Percy Jackson and the Hound of Hogwarts [Book 3]

40) The Shrieking Shack

The Saturday morning after that, we went to Hogsmeade again. I stood awkwardly by Harry, watching him watch the students go out of the hall.

We had a plan.

We quickly ran up the marble staircase, Harry slipping the Marauder's Map out of his pocket. He crouched behind the witch statue, spreading it out. I saw him frown.

Harry pulled out his wand, muttering something. The statue opened, and Harry pushed his bag inside. Before he could climb in, Neville walked around the corner.

We talked for a bit, though we were mostly just trying to throw Neville off. He gasped very suddenly. Snape was walking behind us. We turned, standing in front of Neville.

"And what are you three doing here?" Snape stopped in front of us. "An odd place to meet—"

"We're not meeting here," Harry said. "We just — met here."

"Indeed?" Snape said. "You have a habit of turning up in unexpected places, Potter, and you are very rarely there for no reason.... I suggest the three of you return to your common rooms where you belong."

Harry and Neville set off in the opposite direction while I walked away. When I glanced back, I could see Snape examining the witch statue. As I turned the corner, Hogwarts opened up for me, and I walked through.

I waited for Snape to leave, then climbed into the hatch in the back of the statue. Soon enough, Harry was behind me.

***

As we stood under the Invisibility Cloak, roaming through store after store, I wondered what I had done to deserve this. I had simply agreed to be a sort of lookout, but apparently that had included Harry everywhere. I had to stay beneath the cloak, too.

Soon enough, we were making our way towards the Shrieking Shack, somewhere I had been often. Haley used to transform into a werewolf there, but she went home to turn after Dumbledore enchanted a two-way portkey. I figured Lupin would be transforming in there instead.

"Even the Hogwarts ghosts avoid it," Ron whispered as we leaned against the fence, staring up at the building. "I asked Nearly Headless Nick... he says he's heard a very rough crowd lives here. No one can get in. Fred and George tried, obviously, but all entrances are sealed shut...."

After a moment of silence, we heard voices nearby. Someone was climbing up the hill on the opposite side. Soon enough, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle appeared.

"... should have an owl from Father any time now. He had to go to the hearing to tell them about my arm.... about how I couldn't use it for three months...." Draco's voice sounded terribly sarcastic, but the snickers from the other two Slytherins told me they didn't understand. "I really wish I could hear that great Harry moron trying to defend himself... 'There's no 'arm in 'im, 'onest—' that hippogriff's as good as dead—"

Draco suddenly caught sight of Ron, grinning, "What are you doing, Weasley?" He looked at the crumbling shack behind Ron. "Suppose you'd love to live here, wouldn't you, Weasley? Dreaming about having your own bedroom? I heard your family all sleep in one room — is that true?"

If it were just Ron and Draco in a room, they would happily talk to each other. Crabbe and Goyle were problems. They reported everything to Draco's father. It didn't help that everything Harry heard seemed to find a way of getting around the school, even if he didn't realize it. Draco could see the magic wafting off of Harry's cloak and us.

Harry grabbed onto the back of Ron's robes to keep him from attacking. "Leave him to us," Harry hissed.

We stepped silently behind the Slytherins, bending down and scooping mud out of the path.

"We were just discussing your friend Hagrid," Draco grinned at Ron. "Just trying to imagine what he's saying to the Committee for the Disposal if Dangerous Creatures. D'you think he'll cry when they cut off his hippogriff's—"

SPLAT.

Draco's head jerked forward, his golden blonde hair suddenly dripping muck, "What the—"

Ron was laughing so hard that he had to support himself on the fence. The Slytherin's were looking around wildly, Draco trying to wipe the muck from his hair.

"What was that? Who did that?"

"Very haunted up here, isn't it?" Ron said casually.

Crabbe and Goyle looked scared. Draco stared angrily around at the landscape.

We sneaked around the path toward a spot where the mud was an extra foul green.

SPLATTER.

I'd hit Goyle square in the face, struggling not to laugh as he wiped his tiny eyes. Harry had thrown some at Goyle.

"It came from over there!" Draco said, staring at a spot six feet away from where we were standing. My mouth twitched into a smile.

Crabbe stumbled forward, his arms stuck out like a zombie. We moved around him, Harry picked up a stick, and we forced ourself not to laugh when he twisted wildly towards us. The only person Crabbe could see was Ron, so he started to him. Harry stuck his leg out, and Crabbe fell, his foot catching onto the hem of Harry's cloak, pulling it down.

"AAARGH!" Draco yelled, pointing at Harry's floating head. The turned and ran, the other two Slytherin's following after him.

"Harry!" Ron stumbled over to us, "you'd better run for it! If Malfoy tells anyone — you'd better get back to the castle, quick—"

"See you later," Harry said simply, and we were running back towards Hogsmeade.

When we got back into the tunnel, Harry tore the cloak off, and we ran back as fast as we could. Draco would get there first.

Harry stuck the cloak in a shadowed corner of the tunnel, then we clambered up the shoot. As Harry was closing the witch's hump, we heard fast footsteps.

It was Snape. "So," he said, stopping in front of us, a malicious glint in his dark eyes.

Mmm yesterday I went to a friends house. It was f u n. First thing they did when I got there was hand me some Skittles and give me a cookie, which also had Skittles. First Skittle in the cookie tasted normal. Second one made me gag. It was trick Skittles. So I almost died after we rode bikes. Like I had to sit on the ground cause I almost passed out. That was really awkward. Uh, I played Rocket League on his computer while we watched a Little Hope play through. That was neat. Another friend also came over. They gave him a cookie with green Skittles. The green ones were supposed to taste like boogers. He didn't flinch, and ate the whole cookie. Then he ate several other packs of Skittles. Um. We just hung out for the rest of the day. We watched Troll Hunters. Me and one of the friends did a puzzle together, while the other friend sat there and held the last piece so he'd feel like he'd contribute. That was slightly annoying. But I left at midnight and it had been a mostly great day. Earlier today my sister came by, which was cool. She tried to get me to come to her friends house while she cleaned it, but that was a big no, since I don't want to watch TV on a strangers bed. My awkwardness would have scared me. My dog is on my legs rn. He's a cutie. I think I might do a puzzle, or at least start working on it. That'd be pretty cool. I also burnt my fUcKiNg WAFFLES!

I hope you guys never burn your waffles, and I also hope you have had an okay Monday. I will see you on Wednesday, my dudes.