Harry Potter and the Missing Memories

Chapter 10

Happy Halloween

As October rolled on, the nights began to draw in and the wind had a distinct chill to it. The trees in the Forbidden Forest gradually turned a spectacular mixture of greens, browns, reds, oranges and golds, which contrasted vividly with the ice grey of the surrounding mountains.

Harry was counting down the days to November the first, to the Hogsmeade weekend, when he would be meeting Sirius for the first time since his birthday. Even this, however, was overshadowed by the onset of the Quidditch season. Gryffindor were scheduled to play Hufflepuff on November the second, the first game of the season, and Harry's first match as captain. Harry had set the team a rigorous training schedule that occupied them three nights a week and every Sunday morning as well.

"And we thought Oliver was bad!" complained George, after one particularly gruelling practice session.

"I just want to do a good job, that's all," responded Harry, "and we are all rather out of shape after a year off."

"Speak for yourself," mumbled Fred, as he hobbled wearily towards the showers.

Every spare moment, when he wasn't working or at Quidditch practice, Harry could be seen poring over charts and diagrams of manoeuvres in the Gryffindor common room, very often with Ron at his side. Harry was finding Ron's long-standing obsession with Quidditch invaluable, as he knew a lot about tactics and appreciated how the differing roles of the team members needed to link together.

All the teachers had begun increasing the amount of work they set the fifth years, citing the O.W.Ls in the summer as the reason. In previous years, Hermione had always helped Harry with his work when Quidditch practices were in full swing by reading through what he had done and suggesting improvements. This year she seemed much more reluctant to do so. Harry wasn't sure if this was to do with the extra time her Prefect duties were taking - she seemed to do twice as much as Ron did, mainly in administrative tasks for Professor McGonagall - or whether it had something to do with her disapproval of Ron being in the Quidditch team. Either way, the atmosphere between the three of them was somewhat cooler than usual, and the constant bickering between her and Ron was not getting any better.

Harry hated to admit it, but he was really missing the carefree closeness the three of them used to have, the times when they would sit around and talk about anything and everything under the sun. He even once considered dropping Ron from the Quidditch team and replacing him with Dennis, but no sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he realised that if he did, Ron would never forgive him, even if it did improve things with Hermione.

Harry was also missing Hagrid. Hagrid had always been the one the three of them turned to when they weren't getting on well with each other. He had often talked some sense into them when they were too proud to admit they needed each other. His absence left a void no one else could fill; Harry missed his cheery greetings as he went about his gamekeeping duties and, yes, even his rock cakes. He couldn't help wondering where Hagrid was, what dangerous task he was undertaking for Professor Dumbledore, and, in particular, why no mention had been made of him since the Feast at the beginning of term. Harry hoped that Hagrid was safe and that he would be back soon; much as Professor Grubbly-Plank's classes were interesting, it just didn't seem right to have anyone else in that job except Hagrid. Still, no news was usually good news. And at least Harry now had Sirius to talk to, or would do soon.

In Potions, Professor Snape kept to the seating plan he had introduced in the second week. Poor Neville looked terrified when he saw who he had to work with and flinched every time Crabbe or Goyle spoke to him, which mercifully wasn't often. But he surprised everyone by not melting or exploding a single cauldron from that point on. In fact, in one lesson he completed a potion so successfully that even Snape couldn't find a reason to deduct points from him. Lavender Brown and Tabitha Nott had become firm friends and had even been seen studying together in the library, much to the other Gryffindors' disgust.

"She's a Slytherin for goodness' sake," Ron said to Harry, as they watched Tabitha and Lavender walking down the corridor together, whispering and giggling. "That's fraternising with the enemy!"

"I don't think you or I are in a position to put her straight, are we?" replied Harry. "Perhaps we could ask Parvati or Seamus to talk some sense into her?"

In Care of Magical Creatures, which they had jointly with the Slytherins, Professor Grubbly-Plank continued to teach them about the care of a variety of magical birds, with the Jobberknolls as her case study. Within a few weeks, they had studied the care and handling requirements of not only the Jobberknolls, but also of Fwoopers, Phoenixes and Snidgets. Harry was surprised to learn that a phoenix could disappear and reappear somewhere else at will.

"So that's how Fawkes reached me in the Chamber of Secrets!" he said to Ron. "I'd assumed it was some magic of Dumbledore's."

The class kept trying to find out from Professor Grubbly-Plank what the 'special project' after Christmas would be, but without success. The grey-haired old witch merely smiled her toothless grin and said, "It's not yet fully arranged, and I would hate to spoil the surprise."

Defence Against The Dark Arts continued on its theme of directions. The Gryffindors were all quite proficient at map reading and coordinates by now, and Professor Sophia told them that she was planning an orienteering exercise for them before Christmas in the area immediately round the school. This met with enthusiastic approval from the Gryffindors, who viewed any reason for leaving the school grounds as a special treat.

*

Halloween arrived, and everyone was looking forward to the Feast that evening. The delicious smell of stewed pumpkin emanating from the kitchens seemed to permeate every corner of the castle, making Harry and Ron feel continually hungry all day. Rumours about what entertainment Professor Dumbledore had booked for them had been going round for weeks, each one more fanciful than the last.

"I thought people would have the sense to realise that Halloween isn't a special enough feast for the Headmaster to book the Weird Sisters again," said Hermione impatiently, having just overhead a group of giggly second-year girls in the corridor. "It's not like the Yule Ball when we had foreign visitors, is it?"

Ron scowled, his ears turning pink at the merest hint of a mention of Viktor Krum. Harry didn't really pay much attention to this, however, because a thought had just occurred to him:

"Hermione, do the Prefects know what the entertainment is?"

He looked from Hermione, who wore an expression of closed superiority, to Ron, who looked decidedly guilty.

"You both know what's planned for tonight and you haven't told me?" Harry exclaimed. "I thought we were supposed to be friends. And friends share."

"I told you we should've told him," Ron moaned to Hermione.

"We're Prefects, Ron, and that is privileged Prefect information," retorted Hermione.

"Bet Malfoy hasn't kept it to himself," grumbled Harry crossly, "bet the whole of Slytherin House know."

"That's as maybe, Harry," she replied. "Draco will have to answer for his actions, I will have to answer for mine."

Ron looked round sharply at Hermione.

"Since when have you been on first-name terms with Malfoy?" he asked suspiciously.

Hermione didn't answer. She paused for a moment, biting her bottom lip, and then said calmly, "I propose a trade."

"A what?" asked Harry blankly.

"A trade," she repeated. "You tell us who Snuffles was referring to, and we'll tell you what the entertainment for the Halloween Feast is."

Harry's mouth dropped open, and he could feel his cheeks flushing red.

"But that's blackmail!"

"Well you're not going to tell us any other way, are you? Friends share, remember?"

Harry sighed heavily and passed his hand over his forehead. Hermione was right: he had lambasted them for not divulging information to him, but he had done exactly the same to them.

"Alright," he said, looking round the semi-crowded corridor, "but not here."

They followed him through the entrance hall, out of the main doors and down the steps. The wind was howling noisily round the walls of the castle, and it was starting to rain, so they huddled together in a corner near the wall to get some shelter.

Ron and Hermione were staring at him expectantly, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"It's Cho Chang," he said finally, in a flat, defeated tone. "I was talking to Sirius about her on my birthday before you two arrived."

Ron and Hermione nodded slowly in acknowledgement.

"I knew you were keen on her last year," answered Ron, "you know, before the Yule Ball and all that, but I didn't know you still were."

"Does she feel the same way about you, Harry?" asked Hermione softly.

"I don't really know," replied Harry. "I mean, she's gone out of her way to talk to me a couple of times this term, but there's this whole thing about her and Cedric that seems to get in the way. You know she was going out with him?"

They nodded again.

"I don't know if we can ever get past that," Harry continued. "Cedric died because of me..."

"Harry, that's just not true!" exclaimed Hermione.

"Okay, Cedric died in my company," corrected Harry, "and Cho doesn't know what to make of that. Hell, I don't know what to make of that."

"Maybe it just needs some time," said Ron.

"Yeah, maybe," replied Harry. "Enough about me - now you keep your side of the bargain. What's the entertainment for tonight?"

"Well, there's a sort of two-tier firework display," answered Hermione. "Professor Dumbledore has hired a wizard who specialises in indoor firework spectaculars, and then there will be a full display outside. It should be quite breathtaking."

"Sounds wicked," said Harry. "I think you two got the better end of this bargain though. Shall we get back inside out of this rain?"

The three of them hurried back up the steps into the relative warmth of the Entrance Hall. Harry found he was quite relieved that he had told Ron and Hermione about Cho, and he was pleased with their reactions too - they hadn't laughed, as he'd thought they might. It's better not to have secrets, he thought to himself.

They had just decided to head for the library to do some study before getting ready for the Feast when someone called their names, stopping them in their tracks.

"Well, well, if it isn't Potter and the Weasel," came the familiar drawl.

They turned round to see Draco Malfoy, accompanied as usual by Crabbe and Goyle, smirking at them malevolently.

"Did you decide to take early showers?" he sneered, eyeing their wet hair and rain-spotted robes. "You look like drowned rats. How very fitting for Prefects and a Quidditch captain - your Head of House must be so proud."

Harry clenched his fists, his mind quickly working out which pocket his wand was in and how long it would take him to reach it. Malfoy slowly swaggered forward, reached out and took hold of a few strands of Hermione's hair, rubbing them between his index finger and thumb.

"It looks like even a shower can't tame this forest though," he continued. "If you look hard enough, you might find a few endangered species in there."

"Get your hands off her, you slimy git!" yelled Ron, forcefully pushing Malfoy's hand away from Hermione.

Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward menacingly, and Harry reached for his wand. Hermione hastily got hold of Ron and Harry's arms and started pulling them both determinedly towards the staircase.

"Come on, he's not worth bothering with," she said, her face flushed with anger, "and we've got work to do."

"You'd better keep that smart Mudblood head of yours down," Malfoy called after them casually. "It'd be a pity to see brains like that wasted, now wouldn't it?"

Hermione tightened her grip on their arms and forced them onward up the stairs. Harry glanced back over his shoulder to see Malfoy sauntering off in the opposite direction laughing, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. When they reached the second landing, Hermione let go of their arms and heaved a deep sigh.

"He really knows how to get to you two, doesn't he?" she said. "Please don't rise to the bait, or he'll have a valid reason to deduct points from Gryffindor. That's what he's after."

"What he's after is a good kicking..." started Ron hotly, but Hermione cut across him.

"Ron, no! Don't even think like that!"

"I wonder what he meant by that last comment," said Harry thoughtfully. "It sounded like he was hinting at something."

"It's probably nothing, just another one of his idle threats," replied Hermione. "Just another 'you'll be next Mudbloods' like before."

*

Ron and Harry went back up to their dormitory to get ready for the Halloween Feast. They had all been told that the dress code for the evening was to be smart: hats had to be worn and dress robes were optional. Harry fished around in his trunk for the dark green dress robes that Mrs Weasley had chosen for him two summers before and laid them out on the bed next to some clean black robes, undecided which to wear. Ron had already made his choice: he was wearing his new midnight blue dress robes.

"Hey, they're nice," said Harry, looking round. "Are those the ones Fred and George got for you?"

"Yeah, not bad, are they?" replied Ron. "I couldn't have worn the old maroon ones even if I'd wanted to - they're way too short for me now. Mum altered them for Ginny. She added some lace and stuff to make them more girlie for her. So which are you going to wear?"

"Not sure," said Harry. "Which would you pick?"

"You've only worn the dress robes once," answered Ron, "so you might as well get your money's worth out of them. And you get to wear black every other day of the school year."

Harry tried on the green robes. They were very slightly too short, but he hadn't grown so much as to make them unwearable. He was standing in front of the mirror trying to flatten his hair a bit when Seamus and Dean came in to get ready.

"Hi guys, I see you've gone for the dress robes," said Dean cheerily. "I think I'll stick to plain black. Hey, what's this?"

Dean bent down and picked something up off the floor. It was a small blue feather.

"I don't know what this is doing here," said Seamus, taking it from him curiously and examining it. "Perhaps Hedwig brought it in by accident?"

"Yes, that's probably it."

When Dean and Seamus had changed, all four of them went down to the common room together. Hermione, Parvati and Ginny were waiting for them, and Neville was asleep in an armchair in the corner.

"Wow, Ginny!" exclaimed Ron. "I knew Mum had altered those robes, but I didn't think she'd altered them."

The maroon dress robes Ginny was wearing bore little resemblance to the ones Ron had had the misfortune to wear the previous year. Gone were the flouncy lace-trimmed sleeves. Instead it was sleeveless with a scooped back and was trimmed in a tasteful gold braid. Ginny was wearing her flame-red hair up, fastened on top with a large ornate gold clip. The few strands round her ears that were hanging down had been tastefully curled into delicate ringlets. It was clear to see that the youngest Weasley was blossoming into a beautiful young woman.

Hermione too had made a special effort for the occasion. Her hair had once again had ample quantities of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion applied to it, and she was wearing midnight blue dress robes that matched Ron's, her highly polished Prefect's badge shining on the lapel.

"Where's Lavender?" asked Seamus, looking around the common room.

"Oh, she's already gone," replied Parvati. "She wanted to borrow some of Tabitha's enchanted nail gems - the ones that move and change colour."

They woke Neville up and trooped down to the Great Hall together, walking in twos. Ron and Hermione led the way, followed by Harry and Ginny, then Parvati and Dean, Seamus and Neville bringing up the rear. The Hall was decorated with thousands of live bats and candles as usual, but, due to Hagrid's continued absence, the carved pumpkins were much smaller than in previous years.

The Feast itself was as sumptuous as ever - the house elves in the kitchens had obviously spent days, if not weeks, preparing for that evening. When everyone had eaten their fill and more besides, the golden plates disappeared and reappeared again, perfectly clean. An expectant hush fell over the Hall as they watched Professor Dumbledore get to his feet.

"As some of you will undoubtedly have heard, we have taken the liberty of organising some special entertainment for you this evening."

A buzz of excited whispers went round the room and died away again.

"We have hired the services of this country's foremost specialist in pyrotechnical wizardry to show us some of his best tricks. His renown is growing year on year. But I'm sure you've heard enough from me. Would you please give a warm welcome, in true Hogwarts fashion, to Doctor Damon Perrell."

Everyone clapped hard, as the candles dimmed, and a blond thirty-something wizard with a wide toothy smile made his entrance from the door to the right of the teachers' table. His indoor display was, as promised, quite spectacular: He had, among others, fireworks that emitted brightly coloured butterflies, which fluttered down onto the house tables, fireworks that screeched out jokes in strange voices and had them all rolling around with laughter, and firework fountains of gold and silver that multiplied and filled the Hall with a cascade of light and colour. As his finale, he sent a group of fireworks flying in formation round the Hall, their coloured smoke trails spelling out 'Happy Halloween' against the blackness of the ceiling.

"Thank you, thank you," said Doctor Perrell, bowing in acknowledgement of the students' claps and cheers. "Now, if you would care to follow me, we will get ready for the piece de resistance, the outdoor display."

He headed out of the Great Hall towards the Entrance Hall, and the students followed him table by table.

As Hermione and Ron led the Gryffindors down the front steps of the castle, with Harry right behind them, they saw that a special bank of tiered seating had been erected for them, facing away from the school towards the gates. In the distance they could see a few fireworks rising from the village of Hogsmeade - the students and staff of Hogwarts obviously weren't the only ones celebrating Halloween in style.

They took their seats and waited with bated breath. And they weren't disappointed. No sooner had the display started than the sky was ablaze with colour, the like of which Harry had never seen before. It far outstripped the big American displays he had occasionally seen on television at the Dursleys'. They 'oooed' and 'aahed' with every fresh wave of lights that assaulted their senses, and assault all their senses it did. Each section of the display seemed to have its own music that came from the fireworks themselves, and its own smell and texture.

"Can you smell roast beef?" asked Ron, as showers of vivid red stars burst across the sky and proceeded to chase each other around.

"No, I can smell roses," said Hermione, looking at him in astonishment. "What about you, Harry?"

"It's not so much a smell as a taste," he replied. "I can taste red wine, just like the stuff we had on my birthday."

"Oh, I see!" exclaimed Hermione. "The fireworks are charmed to evoke people's favourite memories associated with that colour. That's really clever!"

They continued to drink in the delights of the display. After the colour splashes with the taste and smell sensations came a series of fireworks that acted out scenes in twinkling technicolour: King Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, the slaying of Medusa and other classic legends. Then came the symbols of the four Hogwarts houses, the crests of Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor emblazoned in the sky in silver light.

"And now for the grand finale," called Doctor Perrell, his voice magically magnified, "I give you - Hogwarts!"

A whole battalion of fireworks launched into the air and exploded in a glare of gold.

"Ooh look, it's the castle!" squeaked Dennis Creevey from the row in front, bouncing up and down in his seat.

And so it was. An exact representation of the Hogwarts castle in shimmering gold that hung in the sky over the awed students.

Then in the distance was a deep, rumbling thud that shook the ground beneath them and reverberated round the castle walls. It was followed a few seconds later by a pillar of orange flame that shot up into the sky from somewhere a mile or so ahead of them and billowed out at the top like a mushroom, clearly visible through the glittering image of the castle that was now fading.

"That's in Hogsmeade," whispered Harry.

The students stood quite still, open-mouthed, watching the plume of fire rise up higher over the village. Then there was a smaller explosion sounding more like the crack of a whip, and an unmistakeable patch of green light appeared beside the orange of the fire. The Dark Mark. The green skull formed and grew, rising higher over the village and leering down on it.

There were screams from some of the girls, gasps from others, and teachers and students alike began to move restlessly in a mixture of panic and uncertainty. A clear voice cut across the growing hubbub.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," came the authoritative voice of Albus Dumbledore, "it is clear that something serious has happened in the village, although quite what it is we do not yet know. Would the Prefects please lead all students back to their common rooms immediately, no exceptions, and would all teachers meet me in the entrance hall. We will offer whatever assistance the school can provide in this hour of need. Your Heads of House will keep you informed of any major developments."

Harry followed the crowd back into the castle and back to the common room, his mind whirring round at a hundred miles an hour, but unable to properly process what they had just witnessed.

Once back in the Gryffindor common room, Ron, Hermione and the other older Prefects had their work cut out trying to keep people calm. The initial numbness they had all felt was wearing off and it was being replaced by a multitude of feelings: shock, fear, curiosity, even anger. Eventually, the portrait hole door opened, and silence fell as Professor McGonagall entered, looking paler and more tight-lipped than usual.

"Professor Dumbledore has asked me to make the following statement to you," she said, unrolling some parchment and adjusting her spectacles. "The explosion you witnessed earlier this evening occurred at The Three Broomsticks public house in Hogsmeade, leaving two dead and several badly injured. The school has offered the facilities of our Hospital Wing to help treat those who have been injured, and the first patients are just beginning to arrive. The cause of the explosion has yet to be ascertained, as has the origin of the green light you saw next to it in the sky. Foul play has not yet been ruled out. Ministry of Magic officials are currently carrying out thorough investigations at the scene."

"In the circumstances, the planned visit to Hogsmeade tomorrow is cancelled. No student is to leave the school grounds under any circumstances, and failure to comply will mean instant expulsion. We would ask that you keep away from the Hospital Wing unless it is an absolute emergency, in order to allow Madam Pomfrey and her assistants to treat the injured as quickly and peacefully as possible. Nobody is allowed out of Gryffindor Tower from now until breakfast time tomorrow morning. We trust we can rely on you all to help us by adhering to these rules."

Professor McGonagall rolled up the parchment and looked round at them all over the top of her glasses.

"Now I'm sure this has come as a very big shock to you, as it has to me," she said in a slightly kindlier tone, "and I daresay the cancellation of the Hogsmeade visit tomorrow is also a source of great disappointment. I cannot promise anything, but there is a possibility we may be able to allow a visit to the village later in the term. I suggest for now that you go to your dormitories and try to get some sleep."

As soon as Professor McGonagall had gone, Harry turned to Ron and Hermione.

"What on earth do they mean they don't know the origin of 'that green light'?" he said angrily. "They know full well it was the Dark Mark, and so do we. Does that mean Voldemort was in Hogsmeade?"

Ron flinched. "Do you have to say the name?" he hissed.

"Did your scar hurt during the firework display, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"No, why?"

"That means it's highly unlikely You-Know-Who was there himself. It always hurts you when he's close by, doesn't it?"

Harry nodded. Then he suddenly clapped his hand to his forehead as a realisation hit him.

"Sirius!"

"What about him?"

"He was going to meet me in Hogsmeade tomorrow, remember? Perhaps he was there tonight. Perhaps he's ...perhaps he's ..."

Harry began pacing up and down the hearth rug in an agitated manner, trying to digest the enormity of what might have happened, his mind racing once more. Several of the students, who were making their way upstairs, stopped and looked round at him curiously. Hermione came over to him and put her arm round his back, forcing him to stop walking.

"Calm down, Harry, calm down," she said in a whisper, "and watch what you're saying. He's still wanted, remember?"

Harry took several deep breaths to unwind the knot in his stomach a bit, freed himself from Hermione's grip and slumped into an armchair. They waited while the remaining students went to their dormitories, Hermione chivvying the last few along with a few Prefectly words of advice.

When everyone else had gone, Hermione and Ron sat down in the chairs on either side of Harry, watching him stare blankly into the embers of the fire in the grate. It was Hermione who broke the tense silence.

"Harry, I know you're really worried about Sirius, we all are, but really there's nothing you can do at the moment. You can't leave the tower until morning, and you'll get expelled if you go out of the school to try and find him. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will know where he is. Perhaps you should ask him tomorrow."

"I appreciate what you're saying, Hermione, I really do. But I can't just sit here and do nothing. Sirius is all I have left, and if I should lose him to Voldemort too..." Harry's voice tailed off as he blinked hard to quell the prickling sensation in his eyes. Hermione reached across and laid her hand on his arm.

"She's right, you know Harry," said Ron. "You're best waiting until morning and going to see Dumbledore. Snuffles wouldn't want you putting yourself in danger for him."

"But he could be dead, he could be lying injured somewhere," protested Harry, getting to his feet once more. "I just can't sit around not knowing. I've got to find out what I can."

Ron and Hermione watched as he sprinted upstairs and came back down carrying his father's Invisibility Cloak.

"What are you going to do?" asked Ron, eyeing Harry a bit nervously.

"Harry, please don't go out of the grounds," added Hermione pleadingly, "you'll get expelled for sure. Even Dumbledore wouldn't be able to save you."

"Okay, okay," said Harry with a sigh, "I'm just going to go to the Hospital Wing to see who's been brought in. If he's not there, I'll go and ask Dumbledore in the morning, I promise."

"It's pointless trying to stop you, I suppose," said Hermione, her voice trembling slightly. "Do try to be careful, Harry."

"I'll wait up for you," said Ron.

Harry managed a weak smile at them, then he covered himself in the Cloak, opened the portrait hole and slid out noiselessly.

The castle corridors seemed somehow more hushed than usual. As he reached the Entrance Hall, Harry realised that in his hurry he'd forgotten to bring the Marauders' Map with him. Damn, he thought to himself, that makes things trickier.

As he drew nearer to the Hospital Wing, Harry could hear the murmuring of voices. But when he reached the doors, they were shut, and he knew he wouldn't be able to open them and slip inside without attracting some attention. So he waited under the Cloak, pressed against the wall, in the hope that someone would come through the door and allow him to sneak in. Standing there in the cold and dark, he began to wonder if this really was such a good idea: even if he could get into the Hospital Wing undetected, it would undoubtedly be busy and therefore difficult to avoid being bumped into. And if Sirius wasn't there, what then? And if he was... Harry shuddered at the thought.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke into his thoughts. Professors McGonagall and Snape were coming up the corridor, a stretcher gliding eerily along in front of them. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. With a wave of his wand and a murmured incantation, Snape made the doors open wide so that the stretcher could go through. Harry seized the chance, slipped through the doors next to the stretcher and flattened himself against the wall once more on the inside. Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape followed the stretcher in, and the doors closed behind them.

The main ward of the hospital was indeed very busy. Every bed was occupied, and Madam Pomfrey was bustling from one to the other in her usual business-like fashion. Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout were also there helping her, as were a couple of other witches Harry did not recognise. He assumed they were from the village.

Madam Pomfrey hurried over to the new arrival to assess what was needed.

"Gracious me, more acid burns," she murmured. "Bring him over here please."

She magicked another bed in a corner of the already crowded room, and Professor Snape carefully lowered the stretcher onto it.

"This is the last one, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall wearily. "Do you need us to stay?"

"No, no, Minerva," replied Madam Pomfrey, "I think we have everything in hand here, thank you. You'd both better go and get some rest."

With that Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall left.

Harry now began to look around the ward more carefully. The man who had just been brought in was unconscious, blackened with soot and had large red and black burns to the right-hand side of his face and his right arm. It wasn't Sirius. He edged further round the walls to see the other beds nearest to him more clearly. In two of them were middle-aged witches, also with burns, and in the third lay an elderly man who was moaning with pain. Harry had to suppress a gasp when he saw a bloody stump under the man's robes - he had a leg missing.

Getting round to see who was in the other beds was going to be more problematic. He was going to have to cross to the other side of the ward, past the medicine trolleys and some of Madam Pomfrey's assistants.

He'd just started to inch away from the wall towards the central isle, when the doors to the ward opened again and in came Professor Sophia, followed closely by Professor Dumbledore. Harry froze, rooted to the spot.

Professor Sophia looked around. Her green eyes passed over the place where he stood under the Invisibility Cloak and then sprang back onto him, her eyes widening in surprise. Harry felt panic rising within him - she could see through Invisibility Cloaks! He was surely done for now. She opened her mouth to speak, turning to Professor Dumbledore. But after a small glance in Harry's direction, he shook his head gently at her, raising one finger momentarily to his lips. Harry held his breath, too stunned to move.

"Poppy," said Professor Dumbledore quietly, but distinctly, "do you have a list of all the casualties?"

Madam Pomfrey handed the jar of ointment she was carrying to Professor Sprout and came over to him.

"Certainly I do, Albus, but I haven't had time yet to write it out yet. It's all up here," she replied, tapping her temple.

"Well, perhaps you could just tell me who we have here?" he prompted.

"In the side room are the bodies of the two who were killed, Griffudd and Reanna Goyle. In here are the survivors: Madam Rosmerta, Gertie Trollope, James Brown, Nathaniel Fisher, Basil Baldwin, Terry Lutkin and old Marmaduke Hussey."

"Are there no others?" pressed Dumbledore.

"No, none," replied Madam Pomfrey. "Apparently the Three Broomsticks was virtually empty at the time, because almost everyone had gone outside to watch the fireworks. Quite fortunate really."

"Thank you, Poppy," he said, moving back to the door. He opened the door as if to go out, then stopped and turned back, holding the door open as he did so. He glanced over at Harry, then back at the door and continued to speak to Madam Pomfrey. Harry knew he was being told to leave, so he quietly made his way over to the door while Professor Dumbledore was speaking.

"Poppy, I've asked Kaliope here to use her, um, particular skills on these people. I'm sure she will not interfere too much in your work."

Madam Pomfrey sighed, but nodded in acknowledgement.

"And Kaliope, when you've finished, please report your findings first to me and then to the Aurors down in the village. I'm sure they will be glad of any light you can shed on this matter. Now if you will both excuse me, I still have one or two matters to attend to tonight."

With that, Dumbledore turned and followed Harry out of the Hospital Wing, closing the door behind him. He walked past Harry without comment, so Harry followed him along the corridor to the main staircase, still wearing the Cloak.

When they reached the staircase, Dumbledore stopped and looked round at him. Harry had suspected before that Dumbledore could see through Invisibility Cloaks, and now he was absolutely certain of it.

"Harry," said Dumbledore quietly, "it really was not wise of you to come to the Hospital Wing tonight, though I can quite understand your concerns. Now please go back to your dormitory and try to get some sleep. If you come to my office at ten-o'-clock tomorrow morning, I may have more concrete news for you then."

*

It was already well past midnight when Harry reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, who was fast asleep in her frame.

"Cauldron cakes," he hissed from under the Cloak, tapping the picture frame to wake her up.

"If you say so," she mumbled, as the picture swung forward without her even looking to see who was speaking.

Ron was still waiting up for Harry and looked visibly relieved when he emerged from under the Cloak.

"Well, was he there?" he asked.

"No," answered Harry, and proceeded to tell Ron everything he'd seen and heard.

"You'd better watch when you use that cloak in future, Harry," said Ron, when Harry had finished, "it looks like it doesn't work on half the staff round this place. Wonder what Professor Sophia was doing for Dumbledore tonight?"

"Dunno," answered Harry, who was by now feeling totally drained, "I think she may be able to read minds or something."

Harry and Ron made their way up the staircase to their dormitory. As they opened the door, they heard a familiar wailing start up. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Oh no, it's Neville again," he moaned.

He pulled out his wand and cast a Silencing Charm as soon as they were inside the dormitory, then moved across to the cabinet on the far wall to find the Knockout Drops.

"No!... Mum!.. Dad!.. Not them!" screamed Neville.

"That's strange," whispered Harry, "he's never said anything before."

Neville continued to toss and turn, mumbling indistinguishably and screaming every now and then. Ron went over to the sink and fetched a glass of water.

"The ring...mustn't tell..." yelled Neville in a hoarse voice.

Just then Harry heard a small scratching noise over near the window. He looked just in time to see something small move along into the corner. Beside him he heard the glass of water hit the ground and shatter.

"Scabbers!" came Ron's shaky voice. "It's Scabbers!"