𝐀𝐈𝐌 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘┊ᴴᵃʳʳʸ ᴾᵒᵗᵗᵉʳ

12 ★ Through the Trapdoor

࿔₊°༺★༻࿔₊°

HARRY, CRYSTAL, HERMIONE AND RON had encountered Snape who was watching them suspiciously.

"Good afternoon," he said smoothly.

They stared at him.

"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd,

twisted smile.

"We were --" Harry began, without any idea what he was going to say.

"You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?"

Harry flushed and Crystal stared at him. They turned to go outside, but Snape called them back.

"Be warned, Potter, Calisto -- any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you both are expelled. Good day to you."

He strode off in the direction of the staffroom.

Out on the stone steps, Harry turned to the others.

"Right, here's what we've got to do," he whispered urgently. "One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape -- wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione, you'd better do that."

"Why me?"

"It's obvious," said Ron. "You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know." He put on a high voice, "'Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen b wrong....'"

"Oh, shut up," said Hermione, but she agreed to go and watch out for Snape.

"I'll look for Quirrell," said Crystal.

Harry nodded and said, "I was about to say that."

"And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Harry told Ron.

"Come on."

But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had they reached the door separating Fluffy from the rest of the school than Professor McGonagall turned up again and this time, she lost her temper.

"I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!" she stormed. "Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley, from my own house!"

Harry and Ron went back to the common room, Harry had just said, "At least Hermione and Crystal are on Snape's and Quirrell's tail," when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.

"I'm sorry, Harry!" she wailed. "Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went."

"Have you seen Crystal on your way?" said Ron.

Just then the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open again. It was Crystal who came inside.

"I can't find Quirrell at all." said Crystal, "He's nowhere. At last, I asked Professor Sinistra who was in staff room but she had no idea where he went."

"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Harry said.

"That's it," Crystal repeated knowing what he meant.

"Will you be fine? I mean Fluffy -- "

"I'm okay with animals as long as they're not awake to eat me -- "

The other two stared at them. Harry was pale and his eyes were glittering. Crystal looked as if something big was cooking up in her mind.