Silver Hourglass

The Marauder's Christmas Chapter 25

The twins showed Harry a secret passage that led right to the basement of Honeydukes, and Harry decided to leave straight away. "I'll buy something for you guys and Cedric!" He said leaving. Harry decided that before he uses the secret passage, he better have his Invisibility Cloak just in case Filch or a teacher catches him. He made a quick stop to Slytherin Tower and grabbed his cloak. He returned to the first floor and opened the map again. He studied it and found the map and made his way to the third floor where the secret passage was. He opened it as the twins instructed and walked down to Hogsmeade, a sense of trill coursing through him. The passage was dark, yet clean. The walls made of stone, but as he took another step he fell and slid down until he hit a low, earthly ground. He pulled out his wand and said "Lumos."

The tunnel was small and Harry looked at the map. He saw that his marker was out of the school and he said "Mischief managed." The ink of the map began to disappear, Harry pocketing the old parchment paper. Harry walked the secret passage and, invisible, arrived in the cellar of Honeydukes where a worker was piling packages. Harry snuck through the open door and into the main building where a large crowd of students were eating chocolates that Harry never saw. He saw Neville in a corner, talking with Seamus and Dean who were holding hands. A bit hungry himself, Harry made his way through the students, grabbing a colorful popsicle near Neville and pulled it under the cloak. Harry licked his sweet as he exited the shop, stepping foot in Hogsmeade for the first time.

The road was covered with snow as houses and shops packed together. Harry looked up and down the road, seeing shop signs and recognizing some of them from the tales his friends told him. Harry walked down the street aimlessly, looking at the village buildings and out for his friends. He looked down a path that looked as though it was barely walked and saw a pub. He shrugged his shoulders, guessing that there wouldn't be any chance of him finding Draco there. Cold, and his sweet already eaten, Harry was hungrier than he thought, he saw a pub called The Three Broomsticks and a group of students walking out laughing. Harry decided that he'll go there after he finds Draco, and continued on his way down the street. In the far distance, he saw a dilapidated shack, and a familiar red head and girl standing near a chained fence.

"It's called the Shrieking Shack." Hermione said, "It's meant to be the most haunted building in Britain. Did I mention that?"

"Twice." Ron said.

"Oh. Do you want to go closer? To the shack I mean." Hermione said.

"I'm fine here thanks."

Harry thought of something funny, so while the two were busy, he bent down and made two snowballs. They were still looking at the shack when Harry threw them, the first hitting Ron's back and the second one hitting Hermione's shoulder. They both turned around frightened and Ron said "What was that?"

"I don't know, I don't see anyone." Hermione said. They both took out their wands and looked around. Harry could barely contain a laughter as he bent down to get more snow. He stepped forward and snow crunched under his shoe. Harry stopped immediately and Hermione and Ron looked around. "Wait..." Hermione said. She looked around and saw Harry's footprint. "Harry! Come on out I know you're here." She said.

Harry stood up and threw the cloak off, throwing the snow at Ron and Hermione. "Harry!" Hermione laughed as she avoided the snow.

"Bloody hell mate, what are you doing here?" Ron asked chuckling. Harry pulled out the map and explained to them how Fred and George gave it to them. "What?" Ron said when he was done. "They never told me about it and I'm their brother!"

"But Harry isn't going to keep it." Hermione said, as if the idea was insane. "He is going to give it either to Professor Snape or Professor McGonagall."