Year Two: The Secret of Slytherin

Part 13

The next evening, Anne was hurrying down to the Slytherin common room. She had just heard that Justin Finch-Fletchley had been attacked, and Harry was found with him. This convinced everyone, after witnessing what he had done yesterday, that Harry was the Heir of Slytherin. Anne didn't want to believe it! There's no way Harry could be the Heir.

She was hurrying past Snape's office when Snape called her. She stopped and warily stepped inside wondering what he wanted from her now. She hoped it wasn't a long tedious potions assignment since she already had a ton of homework and exams coming up before the holidays.

"Yes, sir?" 

"A word with you." He closed the door and placed a Silencing Charm on it.

"Due to the recent circumstances, I think it would be best that you keep your distance from Potter.....that is until the headmaster can get to the bottom of this threat that Potter is imposing to the rest of the school," Snape explained quietly.

Anne looked at him with a slight frown. "Why?"

"For your protection..."

"He's not the Heir of Slytherin! Just because he's a Parselmouth doesn't mean he's responsible for all those attacks!" she insisted feeling exasperated. "If he says he didn't do it, then he didn't do it. Besides, we don't even know who's behind these attacks."

"True. But it is imperative that you take my advice and cool your friendship with Potter. He is nothing but trouble. He disregards the rules as well as steal from my office--"

"What?" Anne was feeling a pang of guilt. She should have realized that her father would notice that the ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion had gone missing from his private cupboards.

"You heard me, Anne," Snape said coldly. "Whenever there is trouble, Potter is involved. I also have no doubt that he has been stealing from my office. So you will listen and do as I say---- Stay away from Potter until this is resolved. Do you understand?"

Anne wanted to protest further. How dare he try to control her life like this! Harry was her friend no matter what her father or anyone else assumed about him. She would stand by him and try to figure out who the real Heir of Slytherin was. Also, she knew it was useless to argue with her father. Right now she just wanted to get away from him.

"Yes, sir," she responded in a tight voice, "I understand."

"Good. Now return to your dormitory. And Anne--" she paused with a dread---"don't think you can try to go behind my back or else," he added menacingly.

Infuriated, Anne turned on her heel and stormed to the common room.

The double attack on Justin and the Gryffindor ghost Nearly Headless Nick turned what had hitherto been nervousness into real panic. Cautiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most. What could possibly do that to a ghost? people asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead? There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas.

"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Ron told Harry, Anne, and Hermione. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be."

"As long as there's not any other attacks," Anne added. The Tonkses were disappointed that she wouldn't be coming home for Christmas as well as worried. But she assured them she had her father there for protection.

Crabbe and Goyle who always did whatever Draco did, had signed up to stay over the holidays. Harry was actually glad that most people were leaving. He was fed up with people skirting around him in the corridors, as though he was about to sprout fangs or spit poison; tired of all the muttering, pointing, and hissing as he passed. 

No one, not even someone dreading taking Polyjuice Potion later, could fail to enjoy Christmas dinner at Hogwarts. The Great Hall glimmered as snowflakes fell from the ceiling as everyone enjoyed the feast.

Anne sat with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. No matter what her father said she was going to enjoy being with her friends for the holidays.

"Everything's set. We just need a bit of who you're turning into," said Hermione as though she was sending the boys to the supermarket for ingredients. "We also need to make sure that the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us we're interrogating Malfoy."

"How?" asked Ron.

"I've got it all worked out," Anne said ignoring Harry and Ron's stupefied faces. She held up two plump chocolate cakes. "I filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. Simple but Powerful. Those two greedy pigs can't resist these. Once they're asleep, hide them in the broom closet, and pull out a few of their hairs."

"What about you, Hermione? Whose hair are you ripping out?" Ron asked.

"I've already got mine!" replied Hermione brightly, pulling out a small vial showing them the single hair inside. "Millicent Bulstrode. She's gone home for Christmas---- so I'll explain to the Slytherins that I decided to come back early."

Anne rose from her seat. "I'm going to go check on the Polyjuice Potion. Make sure Crabbe and Goyle find these cakes."

Hermione also got up and followed her.