Harry Potter and the Hall of Echoes [COMPLETED]

Chapter 9

To Harry's disappointment, Hermione couldn't find anything in the library about Nightwelps. 'I'm sorry, Harry,' she said sincerely. 'I looked through every section, every category, but there's just nothing on them at all.'

'It's all right,' Harry replied. 'I was thinking I might just ask Banjeev, anyway — he obviously knows what they are, otherwise he wouldn't have mentioned them.'

'But will he tell you, though?' Hermione said. 'Whatever Nightwelps are, I think they're probably very dangerous.'

When Harry told Ron about his plan to go to Professor Banjeev, in the dormitory later that night, he received the same indeterminate response as Hermione's. 'Well, if you want,' Ron shrugged. 'I mean, it's not a bad idea. Oi, up behind you —'

Harry turned around to see that a pair of boys were approaching him; they had oddly worried expressions on their faces.

'You're Harry Potter?' said the taller of the boys; he sounded very concerned.

'Yeah,' said Harry. 'Why? What's wrong?'

'It's your bird,' the boy explained. 'You've got a snowy owl, don't you?'

'What happened?' said Harry, alarmed.

'Well, it's having a fit at the moment,' said the boy. 'A few of us were just over at the Owlery, and it's in a right state... Keeps clawing at the other birds, flapping around, all sorts of stuff...'

'Where's the Owlery?' Harry asked.

'You got a Finder?' the boy said. 'Just say "Owlery" into the top of it, and it'll guide you straight there — hey — do you want us to come with —?'

X

Harry followed the arrow on his Finder, which was currently leading him out through the back. It was pointing towards the open patch of forest, with Professor Banjeev's wooden ranch at the dead-centre of the clearing. As Harry ran down the pebble-covered path (which wound around the ranch), the Finder's arrow began spinning erratically.

'Come on,' said Harry, tapping the Finder. 'Come on...'

Harry's were so focused on the copper-coloured gizmo that he jumped in fright when he heard a sudden voice.

'You all right there, Harry?' asked Professor Banjeev. He was standing in his yard, leaning on a chair, winding a loop of twine around a bunch of peculiar blue vegetables.

'Uh, I'm just trying to find my owl, Professor,' Harry explained quickly. 'Do you know where the Owlery is?'

'It's right over there, at the top of that hill,' said Banjeev, nodding leftwards of his ranch. 'Just behind those trees.'

'Thanks,' said Harry quickly, before setting off again at a run.

As Harry jogged up the hill, he felt suddenly guilty for not visiting Hedwig while he'd been here: he hadn't even carried her over to the Owlery on the first day, but had rather let her fly there herself.

'Where are you,' Harry muttered, once he'd reached what looked like a very weathered-looking shack. 'Where are you, Hedwig... Hey — what the...?'

To Harry's immense horror, a tall, cloaked figure was currently hunched over a very distressed-looking Hedwig — he appeared to be tying something to her leg. His arm was made of a porcelain-like glass: it was a fiery-coloured red, and it was glinting in the dim light of the dawn.

'Hey!' Harry shouted at the man. 'Get away from her!'

The cloaked figure froze for a second, clearly surprised by Harry's appearance — his hesitation allowed Hedwig to quickly escape. But Harry was not afforded the same chance as his owl — the man whipped around, quick as a flash, and shot a spell straight at Harry's chest.

X

'Easy, easy,' said a soft, soothing voice.

Harry heard the crackling of fire, and the shuffling of feet. He opened his eyes to see three heads staring straight at him.

'Argh!' exclaimed Harry; the heads belonged to three dead dragons.

He then looked to the lounge room, at the other end of the ranch, where a very concerned-looking Ron and Hermione were sitting with Professor Banjeev.

Banjeev walked over to him, shuffling with a slight limp due to his wooden legs. He handed Harry a large, steaming mug of liquid.

'Drink up,' said Banjeev. 'You need the warmth.'

Harry drank. The drink was hot, sweet, and slightly spicy; it was like a liquified cake, but light and airy like a marshmallow.

'Cinnamon Melt,' Banjeev said. 'It's a Welsh drink. You can't get it anywhere else, except for the fake stuff.'

Harry nodded in thanks, then took another sip.

'Harry, what happened?' asked Hermione breathlessly. 'Professor Banjeev said he found you at the Owlery... that you were lying there on the ground...'

Harry suddenly sat up, realising what had happened to him.

'Something's going on,' he said quickly. 'The Owlery — we need to go there...'

'Go?' said Banjeev. 'You want to go back?'

'Now,' said Harry firmly.

Ron and Hermione both stood up with urgency, but before Harry could do the same, Banjeev held up his hand. 'I'm sorry, kids,' he said, 'but it's night-time. There's no way I can let you go.'

Harry was about to protest, but Banjeev shook his head firmly.

'What happened out there?' Ron asked Harry.

'Well, I saw someone...' said Harry, distractedly. 'There was this man — well, I think it was a man...'

'A man?'

'In a cloak. I couldn't see his face. But his arm... it was glass,' he was looking at Ron, 'it was just like Professor Honeywell's...'

Banjeev raised an eyebrow. 'A arm of glass?' he said slowly. 'You're sure that's what you saw?'

'Yes,' said Harry fervently. 'Why?'

Banjeev pulled something out of his pocket — it was small, very jagged, and made of a red-coloured porcelain... and if Harry wasn't mistaken, it closely resembled the tip of a person's finger.

'This was on the ground in the Owlery,' said Banjeev. 'I was thinking it might be Harrow-glass.'

'What's that?' Ron asked.

'Well, Harrow-glass is commonly used to make phials for brewing advanced potions,' Banjeev explained, 'because the glass is almost unbreakable.'

'This looks like it's been broken, though,' Hermione pointed out.

'My thoughts exactly,' Banjeev replied evenly. 'It was glowing brightly when I found it, like it had been heated up in a furnace. Harry — you were saying that you saw a man?'

'I didn't just see him,' Harry said. 'He attacked me...' He paused for a moment, thinking. 'Professor,' Harry went on, 'that night that we found the Headmaster... you said you thought he'd been attacked by a "Nightwelp"...'

'Well, I can tell you that a Nightwelp isn't human,' said Banjeev, who was looking very concerned. 'But believe me, I've been checking the grounds for them. A Nightwelp is a very vicious fox-like creature — it's always on the attack, looking to kill... but in the right hands, they can be very useful. I once managed to cross-breed a Pomeranian with an exceptionally gentle-natured Nightwelp: it was the best hunting partner I've ever had.'

Professor Banjeev looked down to his wooden legs, a wistful expression on his face, and Harry had the sudden feeling Banjeev's 'hunting partner' might have been the reason they were now made of wood.

'Harry,' said Banjeev, looking serious. 'If you've been attacked by a strange man, my advice is to go and see Headmaster Hopkins, first thing in the morning... I'm sure that he will want to investigate the matter thoroughly.'