Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Year 5

Chapter 11

"Alrigh', alrigh', I HAD the marauders' map, if it's any 'elp to ya!"

Rakepick slowly eased her wand away from Fletcher. She'd brought the students to Hogesmeade via floo powder, and they were interrogating him about anything and everything that could push the investigation along at this point. "Had, you say? Elaborate."

"I was in Knockturn Alley recently, when I was 'ttacked by a wizard in white 'obes. He took the map from me."

"Is that it?"

Rakepick pointed her wand at Fletcher's throat again as he kept his mouth shut.

"Eh, wha' abou' a deal?" Fletcher weaseled his way out of the dire situation. "Ya kids get me venomous tentacula seeds, acromantula venom an' chimaera eggs, an' I'll tell ya what ya wanna know."

"Deal. DIFFINDO!" Rakepick cut the ropes binding Fletcher to the chair. "Next week, same time, same place. If you don't show up, you have all three of us to get past."

Fletcher gave Rakepick a soft "uh-huh" before scrambling out of the pub as if he was a teeny mouse about to be caught and eaten whole by some wild cat.

Rakepick turned to the students. "I don't care how the work is distributed, I want all of those three items when we meet again next Saturday. Now, chop chop before we're late for dinner back at school."
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Dani was back in the forbidden forest. She had obviously been assigned the hardest task as the other two were chicken (Thanks for the word... Well you know who you are), and she knew that she didn't have a lot more chances with the acromantulas.

Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you look at it), she had Tonks by her side as she approached the lair for the we-all-have-long-given-up-on-counting time.

"What now?"

"Er... We need some of your... Venom?" Tonks said slowly and hesitantly.

"That I can give you."

"That's really nice of you," Tonks tried to appease the enormous spider.

"Well, by sinking my fangs into your skin, of course. Mm, sweet, sweet kid meat..."

"Let ME handle this," said Dani, pushing ahead. "ARANIA EXUMAI!"

As the acromantula rolled back, unconscious, Dani took out a jar and bent down to scoop up some of the venom he'd leaked onto the dry late-autumn forest floor (presumably when it tried to attack them), attempting to get the hell out as quickly as possible.
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When Saturday finally came, Bill, Dani and Merula left the great hall together while Merula complained about how Kettleburn made her SEARCH for chimaera eggs, especially since Liz hadn't got around to bringing the escaped chimaera back yet. "I had to help her out," said Dani.

"Well, Sprout was hesitant at first, until I told her the magic words. And no, not please or thank you."

"What other magic words are there?" asked Dani. "The imperius curse?"

"The unforgivable curses are year 4 curriculum, Dani. The magic words are PROFESSOR RAKEPICK."

"Did someone say my name?"

Merula quickly looked at their DADA professor. "We were just discussing about the stuff we had to collect."

"Very well, let's go."
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"I should never 'ave let this slip through me fingers," Fletcher repeated. "Or something like that."

"That's what the wizard said? What else do you know?"

"Well, he transformed into somethin' just before he lef'."

"An animagus," Dani mumbled.

"An' me pals told me took it to Hogwarts-"

"So he could very well be R," Merula inferenced.

"But doesn't R wear red?" Dani thought aloud.

Things were getting fishy.

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