𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 ☼ 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆

↘︎ chapter twenty-seven

27 | The Whomping Willow and the Shrieking Shack

Today was Marley Macmillan's last exam and she was very tired. She just wanted to go back to the common room and sleep. So much had happened in the past six months. Ron had thought that Sirius Black had penetrated Gryffindor's common room and tried to stab him with a knife, Oliver Wood made his team train five times a week, and after winning the match against Ravenclaw, they were going to the finals against Slytherin.

After a very hard and slow game full of punishment, Harry Potter was finally able to catch the Golden Snitch and take the Inter-House Quidditch Cup. Oliver was in the seventh heaven of happiness, Professor McGonagall, too. Everyone was happy that Gryffindor took the Quidditch cup. At Christmas, Harry had received his new broom Firebolt, which only carried team victories.

Nobody still knew who had sent it to the boy, but Marley was at least sure he was happy. The girl just didn't understand why she was so concerned about him. Because of the dire circumstances at the school, Fred and George promised that by the end of the year they wouldn't prank anyone and all three were not punished. And this mysterious girl that Snape and Dumbledore were talking about ... well, it never happened. It might have happened, but no one would ever know.

She was just walking down one of the corridors with her best friend Angelina Johnson, and she was getting dark outside. The two were going up to the common room after dinner in the Great Hall until Marley heard familiar voices from outside. Twilight had descended upon the ground, and though it was dangerous to go out, she wanted to do it.

"Lina, go to the common room." Marley almost whispered. "I think I forgot something in the Great Hall. Be there in a minute."

"Sure you don't want me to accompany you?" Angelina raised her eyebrows but Marley shook her head negatively. The black girl just nodded with her head and went up the staircase. Marley pretended she was going to the Great Hall but when she was sure her friend was far away and there were no teachers in the corridor, she left the castle to see what was going on.

Marley saw Ron Weasley running straight to the Whomping Willow after something, the boy constantly stumbling, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger after him. What was going on? After making sure there was no one left, the girl went down the hill to catch up with them. And then, suddenly, she saw a huge, black dog that bounced on Harry. Marley ran, but by the time she tried to catch up with them, the dog was already dragging Ron by his feet to a tunnel under the Whomping Willow. It was the tunnel Fred and George were talking about when the three explained to Harry about the Marauders Map.

Marley finally made it, but it was too late. Ron was gone, and the willow clanged constantly with its branches. The girl was panting, and a minute later Hermione noticed her.

"Marley?! What are you doing here?" she questioned with loud voice, full of worry. The fifteen-year-old girl (she reached fifteen on 30 April) just looked at the tunnel and the ginger cat Crookshanks. What was this animal doing here?

"I heard strange voices while I was going to the common room." she blurted out. "I recognised yours and Harry's and I thought something went wrong. I had to check out on you to make sure if you're okay. But apparently you're not."

"We must save Ron." said Harry, ignoring the reason Marley was here. The girl thought he didn't care if anyone had come, he just was glad someone else will help him rescue his best friend. The three tried to get closer to the tunnel several times, but the branches of the willow fluttered relentlessly and it was impossible. Until Crookshanks touched a knot with his paw and suddenly the willow was motionless. The three looked at each other and didn't know what was happening, but decided to take advantage and go through the tunnel while they still could.