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Ron snapped. Before Malfoy knew what was happening, Ron was on top of |
him, wrestling him to the ground. Neville hesitated, then clambered over |
the back of his seat to help. |
"Come on, Harry!" Hermione screamed, leaping onto her seat to watch as |
Harry sped straight at Snape -- she didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron |
rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the |
whirl of fists that was Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle. |
Up in the air, Snape turned on his broomstick just in time to see |
something scarlet shoot past him, missing him by inches -- the next |
second, Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph, the |
Snitch clasped in his hand. |
The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember |
the Snitch being caught so quickly. |
"Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! |
Gryffindor is in the lead!" shrieked Hermione, dancing up and down on |
her seat and hugging Parvati Patil in the row in front. |
Harry jumped off his broom, a foot from the ground. He couldn't believe |
it. He'd done it -- the game was over; it had barely lasted five |
minutes. As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, he saw Snape land |
nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped -- then Harry felt a hand on his |
shoulder and looked up into Dumbledore's smiling face. |
"Well done," said Dumbledore quietly, so that only Harry could hear. |
"Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror... been keeping |
busy... excellent..." |
Snape spat bitterly on the ground. |
Harry left the locker room alone some time later, to take his Nimbus Two |
Thousand back to the broomshed. He couldn't ever remember feeling |
happier. He'd really done something to be proud of now -- no one could |
say he was just a famous name any more. The evening air had never |
smelled so sweet. He walked over the damp grass, reliving the last hour |
in his head, which was a happy blur: Gryffindors running to lift him |
onto their shoulders; Ron and Hermione in the distance, jumping up and |
down, Ron cheering through a heavy nosebleed. |
Harry had reached the shed. He leaned against the wooden door and looked |
up at Hogwarts, with its windows glowing red in the setting sun. |
Gryffindor in the lead. He'd done it, he'd shown Snape.... |
And speaking of Snape... |
A hooded figure came swiftly down the front steps of the castle. Clearly |
not wanting to be seen, it walked as fast as possible toward the |
forbidden forest. Harry's victory faded from his mind as he watched. He |
recognized the figure's prowling walk. Snape, sneaking into the forest |
while everyone else was at dinner -- what was going on? |
Harry jumped back on his Nimbus Two Thousand and took off. Gliding |
silently over the castle he saw Snape enter the forest at a run. He |
followed. |
The trees were so thick he couldn't see where Snape had gone. He flew in |
circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until he |
heard voices. He glided toward them and landed noiselessly in a towering |
beech tree. |
He climbed carefully along one of the branches, holding tight to his |
broomstick, trying to see through the leaves. Below, in a shadowy |
clearing, stood Snape, but he wasn't alone. Quirrell was there, too. |
Harry couldn't make out the look on his face, but he was stuttering |
worse than ever. Harry strained to catch what they were saying. |
"... d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, |
Severus..." |
"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy. |
"Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone, after |
all." |
Harry leaned forward. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted |
him. |
"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?" |
"B-b-but Severus, I --" |
"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," said Snape, taking a step |
toward him. |
"I-I don't know what you |
"You know perfectly well what I mean." |
An owl hooted loudly, and Harry nearly fell out of the tree. He steadied |
himself in time to hear Snape say, "-- your little bit of hocus-pocus. |
I'm waiting." |
"B-but I d-d-don't --" |
"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when |
you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties |
lie." |
He threw his cloak over his head and strode out of the clearing. It was |
almost dark now, but Harry could see Quirrell, standing quite still as |
though he was petrified. |
"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione squeaked. |
"We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, thumping Harry on the back. "And |
I gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle |
single-handed! He's still out cold but Madam Pomftey says he'll be all |
right - talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the |
common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and |
stuff from the kitchens." |
"Never mind that now," said Harry breathlessly. "Let's find an empty |
room, you wait 'til you hear this...." |
He made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them, |
then he told them what he'd seen and heard. |
"So we were right, it is the Sorcerer's Stone, and Snape's trying to |
force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past |
Fluffy - and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus pocuss-- I reckon |
there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of |
enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts |
spell that Snape needs to break through --" |
"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to |
Snape?" said Hermione in alarm. |
"It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron. |
CHAPTER FOURTEEN |
NORBERT THE NORWEGIAN RIDGEBACK |
Quirrell, however, must have been braver than they'd thought. In the |
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