When Myths meet Magic || 3

26|| Hazel

Hazel opened her eyes to a very loud roar that echoed through the castle.

"What on earth is that?" Hannah Abbott asked, sitting up with wide eyes. Hazel shrugged and listened for some more, her senses prickling. It sounded like a very angry giant was tromping through the castle, shrieking at the top of his lungs. Hazel peeled her ears for more, and was rewarded with another bellow.

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE! YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS-- HAS-- SOMETHING-- TO-- DO-- WITH-- POTTER!"

"Potter again, huh?" said Susan Bones. "This is the third year in a row."

"He has a knack for drawing trouble, doesn't he?" Hannah agreed.

Hazel shook her head. "Trouble usually finds him," she said. "And no surprise either, he's been surrounded by trouble since he was one."

Another yell echoed through the castle, though it was slightly fainter as if the person was getting a sore throat. "OUT WITH IT, POTTER! WHAT DID YOU DO?" Then silence... then again-- "THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!"

Hazel suddenly recognized the voice. "It's Snape," she said in a hushed tone.

"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" Snape continued. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT--"

"Did what?" Susan asked. They listened for more, but apparently Snape had been calmed down. Or knocked out. From the rage in his voice, the latter was the most likely option.

"Apparently he... helped someone escape?" horror dawned on Hannah's features in the darkened room. "You don't think... they caught Black did you? You don't think he helped Black escape?"

"Do you hear yourself?" Susan asked. "Black was out to murder Harry. Of course he wouldn't help Black escape."

"Then who, then?" Hannah challenged. Neither of the girls had an answer.

They got one in the morning.

"Sirius Black escapes from the Ministry's clutches," Hannah read from The Daily Prophet. "Sirius Black, wanted murderer in both the wizarding and muggle worlds, has escaped yet again. This time, from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Fudge says they had Black locked up in a room in the school, but he had somehow managed to escape. There was also a report of a missing hippogriff that was supposed to be executed, and it has been assumed that Black escaped on the hippogriff. But there is no evidence and, with the hippogriff escaping before Black was detained, it has left us more bewildered than ever. Read more on page 5."

Hannah looked up from the paper, a knowing look on her face. "I told you Black escaped."

"But you also said that Harry helped him," Hazel reminded her. "And Harry was in the hospital wing the whole time Black was locked up."

"Well--" Hannah would've went on, if not for a sweeping rumor that had suddenly burst from the table next to them, the Slytherins. Hazel caught a few words-- "Professor Lupin" and "werewolf" and "leaving" and "potatoes", though for the latter they may have simply been talking about breakfast.

"What's that?" Susan asked, distracted.

Hannah leaned backwards conspicuously, her head tilted. "I think they're saying that..." Her face contorted into surprise. "Professor Lupin is... a potato werewolf?"

Hazel snorted into her pumpkin juice, accidentally sending droplets flying everywhere. "A potato werewolf?" she coughed. "And what exactly is that?"

"I dunno," Hannah said, looking flushed. "I'm just repeating what the Slytherins were saying. But if he's really a werewolf--"

"Then he has to leave," said Susan, alarmed. "I mean, we can't have a werewolf teaching us! My mum will throw a fit."