The Dark Gryffindor

Sjauthor: Yes, Ginny’s suspicions continue to get raised. Thanks for the review.


Sheherazade: Thanks for reviewing again.


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Continuation of….


Chapter Thirty: Stealing the Sword


“Wait right there. If all goes as planned, we should be back here in twenty minutes tops,” said Ginny confidently.

So Valerie and Seamus waited. They were situated at opposite ends of the hallway that led to the headmaster’s office. The idea was that if Snape came by they were to alert them with their protean charmed fake galleons. Meanwhile, they were watching Neville and Ginny approach the stone gargoyles.

Neville took out a long roll of parchment folded in his robes. He started to read off a long list of possible passwords.

“Boys and girls no password means no entrance,” said one of the statues in a firm voice.

Ginny and Neville ignored this and continued.

“…Dumbledore?…,” Neville finally muttered.

“That is indeed the headmaster's password. Against my greater reservations I must let you in.”

At the gargoyles’ relent, the mechanical door opened. Valerie and Seamus advanced forward stealthily, footsteps treading as quietly as possible. Now they were to guard the entrance.

A moment later, Ginny and Neville were at the summit of the stairs.

Ginny whispered, “Alohomora.”

“Brilliant. It actually worked,” said Neville happily.

With a green light flashing, the door unlocked and Ginny turned the brass handle.

Ginny and Neville were like vapory shadows of a stone wall in appearance as they were now under their poorly formed Disillusionment charms.

Cries of, “Obscuro! Obscuro! Obscruo!” were heard all around the circular room as Neville and Ginny darted around the portrait frames, so as to block the portraits from getting a glimpse of the unauthorized visitors.

The portraits began to scream and yell and their relentless chatter of complaints did not cease for a long moment. Finally, it became only shallow whispers mixing in with Dumbledore's little silver instruments humming.

Ginny and Neville stared around the dark room lit only by a long candle on Snape’s desk.

“It’s hard to see in here,” murmured Ginny and she lit her wand.

Suddenly Neville sounded scared as if he was in a haunted house. “Hey, Gin…Did you just hear what I did?”

“What’d you hear?”

“We weren’t walking and I could swear I heard floorboards creak!”

“Whatever. Hurry up and find it before the old bat catches us!”

Ginny and Neville navigated through the shadowy room. Hardly a moment had passed when Neville thought he saw a gleaming flash of ruby behind Snape’s desk on the window ledge.

“I found it!” Neville raced towards the glass case and shoved his lit wand beside it to make sure. Then at once, without really thinking, he rammed his fist into the glass and it shattered.

Neville bent over and grasped the sword handle. Proudly he lifted it from it's velvet bed it was lying on. He held it above his head, triumphantly wielding it. Ginny cheered and said, “Let’s go!”

Snape meanwhile, who had been standing in the shadows behind a closet door, finally stepped forward. He knew that by now, he had witnessed all the evidence he needed to know without a doubt that their goal was to steal off him. Neville and Ginny could not argue anything otherwise.

Neville shivered and it wasn’t the cool, baneful atmosphere that did it. He thought he felt a cold feeling trickling throughout his body and then Ginny felt it too.

Pocketing his wand, just finished undoing the disillusionment charms on the two; Snape strutted forward slowly, rounding mainly on Neville. He was trying to frighten Neville like he had been so able to do in the past.

As he approached in his stolid gait, Snape commented acidly, “How pathetic – practically a fully qualified wizard, Mr. Longbottom and yet, you can’t find magical means to break open a box?”

Neville stammered, “I was trying – this was a faster way – Anyway-“

But his words crumbled as Snape came closer. Neville had not yet lowered the weapon. But suddenly he became aware of his bloody knuckles. He ignored the smarting pain as they bled.

Snape did not have his wand ready. Yet Snape remained fearless, despite Neville holding the sword nearly over his head.

Snape spoke coolly. “Put the sword down this instant, boy.”

Staring at Snape, Neville gently placed the sword on the ledge behind the remains of the glass case without taking his eyes off the headmaster. Neville tried his best not to let any droplets of blood drip onto the rubies.

Snape started to prowl around the circular room and Neville and Ginny watched. Snape had his wand out now, undoing each of the blinded portraits. Dumbledore was not present as Snape had told him this was going to happen and he didn’t want the kids to wonder why he had the man whom he killed in his office.

Snape continued to engage them in conversation. He spoke in a quiet tone that carried clearly around the room. “So... You guessed my password?....Dumbledore. Cleverer than I could ever conceived from either of you. You’re not going to tell anybody my password!”

Neither Ginny nor Neville answered. Another short moment passed and Ginny burst out, “How did you know we’d be here?”

“Did I now?….I did not. It just so happens I was present like I usually am. You were taking a big risk. Trying to thieve off the headmaster.”

Neither Ginny nor Neville looked remotely ashamed, in fact they held their heads just a little higher.

“I also know that you two were accomplices of Ms. Powers in the banner fiasco.”

Neville’s jaw dropped stupidly and Ginny frowned fiercely at Snape.

“Therefore, I think for attempting to thieve off me, which counts as high crime in this school you must both be punished…”

“Like it matters! I don’t care!…I don’t give a damn…professor,” Ginny blurted out.

“Detention! Ms. Weasley and Mr. Longbottom…Friday night.”

Snape’s, eyes flashed and he held it over their head, letting it sit with them for a moment.

Neville crossed his arms, doing nothing to nurse the bloody knuckles of his right hand, bravely ignoring the throbbing pain. “Exactly what will our punishment entail…sir? A beating? Or what? More time in the dungeons!?”

Snape shook his head slowly, a faint smile playing on his lips. “No. You will spend from dusk to dawn this Friday in the Forbidden Forest.”

At these words, Neville finally looked truly frightened of Snape as he always had in the past. “But, sir…Friday night is a full moon….And-and werewolf packs are rumoured to be surrounding the grounds!”

“That’s your problem isn’t it? I’ll be sure to make our gamekeeper, Hagrid accompany you…The Half-breed oaf, no doubt has his way with giants, like that idiot brother of his…perhaps Hagrid can persuade the werewolves not to bite!”

Snape chuckled meanly. It was partly just a front to make his personality look like someone who really supported Voldemort.

“Now out of here…” said Snape and he ushered them towards the door, actually pushing Neville’s arm forward. “If you or any of your little associates...EVER come here again without my permission, I will know and I will expel you. Out!”

Ginny and Neville didn’t turn back, but went right out the door, Snape slamming it behind them.


*


“Did you get it? Where’s the sword? Concealing it right?” said Seamus.

Seamus and Valerie were still standing in front of the stone gargoyles waiting anxiously for over a quarter of an hour.

Ginny shook her head with a grim frown as she descended the last step.

“We’re not going to be able to get the sword back, guys. It’s in Snape’s hands forever, I’m afraid…” And at those words, Neville walked ahead of the three, alone.

“What’s up with Neville?” said Valerie.

Ginny answered angrily, “Well, obviously we failed, Valerie!…And I didn’t give your name in…Just returning a favour for what you did with the banners, I suppose. Yet the strange thing is Snape knew me and Neville were involved!”

Ginny looked at Valerie with an even angrier glance, so angry it looked like her face might create a conflagration.

“I didn’t tell him a thing, Ginny! Snape might have seen it in my mind. Sorry.”

“So he’s punishing you and Neville. What’s the punishment?” said Seamus, a little eagerly.

Ginny looked at Seamus now. “Detention in the Dark Forest on Friday, okay? You guys should be thanking us for saving your necks. We didn’t give you in!”

Seamus and Valerie both answered with a thank-you, but neither Ginny nor Neville were mollified by it. They were certainly dreading Friday evening.


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