Chapter 113: Animagus (1/2)
”I'm not a very good swimmer; I never had much practice. Dudley had lessons in his youth, but Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, no doubt hoping that I would drown one day, hadn't bothered to give me any. A couple of lengths of this bath were all very well, but that lake was very large, and very deep … and merpeople would surely live right at the bottom...” Harry said slowly, ”how am I supposed to breathe, Chris?”
”First, get out of that pool. We need to dry ourselves before we leave.” Chris said lazily. ”Or else your invisibility cloak will be not a big help, you see.”
”Right.” Harry said and got up from the pool and sat beside Chris. ”Now tell me how am I supposed to breath under water?”
”Umm... there are few options like... transfiguration, few potions will also help I guess... but not sure.” Chris said thinking.
”You're missing the bubble charm, Chris.” Myrtle said smiling. ”It was one of the funniest way to go under water.”
”Bubble charm?” Harry repeated blankly.
”Oh yes right.” Chris replied remembering the particular spell she read in the spell book given by Shawn. ”But why funniest Myrtle?”
”Have you seen the faces when people use it.” Myrtle giggled. ”I've seen plenty of times.”
”Good but we have only five weeks. How am I supposed to...” Harry asked hurriedly.
”I'll ask Hermione to worry about that.” Chris said getting up. ”We should go now. It's late.”
Harry checking his watch and saw it was not working.
”It's almost half past one.” Chris replied. ”C'mon.”
They dried themselves as much as possible then Chris put on her robes.
”'Bye, 'bye,” Myrtle said.
”See you Myrtle.” Chris said as she and Harry put on the Invisibility Cloak and saw her zoom back up the tap.
Out in the dark corridor, they examined the Marauder's Map to check that the coast was still clear. Yes, the dots belonging to Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris, were safely in their office … nothing else seemed to be moving apart from Peeves, though he was bouncing around the trophy room on the floor above. … they had taken their first step back toward Gryffindor Tower when something else on the map caught Chris's eye … something distinctly odd.
Peeves was not the only thing that was moving. A single dot was flitting around a room in the bottom left-hand corner — Snape's office. But the dot wasn't labeled ”Severus Snape” … it was Bartemius Crouch. Harry also noticed that and stopped.
”Didn't you say he was too ill to come at the Yule Ball?” Chris asked Harry.
”Yes. Percy told me that.” Harry replied looking more confused.
”Then what's he doing, sneaking into Hogwarts at half past one o'clock in the morning?”
”No idea. We should check.” Harry said and tried to move towards Snape's office.
Chris grabbed his arm stopping him.
”And what're you going to ask him? It's not your office to investigate.” She said furiously. 'This boy is really dumb.' She thought, glaring at him.
”But what Mr Crouch is up to? In the middle of the night? In Snape's office? Aren't you curious?” Harry asked, he was clearly trying to convince Chris to follow him to the Snape's office.
”Harry, I'm curious too. But if we get caught....”
”We'll not. We're under the invisibility cloak.”
”But we're damp in water. We shouldn't tempt our fate.”
”But we're...”
”We're not going there Potter.”
”But we can...”
”No.”
”But...”
”No means no. We'll talk about this tomorrow.”
”Alright.” Harry sighed.
”Who's there?” Came a familiar unpleasant voice. Both of them looked up to see Filch.
When Chris and Harry were hissing to each other, Filch walked in silently.
”Who's there? Come out.” Filch said coming close to them.
Chris glared at Harry, who looked away hurriedly.
”I heard voices. I know you're here. Come out.” Filch said coming dangerously close to them.
They retreat their steps slowly, without making any noise. But Mr Norris was looking straight at them and Filch was going to collide with them any minitue.
Chris looked around, looking for anything to distract Filch then she saw the metal armour on the other side. Chris pointed her wand and the armour shook loudly. As Filch turned sharply, Chris made it stop. As expected Filch went towards the armour. Chris grabbed Harry's hand and pulling him with the invisibility cloak. Without making any sound they crept towards the Gryffindor tower, Mrs Norris still glaring at them. As soon as they were far enough from her. They broke into run, they skipped and didn't stop until they reached the fat lady portrait.
Chris looked around to make sure no one was near then whispered, ”Banana fritters.”
”Yes. Yes.” The fat lady muttered in sleep and the painting swung, they climbed in.
Chris threw the invisibility cloak and collapsed on a armchair. Harry did the same.
”That was a close save.” Harry muttered.
”I'm never going out with you under your Invisibility cloak.” Chris snapped. ”Idiot.” Chris took out the egg from her locket box and thrust it into Harry's hand. ”Take it.”
”Chris I'm...”
Chris got up and walked towards the girls' dormitory before Harry can finish. She hurriedly changed her wet clothes and climbed into her bed. Thinking what was Crouch actually doing in Snape's office in the middle of the night?
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”Why has Mr. Crouch been pretending to be ill?” said Hermione, after listening what happened last night. ”It's a bit funny, isn't it, that he can't manage to come to the Yule Ball, but he can get up here in the middle of the night when he wants to?”
All of them were talking on the almost empty Gryffindor table.
”You just don't like Crouch because of that elf, Winky,” said Ron.
”But she have a point Ron.” Ginny snapped. ”Don't you think it would be a lot more easier to slip during the Ball and check Snape's office if he wanted to. No one was going to notice.”