In no time at all, Defence Against the Dark Arts had become most peopleโs favourite class. Only Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Professor Lupin.
โLook at the state of his robes,โ Malfoy would say in a loud whisper as Professor Lupin passed. โHe dresses like our old house-elf.โ
But no one else cared that Professor Lupinโs robes were patched and frayed. His next few lessons were just as interesting as the first. After Boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblin-like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed, in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had got lost. From Red Caps they moved on to Kappas, creepy water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.
Harry only wished he was as happy with some of his other classes. Worst of all was Potions. Snape was in a particularly vindictive mood these days, and no one was in any doubt why. The story of the Boggart assuming Snapeโs shape, and the way that Neville had dressed it in his grandmotherโs clothes, had travelled through the school like wildfire. Snape didnโt seem to find it funny. His eyes flashed menacingly at the very mention of Professor Lupinโs name, and he was bullying Neville worse than ever.
Harry was also growing to dread the hours he spent in Professor Trelawneyโs stifling tower room, deciphering lop-sided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way Professor Trelawneyโs enormous eyes filled with tears every time she looked at him. He couldnโt like Professor Trelawney, even though she was treated with respect bordering on reverence by many of the class. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown had taken to haunting Professor Trelawneyโs tower room at lunchtimes, and always returned with annoyingly superior looks on their faces, as though they knew things the others didnโt. They had also started using hushed voices whenever they spoke to Harry, as though he was on his deathbed.
Nobody really liked Care of Magical Creatures, which, after the action- packed first class, had become extremely dull. Hagrid seemed to have lost his confidence. They were now spending lesson after lesson learning how to look after Flobberworms, which had to be some of the most boring creatures in existence.
โWhy would anyoneย botherย looking after them?โ said Ron, after yet another hour of poking shredded lettuce down the Flobberwormsโ slimy throats.
At the start of October, however, Harry had something else to occupy him, something so enjoyable it made up for his unsatisfactory classes. The Quidditch season was approaching, and Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor team, called a meeting one Thursday evening to discuss tactics for the new season.
There were seven people on a Quidditch team: three Chasers, whose job it was to score goals by putting the Quaffle (a red, football-sized ball) through one of the fifty-foot-high hoops at each end of the pitch; two Beaters, who were equipped with heavy bats to repel the Bludgers (two heavy black balls which zoomed around trying to attack the players); a Keeper, who defended the goalposts, and the Seeker, who had the hardest job of all, that of catching the Golden Snitch, a tiny, winged, walnut-sized ball, whose capture ended the game and earned the Seekerโs team an extra one hundred and fifty points.
Oliver Wood was a burly seventeen-year-old, now in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. There was a quiet sort of desperation in his voice as he addressed his six fellow team members in the chilly changing rooms on the edge of the darkening Quidditch pitch.
โThis is our last chance โย myย last chance โ to win the Quidditch Cup,โ he told them, striding up and down in front of them. โIโll be leaving at the end of this year. Iโll never get another shot at it.
โGryffindor havenโt won for seven years now. OK, so weโve had the worst luck in the world โ injuries โ then the tournament getting called off last year
โฆโ Wood swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat. โBut we also know weโve got theย best โ ruddy โ team โ in โ the โ school,โ he said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye.
โWeโve got threeย superbย Chasers.โ
Wood pointed at Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell. โWeโve got twoย unbeatableย Beaters.โ
โStop it, Oliver, youโre embarrassing us,โ said Fred and George Weasley together, pretending to blush.
โAnd weโve got a Seeker who hasย never failed to win us a match!โ Wood
rumbled, glaring at Harry with a kind of furious pride. โAnd me,โ he added, as an afterthought.
โWe think youโre very good, too, Oliver,โ said George. โCracking Keeper,โ said Fred.
โThe point is,โ Wood went on, resuming his pacing, โthe Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Harry joined the team, Iโve thought the thing was in the bag. But we havenโt got it, and this yearโs the last chance weโll get to finally see our name on the thing โฆโ
Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic. โOliver, this yearโs our year,โ said Fred.
โWeโll do it, Oliver!โ said Angelina. โDefinitely,โ said Harry.
Full of determination, the team started training sessions, three evenings a week. The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind or rain could tarnish Harryโs wonderful vision of finally winning the huge silver Quidditch Cup.
Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room one evening after training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practice had gone, to find the room buzzing excitedly.
โWhatโs happened?โ he asked Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in two of the best chairs by the fireside and completing some star charts for Astronomy.
โFirst Hogsmeade weekend,โ said Ron, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old noticeboard. โEnd of October. Halloweโen.โ
โExcellent,โ said Fred, who had followed Harry through the portrait hole. โI need to visit Zonkoโs, Iโm nearly out of Stink Pellets.โ
Harry threw himself into a chair beside Ron, his high spirits ebbing away.
Hermione seemed to read his mind.
โHarry, Iโm sure youโll be able to go next time,โ she said. โTheyโre bound to catch Black soon, heโs been sighted once already.โ
โBlackโs not fool enough to try anything in Hogsmeade,โ said Ron. โAsk McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry, the next one might not be for ages โโ
โRon!โย said Hermione. โHarryโs supposed to stayย in schoolย โโ
โHe canโt be the only third-year left behind,โ said Ron. โAsk McGonagall, go on, Harry โโ
โYeah, I think I will,โ said Harry, making up his mind.
Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment Crookshanks leapt lightly onto her lap. A large, dead spider was dangling from his mouth.
โDoes he have to eat that in front of us?โ said Ron, scowling.
โClever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?โ said Hermione.
Crookshanks slowly chewed up the spider, his yellow eyes fixed insolently on Ron.
โJust keep him over there, thatโs all,โ said Ron irritably, turning back to his star chart. โIโve got Scabbers asleep in my bag.โ
Harry yawned. He really wanted to go to bed, but he still had his own star chart to complete. He pulled his bag towards him, took out parchment, ink and quill, and started work.
โYou can copy mine, if you like,โ said Ron, labelling his last star with a flourish and shoving the chart towards Harry.
Hermione, who disapproved of copying, pursed her lips, but didnโt say anything. Crookshanks was still staring unblinkingly at Ron, flicking the end of his bushy tail. Then, without warning, he pounced.
โOY!โ Ron roared, seizing his bag, as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deeply into it, and began tearing ferociously. โGET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!โ
Ron tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but Crookshanks clung on, spitting and slashing.
โRon, donโt hurt him!โ squealed Hermione. The whole common room was watching; Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top โ
โCATCH THAT CAT!โ Ron yelled, as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table and chased after the terrified Scabbers.
George Weasley made a lunge for Crookshanks but missed; Scabbers streaked through twenty pairs of legs and shot beneath an old chest of drawers. Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs and started making furious swipes beneath the chest of drawers with his front paw.
Ron and Hermione hurried over; Hermione grabbed Crookshanks around the middle and heaved him away; Ron threw himself onto his stomach and, with great difficulty, pulled Scabbers out by the tail.
โLook at him!โ he said furiously to Hermione, dangling Scabbers in front of her. โHeโs skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!โ
โCrookshanks doesnโt understand itโs wrong!โ said Hermione, her voice
shaking. โAll cats chase rats, Ron!โ
โThereโs something funny about that animal!โ said Ron, who was trying to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. โIt heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!โ
โOh, what rubbish,โ said Hermione impatiently. โCrookshanks couldย smell
him, Ron, how else dโyou think โโ
โThat catโs got it in for Scabbers!โ said Ron, ignoring the people around him, who were starting to giggle. โAnd Scabbers was here first,ย andย heโs ill!โ
Ron marched through the common room and out of sight up the stairs to the boysโ dormitories.
*
Ron was still in a bad mood with Hermione next day. He barely talked to her all through Herbology, even though he, Harry and Hermione were working together on the same Puffapod.
โHowโs Scabbers?โ Hermione asked timidly, as they stripped fat pink pods from the plants and emptied the shining beans into a wooden pail.
โHeโs hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking,โ said Ron angrily, missing the pail and scattering beans over the greenhouse floor.
โCareful, Weasley, careful!โ cried Professor Sprout, as the beans burst into bloom before their very eyes.
They had Transfiguration next. Harry, who had resolved to ask Professor McGonagall after the lesson whether he could go into Hogsmeade with the rest, joined the queue outside the classroom, trying to decide how he was going to argue his case. He was distracted, however, by a disturbance at the front of the line.
Lavender Brown seemed to be crying. Parvati had her arm around her, and was explaining something to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were looking very serious.
โWhatโs the matter, Lavender?โ said Hermione anxiously, as she, Harry and Ron went to join the group.
โShe got a letter from home this morning,โ Parvati whispered. โItโs her rabbit, Binky. Heโs been killed by a fox.โ
โOh,โ said Hermione. โIโm sorry, Lavender.โ
โI should have known!โ said Lavender tragically. โYou know what day it is?โ
โEr โโ
โThe sixteenth of October! โThat thing youโre dreading, it will happen on
the sixteenth of October!โ Remember? She was right, she was right!โ
The whole class was gathered around Lavender now. Seamus shook his head seriously. Hermione hesitated; then she said, โYou โ you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?โ
โWell, not necessarily by aย fox,โ said Lavender, looking up at Hermione with streaming eyes, โbut I wasย obviouslyย dreading him dying, wasnโt I?โ
โOh,โ said Hermione. She paused again. Then โ โWas Binky anย oldย rabbit?โ
โN-no!โ sobbed Lavender. โH-he was only a baby!โ Parvati tightened her arm around Lavenderโs shoulders.
โBut then, why would you dread him dying?โ said Hermione. Parvati glared at her.
โWell, look at it logically,โ said Hermione, turning to the rest of the group. โI mean, Binky didnโt even die today, did he, Lavender just got the news today โโ Lavender wailed loudly โโ and sheย canโtย have been dreading it, because itโs come as a real shock โโ
โDonโt mind Hermione, Lavender,โ said Ron loudly, โshe doesnโt think other peopleโs pets matter very much.โ
Professor McGonagall opened the classroom door at that moment, which was perhaps lucky; Hermione and Ron were looking daggers at each other, and when they got into class, they seated themselves either side of Harry, and didnโt talk to each other all lesson.
Harry still hadnโt decided what he was going to say to Professor McGonagall when the bell rang at the end of the lesson, but it was she who brought up the subject of Hogsmeade first.
โOne moment, please!โ she called, as the class made to leave. โAs youโre all in my house, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Halloweโen. No form, no visiting the village, so donโt forget!โ
Neville put up his hand.
โPlease, Professor, I โ I think Iโve lost โโ
โYour grandmother sent yours to me directly, Longbottom,โ said Professor McGonagall. โShe seemed to think it was safer. Well, thatโs all, you may leave.โ
โAsk her now,โ Ron hissed at Harry. โOh, but โโ Hermione began.
โGo for it, Harry,โ said Ron stubbornly.
Harry waited for the rest of the class to disappear, then headed nervously
for Professor McGonagallโs desk. โYes, Potter?โ
Harry took a deep breath.
โProfessor, my aunt and uncle โ er โ forgot to sign my form,โ he said.
Professor McGonagall looked over her square spectacles at him, but didnโt say anything.
โSo โ er โ dโyou think it would be all right โ I mean, will it be OK if I โ if I go to Hogsmeade?โ
Professor McGonagall looked down and began shuffling papers on her desk.
โIโm afraid not, Potter,โ she said. โYou heard what I said. No form, no visiting the village. Thatโs the rule.โ
โBut โ Professor, my aunt and uncle โ you know, theyโre Muggles, they donโt really understand about โ about Hogwarts forms and stuff,โ Harry said, while Ron egged him on with vigorous nods. โIf you said I could go โโ
โBut I donโt say so,โ said Professor McGonagall, standing up and piling her papers neatly into a drawer. โThe form clearly states that the parent or guardian must give permission.โ She turned to look at him, with an odd expression on her face. Was it pity? โIโm sorry, Potter, but thatโs my final word. You had better hurry, or youโll be late for your next lesson.โ
*
There was nothing to be done. Ron called Professor McGonagall a lot of names that greatly annoyed Hermione; Hermione assumed an โall for the bestโ expression that made Ron even angrier, and Harry had to endure everyone in the class talking loudly and happily about what they were going to do first, once they got into Hogsmeade.
โThereโs always the feast,โ said Ron, in an effort to cheer Harry up. โYou know, the Halloweโen feast, in the evening.โ
โYeah,โ said Harry, gloomily, โgreat.โ
The Halloweโen feast was always good, but it would taste a lot better if he was coming to it after a day in Hogsmeade with everyone else. Nothing anyone said made him feel any better about being left behind. Dean Thomas, who was good with a quill, had offered to forge Uncle Vernonโs signature on the form, but as Harry had already told Professor McGonagall he hadnโt had it signed, that was no good. Ron half-heartedly suggested the Invisibility Cloak, but Hermione stamped on that one, reminding Ron what Dumbledore had told them about the Dementors being able to see through them. Percy had what were possibly the least helpful words of comfort.
โThey make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, itโs not all itโs cracked up to be,โ he said seriously. โAll right, the sweetshopโs rather good, but Zonkoโs Joke Shopโs frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shackโs always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, youโre not missing anything.โ
*
On Halloweโen morning, Harry awoke with the rest and went down to breakfast feeling thoroughly depressed, though doing his best to act normally. โWeโll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes,โ said Hermione,
looking desperately sorry for him.
โYeah, loads,โ said Ron. He and Hermione had finally forgotten their squabble about Crookshanks in the face of Harryโs disappointment.
โDonโt worry about me,โ said Harry, in what he hoped was an offhand voice. โIโll see you at the feast. Have a good time.โ
He accompanied them to the Entrance Hall, where Filch, the caretaker, was standing inside the front doors, checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out who shouldnโt be going.
โStaying here, Potter?โ shouted Malfoy, who was standing in line with Crabbe and Goyle. โScared of passing the Dementors?โ
Harry ignored him and made his solitary way up the marble staircase, through the deserted corridors, and back to Gryffindor Tower.
โPassword?โ said the Fat Lady, jerking out of a doze. โFortuna Major,โ said Harry listlessly.
The portrait swung open and he climbed through the hole into the common room. It was full of chattering first- and second-years, and a few older students who had obviously visited Hogsmeade so often the novelty had worn off.
โHarry! Harry! Hi, Harry!โ
It was Colin Creevey, a second-year who was deeply in awe of Harry and never missed an opportunity to speak to him.
โArenโt you going to Hogsmeade, Harry? Why not? Hey โโ Colin looked eagerly around at his friends, โyou can come and sit with us, if you like, Harry!โ
โEr โ no, thanks, Colin,โ said Harry, who wasnโt in the mood to have a lot of people staring avidly at the scar on his forehead. โI โ Iโve got to go to the library, got to get some work done.โ
After that, he had no choice but to turn right around and head back out of the portrait hole again.
โWhat was the point of waking me up?โ the Fat Lady called grumpily after him as he walked away.
Harry wandered dispiritedly towards the library, but halfway there he changed his mind; he didnโt feel like working. He turned around and came face to face with Filch, who had obviously just seen off the last of the Hogsmeade visitors.
โWhat are you doing?โ Filch snarled suspiciously. โNothing,โ said Harry truthfully.
โNothing!โ spat Filch, his jowls quivering unpleasantly. โA likely story! Sneaking around on your own, why arenโt you in Hogsmeade buying Stink Pellets and Belch Powder and Whizzing Worms like the rest of your nasty little friends?โ
Harry shrugged.
โWell, get back to your common room where you belong!โ snapped Filch, and he stood glaring until Harry had passed out of sight.
But Harry didnโt go back to the common room; he climbed a staircase, thinking vaguely of visiting the Owlery to see Hedwig, and was walking along another corridor when a voice from inside one of the rooms said, โHarry?โ
Harry doubled back to see who had spoken and met Professor Lupin, looking around his office door.
โWhat are you doing?โ said Lupin, in a very different voice from Filch. โWhere are Ron and Hermione?โ
โHogsmeade,โ said Harry, in a would-be casual voice.
โAh,โ said Lupin. He considered Harry for a moment. โWhy donโt you come in? Iโve just taken delivery of a Grindylow for our next lesson.โ
โA what?โ said Harry.
He followed Lupin into his office. In the corner stood a very large tank of water. A sickly-green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.
โWater demon,โ said Lupin, surveying the Grindylow thoughtfully. โWe shouldnโt have much difficulty with him, not after the Kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle.โ
The Grindylow bared its green teeth and then buried itself in a tangle of
weed in a corner.
โCup of tea?โ Lupin said, looking around for his kettle. โI was just thinking of making one.โ
โAll right,โ said Harry awkwardly.
Lupin tapped the kettle with his wand and a blast of steam issued suddenly from the spout.
โSit down,โ said Lupin, taking the lid off a dusty tin. โIโve only got teabags, Iโm afraid โ but I daresay youโve had enough of tea leaves?โ
Harry looked at him. Lupinโs eyes were twinkling. โHow did you know about that?โ Harry asked.
โProfessor McGonagall told me,โ said Lupin, passing Harry a chipped mug of tea. โYouโre not worried, are you?โ
โNo,โ said Harry.
He thought for a moment of telling Lupin about the dog heโd seen in Magnolia Crescent, but decided not to. He didnโt want Lupin to think he was a coward, especially since Lupin already seemed to think he couldnโt cope with a Boggart.
Something of Harryโs thoughts seemed to have shown on his face, because Lupin said, โAnything worrying you, Harry?โ
โNo,โ Harry lied. He drank a bit of tea and watched the Grindylow brandishing a fist at him. โYes,โ he said suddenly, putting his tea down on Lupinโs desk. โYou know that day we fought the Boggart?โ
โYes,โ said Lupin slowly.
โWhy didnโt you let me fight it?โ said Harry abruptly. Lupin raised his eyebrows.
โI would have thought that was obvious, Harry,โ he said, sounding surprised.
Harry, who had expected Lupin to deny that heโd done any such thing, was taken aback.
โWhy?โ he said again.
โWell,โ said Lupin, frowning slightly, โI assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort.โ
Harry stared. Not only was this the last answer heโd expected, but Lupin had said Voldemortโs name. The only person Harry had ever heard say the name aloud (apart from himself) was Professor Dumbledore.
โClearly, I was wrong,โ said Lupin, still frowning at Harry. โBut I didnโt think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialise in the staff room. I
imagined that people would panic.โ
โI did think of Voldemort first,โ said Harry honestly. โBut then I โ I remembered those Dementors.โ
โI see,โ said Lupin thoughtfully. โWell, well โฆ Iโm impressed.โ He smiled slightly at the look of surprise on Harryโs face. โThat suggests that what you fear most of all is โ fear. Very wise, Harry.โ
Harry didnโt know what to say to that, so he drank some more tea.
โSo youโve been thinking that I didnโt believe you capable of fighting the Boggart?โ said Lupin shrewdly.
โWell โฆ yeah,โ said Harry. He was suddenly feeling a lot happier. โProfessor Lupin, you know the Dementors โโ
He was interrupted by a knock on the door. โCome in,โ called Lupin.
The door opened, and in came Snape. He was carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly, and stopped at the sight of Harry, his black eyes narrowing.
โAh, Severus,โ said Lupin, smiling. โThanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?โ
Snape set the smoking goblet down, his eyes wandering between Harry and Lupin.
โI was just showing Harry my Grindylow,โ said Lupin pleasantly, pointing at the tank.
โFascinating,โ said Snape, without looking at it. โYou should drink that directly, Lupin.โ
โYes, yes, I will,โ said Lupin.
โI made an entire cauldronful,โ Snape continued. โIf you need more.โ
โI should probably take some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus.โ
โNot at all,โ said Snape, but there was a look in his eye Harry didnโt like.
He backed out of the room, unsmiling and watchful. Harry looked curiously at the goblet. Lupin smiled.
โProfessor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me,โ he said. โI have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex.โ He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. โPity sugar makes it useless,โ he added, taking a sip and shuddering.
โWhy โ?โ Harry began. Lupin looked at him and answered the unfinished question.
โIโve been feeling a bit off-colour,โ he said. โThis potion is the only thing
that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there arenโt many wizards who are up to making it.โ
Professor Lupin took another sip and Harry had a mad urge to knock the goblet out of his hands.
โProfessor Snapeโs very interested in the Dark Arts,โ he blurted out. โReally?โ said Lupin, looking only mildly interested as he took another gulp
of potion.
โSome people reckon โโ Harry hesitated, then plunged recklessly on, โsome people reckon heโd do anything to get the Defence Against the Dark Arts job.โ
Lupin drained the goblet and pulled a face.
โDisgusting,โ he said. โWell, Harry, Iโd better get back to work. Iโll see you at the feast later.โ
โRight,โ said Harry, putting his empty teacup down. The empty goblet was still smoking.
*
โThere you go,โ said Ron. โWe got as much as we could carry.โ
A shower of brilliantly coloured sweets fell into Harryโs lap. It was dusk, and Ron and Hermione had just turned up in the common room, pink-faced from the cold wind and looking as though theyโd had the time of their lives.
โThanks,โ said Harry, picking up a packet of tiny black Pepper Imps. โWhatโs Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?โ
By the sound of it โ everywhere. Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, Zonkoโs Joke Shop, into the Three Broomsticks for foaming mugs of hot Butterbeer and many places besides.
โThe post office, Harry! About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all colour-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!โ
โHoneydukes have got a new kind of fudge, they were giving out free samples, thereโs a bit, look โโ
โWeย thinkย we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks โโ
โWish we could have brought you some Butterbeer, really warms you up โโ โWhat did you do?โ said Hermione, looking anxious. โDid you get any work
done?โ
โNo,โ said Harry. โLupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And then Snape came in โฆโ
He told them all about the goblet. Ronโs mouth fell open.
โLupin drank it?โย he gasped. โIs he mad?โ Hermione checked her watch.
โWeโd better go down, you know, the feastโll be starting in five minutes โฆโ They hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, still discussing Snape.
โBut if he โ you know โโ Hermione dropped her voice, glancing nervously around, โif heย wasย trying to โ to poison Lupin โ he wouldnโt have done it in front of Harry.โ
โYeah, maybe,โ said Harry, as they reached the Entrance Hall and crossed into the Great Hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes.
The food was delicious; even Hermione and Ron, who were full to bursting with Honeydukes sweets, managed second helpings of everything. Harry kept glancing at the staff table. Professor Lupin looked cheerful and as well as he ever did; he was talking animatedly to tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher. Harry moved his eyes along the table, to the place where Snape sat. Was he imagining it, or were Snapeโs eyes flickering towards Lupin more often than was natural?
The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a spot of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a re- enactment of his own botched beheading.
It had been such a good evening that Harryโs good mood couldnโt even be spoiled by Malfoy, who shouted through the crowd as they all left the Hall, โThe Dementors send their love, Potter!โ
Harry, Ron and Hermione followed the rest of the Gryffindors along the usual path to Gryffindor Tower, but when they reached the corridor which ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found it jammed with students.
โWhy isnโt anyone going in?โ said Ron curiously.
Harry peered over the heads in front of him. The portrait seemed to be closed.
โLet me through, please,โ came Percyโs voice, and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. โWhatโs the hold-up here? You canโt all have forgotten the password โ excuse me, Iโm Head Boy โโ
And then a silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly
sharp voice, โSomebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick.โ Peopleโs heads turned; those at the back were standing on tiptoe. โWhatโs going on?โ said Ginny, who had just arrived.
Next moment, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping towards the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through, and Harry, Ron and Hermione moved closer to see what the trouble was.
โOh, my โโ Hermione exclaimed and grabbed Harryโs arm.
The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely.
Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes sombre, to see Professors McGonagall, Lupin and Snape hurrying towards him.
โWe need to find her,โ said Dumbledore. โProfessor McGonagall, please go to Mr Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady.โ
โYouโll be lucky!โ said a cackling voice.
It was Peeves the poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.
โWhat do you mean, Peeves?โ said Dumbledore calmly, and Peevesโs grin faded a little. He didnโt dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle.
โAshamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesnโt want to be seen. Sheโs a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful,โ he said happily. โPoor thing,โ he added, unconvincingly.
โDid she say who did it?โ said Dumbledore quietly.
โOh, yes, Professorhead,โ said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. โHe got very angry when she wouldnโt let him in, you see.โ Peeves flipped over, and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. โNasty temper heโs got, that Sirius Black.โ