𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 (𝟏) || HARRY POTTER LOVE STORY

54

"Well, there you are." Harry said quietly. "Snape's already got past Fluffy!"

Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all four of them what was facing them. Underneath the Cloak, Harry turned to Hermione, Ron and Julie.

"If you want to go back, I won't blame you." he said. "You can take the Cloak, I won't need it now."

Julie snorted. "Yeah right, I'm going to bed while you get yourself killed. Great Plan."

"Don't be stupid." Ron added

"We're coming." said Hermione.

Harry pushed the door open. As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears.
All three of the dogs noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.

"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.

"Looks like a harp." said Ron. "Snape must have left it there."

"It must wake up the moment you stop playing." said Harry.

"Please tell me you won't sing to it." Julie said.

"I know you'd love to hear me sing, but I won't. I brought my flute." he answered, showing her the flute.

"I can't see how that's any better." she said, rolling her eyes.

"Trust me, you'll love it." he said, as he put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop.

Slowly, the dog's growls ceased - it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.

"Keep playing." Ron warned Harry as he and Hermione slipped out of the Cloak and crept towards the trapdoor.

They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads.

"I think we'll be able to pull the door open." said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"

"No, I don't!" she answered quickly.

"All right!" Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.

"What can you see?" Julie asked being anxious, but also excited at the same time.

"Nothing - just black - there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop!" Ron said

Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at them to get their attention and pointed at himself.

"You want to go first? Are you sure?" said Ron. "I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep!"

"But I want to go first!" Julie said as Harry handed the flute over to Hermione.

There were a few seconds of silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.

"There's no way I'm letting you go first." Harry said as he climbed over and looked down through the trapdoor.

"Please, I don't want you to go first." Julie answered, but he didn't listen.

"If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?" he said.

"No, Harry." Julie shouted, getting his attention. "I will go first and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Are you sure?" he asked and Julie couldn't help but notice the note of panic in his voice.

"Yes" she said as she lowered myself through the hole until she was hanging on by heel fingertips.

"Stay safe, Jules" Harry whispered.

"I will" Julie answered as she looked up, smiled at him and finally let go. Cold, damp air rushed past her as she fell down, down, down and - FLUMP.

With a funny, muffled sort of thump she landed on something soft. Julie sat up and felt around, hee eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though she was sitting on some sort of plant.

"It's OK!" Julie called up to the light the size of a postage stamp which was the open trapdoor. "It's a soft landing, you can jump!"

Harry followed straight away. He landed sprawled next to her.

"Hi, Jules" he said out of breath.

"Hi, Harry." Julie answered.

FLUMP! Ron had landed in between them.

"What's this stuff?" were his first words.

"Dunno, sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione!'" Harry answered.

The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Harry's other side.

"We must be miles under the school" she said.

"Lucky this plant thing's here, really" said Ron.

"Lucky!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you three!"

Julie looked down at her body. Her legs and the bottom half of her stomach had been bound tightly in long creps by the plant.

Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as the two boys and Julie fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.

"Stop moving! Julie ordered them, suddenly knowing what it was. "I know what this is - its Devil's Snare!"

"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help!" snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant curling around his neck.

"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" hissed Hermione. Julie's completely forgotten how to kill it and it made her very nervous to know that Hermione didn't know it either.

"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare ... What did Professor Sprout say? It likes the dark and the damp-"

"Hermione! Light a fire!" Julie choked.

"Yes - of course - but there's no wood" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

"Oh, right!"said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant.

In a matter of seconds, Julie felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unravelled itself from their bodies and they were able to pull free.