call me yours ( harry j potter )

11

Call Me Yours
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Chapter Eleven: Peter Pettigrew's Dot

A hulking, haunted goliath against the sky. A cautious breeze rises. Leaves scud across the gravel. A church. Empty. Silent. A windowpane rattles up high, the corridor thatched in shadow. A shadow engulfs Sir Cadogan, dozing against the tree.

The Sneakoscope, whirling madly, skitters across the bedside cabinet and taps against a water glass, sending shafts of red light pinwheeling over the photo of Harrys' parents. "Aaaahhhh!" 

Harry bolts, see a silhouette etched on the window, a man clutching a knife. All the boys are up now and screaming amid the chaos, Harry quickly grabbed his wand. "Everybody out!"

The others flee. Harry faces the hulking shadow, wand poised. "Show yourself." 

Crash! The water glass shatters on the floor and Scabbers darts past Harry's bare feet, chased by Crookshanks. Seizing the moment, the silhouette grasps the curtains and swings through the open window, plunging into the night. 

Harry rushes to the window, looks down. The silhouette leaps from ledge to ledge with an animal's grace then vanishes. Harry sweeps Ron's curtains aside. His bed is empty. "Ron! Ron!"

Harry's eyes flash toward the window when Ron pokes his head out from under the bed. "Is he gone"

The entire Gryffindor House, in pyjamas, stand before McGonagall, who wears a tartan robe and an expression of singular irritation. Y/n stood next to Hermione wearing an oversized black hoodie that Harry let her borrow. 

"That's preposterous, Weasley. How could Sirius Black possibly have got through the portrait hole?" 

"I don't know how he got in! I was a bit busy dodging his knife! Just then, a curiously content Crookshanks wends his way through Ron's legs." 

"And this bloody cat ate my rat!" Shouted Ron pointing at the cat that Hermione was holding causing Hermione to gasp. 

"That's a lie!" 

"It is not and you bloody well know it!" 

"Silence!"  

McGonagall turns then and everyone follows her eye to Sir Cadogan who, sensing the attention, perks up instantly. "Sir Cadogan. Is it possible that you let a mysterious man enter Gryffindor Tower tonight?" 

"Certainly, good lady! He had the password. Had the whole week's, in fact. On a little piece of paper." Sir Cadogan dramatically said as everyone looked around the room. 

"Which abysmally foolish person wrote down the passwords and then proceeded to lose them!" 

Every eye shifts once more: Neville. McGonagall sighs. "Is it always going to be you, Longbottom?"

 "I'm afraid so, ma'am." 

Professor McGonagall turned to everyone, "While we know Sirius Black is gone tonight, I think you can safely assume he will, at some future time, attempt to return. Let me be clear. You are not to move about the castle alone. And you are not to write down the password! Understood!" 

A collective nod of the head. McGonagall gives the ties of her robe a sharp tug, collects herself, and exits. "Very well then. Go to bed." As the students drift off, Ron casts a last angry glance toward Hermione, who now holds Crookshanks in her arms.

"I could've killed him."

Hermione turns, sees Harry staring out the window. "He was right there. Close enough to touch. I could've killed him." Harry spoke sitting on the chair.