𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹, draco malfoy

˗ˋ 21

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
✧
-: third year :-

── IN WHICH PLANS ARE MADE

. . .

No one in Gryffindor Tower slept that night. They knew that the castle was being searched again, and the whole House stayed awake in the common room, waiting to hear whether Black had been caught. Harry, Ron, Marlie, Dean, Neville and Seamus took up a corner, the two Potter twins barely talking to anyone. Professor McGonagall came back at dawn, to tell them that he had again escaped - which was both a relief and an aggravation at the same time.

Throughout the day, everywhere they went they saw signs of tighter security; Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognize a large picture of Sirius Black; Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes. Sir Cadogan had been fired. His portrait had been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor, and the Fat Lady was back. She had been expertly restored, but was still extremely nervous, and had agreed to return to her job only on condition that she was given extra protection. A bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to guard her. They paced the corridor in a menacing group, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs. 

They couldn't help noticing that the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor remained unguarded and unblocked. It seemed that Fred and George had been right in thinking that they — and now Marlie, Harry, Ron, and Hermione — were the only ones who knew about the hidden passageway within it. 

"D'you reckon we should tell someone?" Harry asked Ron and Marlie, later that day. 

 "We know he's not coming in through Honeyduke's," said Ron dismissively. "We'd've heard if the shop had been broken into."

"Besides, how are we supposed to get back there if the passageway is blocked up?" Marlie shrugged, and Harry nodded, glad that they were taking that view. He wouldn't particularily enjoy that conversation, and Marlie would just end up swearing at everyone.

Ron had become an instant celebrity. For the first time in his life, people were paying more attention to him than to Marlie or Harry, and it was clear that Ron was rather enjoying the experience. Though still severely shaken by the night's events, he was happy to tell anyone who asked whathad happened, with a lot of detail.

"..I was asleep, and I heard this ripping noise, and I thought it was in my dream, you know? But then there was this draft... I woke up and one side of the hangings on my bed had been pulled down... I rolled over.. and I saw him standing over me... like a skeleton, with loads of filthy hair... holding this great long knife, must've been twelve inches... and he looked at me,and I looked at him, and then I yelled, and he scampered." Ron told the group of second year girls.

"How many versions do you think there'll be at the end of the day?" Marlie asked, leant against a stone pillar with her arms crossed. "I'm betting at least five. Twelve maximum"

"Why, though?" Ron added to the pair, having not heard Marlene, as the group of second year girls who had been listening tohis chilling tale departed. "Why did he run?"

"Probably because he was hungry - last night's feast was really good you know? Maybe he just wanted some chicken pie?" Marlie replied, sarcasm dripping off her tone. "Why do you think you twat, he had just been caught by you, by the time you let everyone know he would've been able to get away very easily."