mischief managed ⚡

‘You were seen,’ he hissed, showing them the headline: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. He began to read aloud. ‘ “Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower … at noon in Norfolk, Mrs Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing … Mr Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police” … six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office?’ he said, looking up at Ron and smiling still more nastily. ‘Dear, dear … his own son …’ Harry felt as though he’d just been walloped in the stomach by one of the mad tree’s larger branches. If anyone found out Mr Weasley had bewitched the car … he hadn’t thought of that …

‘Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin,’ said Dumbledore. ‘However, recent events must be taken into account.’ The room went very still. The Slytherins’ smiles faded a little.

‘Now, as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding and the points stand thus: in fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw have four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two.’ A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Harry could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight.

‘You’re too nosy to live, Potter. Scurrying around the school at Hallowe’en like that, for all I knew you’d seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone.’ ‘You let the troll in?’ ‘Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls – you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off – and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that three-headed dog didn’t even manage to bite Snape’s leg off properly.

Harry couldn’t take it in. This couldn’t be true, it couldn’t. ‘But Snape tried to kill me!’ ‘No, no, no. I tried to kill you. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I’d have got you off that broom. I’d have managed it before then if Snape hadn’t been muttering a counter- curse, trying to save you.’ ‘Snape was trying to save me?’ ‘Of course,’ said Quirrell coolly. ‘Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn’t do it again. Funny, really … he needn’t have bothered. I couldn’t do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor winning, he did make himself unpopular … and what a waste of time, when after all that, I’m going to kill you tonight.’

‘You!’ gasped Harry. Quirrell smiled. His face wasn’t twitching at all. ‘Me,’ he said calmly. ‘I wondered whether I’d be meeting you here, Potter.’ ‘But I thought – Snape –’ ‘Severus?’ Quirrell laughed and it wasn’t his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. ‘Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn’t he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor ststuttering P-Professor Quirrell?’

They turned to go back outside, but Snape called them back. ‘Be warned, Potter – any more night-time wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you.’ He strode off in the direction of the staff room.

The white queen turned her blank face towards him. ‘Yes …’ said Ron softly, ‘it’s the only way … I’ve got to be taken.’ ‘NO!’ Harry and Hermione shouted. ‘That’s chess!’ snapped Ron. ‘You’ve got to make some sacrifices! I’ll make my move and she’ll take me – that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!’ ‘But –’ ‘Do you want to stop Snape or not?’

A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor – and the door was already ajar. ‘Well, there you are,’ Harry said quietly. ‘Snape’s already got past Fluffy.’ [...] ‘What’s that at its feet?’ Hermione whispered. ‘Looks like a harp,’ said Ron. ‘Snape must have left it there.’

‘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 they?’ Harry flushed.

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.

‘Snape’s going through the trapdoor tonight. He’s found out everything he needs and now he’s got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up.’ ‘But what can we –’ Hermione gasped. Harry and Ron wheeled round. Snape was standing there. ‘Good afternoon,’ he said smoothly.