𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐞 | h. granger

xxxii | follow the spiders

Upstairs Corridor

── •✧• ──

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐃. Aliyah couldn't say she minded too much, in fact, she was happy to get to enjoy a nice, quiet day inside. As she was making her way up to Ravenclaw Tower, Professor McGonagall approached her with Ron and Harry.

"Miss Coleman," McGonagall said to her. "I need you to come with me. There is something that you, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Weasley need to see."

"Do you know what's going on?" Aliyah asked Harry and Ron quietly. "Where's Kody and Hermione?"

"They weren't with you?" Ron frowned.

"No, I haven't seen them since yesterday."

They walked with McGonagall down to the hospital wing. The Transfiguration teacher warned them that what she was about to show them could be a bit of a shock, which only added to Aliyah's worry.

Hermione and Dakota were laid on hospital beds, petrified.

Ron gasped. "Hermione."

"Kody. . ." Harry went over to his cousin. Remembering what Draco had said, he felt rage boiling inside of him.

"No," Aliyah whispered, tears pricking in her eyes as she looked at her petrified friends.

"They were found near the library. . .along with this." McGonagall picked up a small hand-held mirror that was laying on the nightstand. "Does it mean anything to any of you?"

Harry shook his head. "No." He put his hand on top of Dakota's petrified one. They couldn't waste any more time. They had to find out who was behind these attacks and put a stop to it. If that meant going to speak to Hagrid, so be it.

"I think it's time to get my dad's old cloak out again," he whispered to Ron as they left the hospital wing. "Aliyah, do you want to join us?"

"You mean. . .sneak out of the school?" Aliyah frowned. "Are you mental? We're not allowed out of bed after curfew."

"Well, if you'd rather sit around and wait to be petrified next, then be our guest," Ron said. "Harry and I are going to go and get answers."

Aliyah sighed as she watched the two boys walk away. She stood there in the corridor a moment before sighing and running after them.

Harry grabbed his invisibility cloak from his dorm. The three got underneath it and snuck out of the castle and down to Hagrid's hut. They knocked on the door, and when Hagrid opened it a few seconds later, he was holding a crossbow. They pulled off the cloak to reveal themselves to him.

"What's that for?" Harry accused, pointing at the crossbow.

"We're just kids!" Aliyah gasped.

"Oh, nothing." Hagrid lowered the weapon. "I-I was expecting, uh. . .It doesn't matter. Come on in. I just made a pot of tea."

They went inside and sat down around the table. Hagrid poured each of them some tea, his shaky hands overfilling one of the cups.

"Hagrid, are you okay?" Harry asked, frowning softly.

"I'm fine." Hagrid nodded. Aliyah could tell that he was lying. "I'm alright."

"Did you hear about Hermione and Dakota?"

The man sighed. "Oh, yeah, I heard about that, alright."

"Look, we have to ask you something," Harry said, getting straight to the point. "Do you know who's opened the Chamber of Secrets?"