Ron was pelting up ahead, shouting at Crookshanks and Hydrus. 

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

There was a loud thud, followed by the grunts of Ron.

"Gotcha! Gerroff, you stupid cat-- this is why I don't like snakes!"

Padma and Lisa nearly tripped over eachother, trying to stop before they stepped on Ron; Hermione, Harry, and Draco skidded to a stop almost immediately. Ron was sprawled on the ground, but he had his hands over his pocket, which was holding a quivering Scabbers.

"Ron, quickly, get back under the cloak," panted Hermione, looking back and forth between him and Hagrid's pumpkin patch.

But before she could free it from the tree branches it had gotten tangled in; Before they could catch their breath; There was the soft pounding of gigantic paws. Something in the dark was heading straight for them-- an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog that reminded Harry vividly of the one he saw when he left the Dursleys. A bit too vividly, in fact.