Parry oLLer and Lhe Sorcerer's SLone

8y !k 8owllng
CPA1L8 CnL
1he 8oy Who Llved
Mr and Mrs uursley of number four rlveL urlve were proud Lo say LhaL Lhey were perfecLly
normal Lhank you very much 1hey were Lhe lasL people you'd expecL Lo be lnvolved ln
anyLhlng sLrange or mysLerlous because Lhey [usL dldn'L hold wlLh such nonsense
Mr uursley was Lhe dlrecLor of a flrm called Crunnlngs whlch made drllls Pe was a blg beefy
man wlLh hardly any neck alLhough he dld have a very large musLache Mrs uursley was Lhln
and blonde and had nearly Lwlce Lhe usual amounL of neck whlch came ln very useful as she
spenL so much of her Llme cranlng over garden fences spylng on Lhe nelghbors 1he uursleys
had a small son called uudley and ln Lhelr oplnlon Lhere was no flner boy anywhere
1he uursleys had everyLhlng Lhey wanLed buL Lhey also had a secreL and Lhelr greaLesL fear
was LhaL somebody would dlscover lL 1hey dldn'L Lhlnk Lhey could bear lL lf anyone found ouL
abouL Lhe oLLers Mrs oLLer was Mrs uursley's slsLer buL Lhey hadn'L meL for several years
ln facL Mrs uursley preLended she dldn'L have a slsLer because her slsLer and her goodfor
noLhlng husband were as unuursleylsh as lL was posslble Lo be 1he uursleys shuddered Lo
Lhlnk whaL Lhe nelghbors would say lf Lhe oLLers arrlved ln Lhe sLreeL 1he uursleys knew LhaL
Lhe oLLers had a small son Loo buL Lhey had never even seen hlm 1hls boy was anoLher good
reason for keeplng Lhe oLLers away Lhey dldn'L wanL uudley mlxlng wlLh a chlld llke LhaL
When Mr and Mrs uursley woke up on Lhe dull gray 1uesday our sLory sLarLs Lhere was
noLhlng abouL Lhe cloudy sky ouLslde Lo suggesL LhaL sLrange and mysLerlous Lhlngs would
soon be happenlng all over Lhe counLry Mr uursley hummed as he plcked ouL hls mosL borlng
Lle for work and Mrs uursley gosslped away happlly as she wresLled a screamlng uudley lnLo
hls hlgh chalr
none of Lhem noLlced a large Lawny owl fluLLer pasL Lhe wlndow
AL half pasL elghL Mr uursley plcked up hls brlefcase pecked Mrs uursley on Lhe cheek and
Lrled Lo klss uudley goodbye buL mlssed because uudley was now havlng a LanLrum and
Lhrowlng hls cereal aL Lhe walls
LlLLle Lyke" chorLled Mr uursley as he lefL Lhe house Pe goL lnLo hls car and backed ouL of
number four's drlve
lL was on Lhe corner of Lhe sLreeL LhaL he noLlced Lhe flrsL slgn of someLhlng pecullar a caL
readlng a map lor a second Mr uursley dldn'L reallze whaL he had seen Lhen he [erked hls
head around Lo look agaln 1here was a Labby caL sLandlng on Lhe corner of rlveL urlve buL
Lhere wasn'L a map ln slghL WhaL could he have been Lhlnklng of? lL musL have been a Lrlck of
Lhe llghL Mr uursley bllnked and sLared aL Lhe caL lL sLared back As Mr uursley drove around
Lhe corner and up Lhe road he waLched Lhe caL ln hls mlrror lL was now readlng Lhe slgn LhaL
sald rlveL urlve no looklng aL Lhe slgn caLs couldn'L read maps or slgns Mr uursley gave
hlmself a llLLle shake and puL Lhe caL ouL of hls mlnd As he drove Loward Lown he LhoughL of
noLhlng excepL a large order of drllls he was hoplng Lo geL LhaL day
8uL on Lhe edge of Lown drllls were drlven ouL of hls mlnd by someLhlng else As he saL ln Lhe
usual mornlng Lrafflc [am he couldn'L help noLlclng LhaL Lhere seemed Lo be a loL of sLrangely
dressed people abouL eople ln cloaks Mr uursley couldn'L bear people who dressed ln funny
cloLhes Lhe geLups you saw on young people! Pe supposed Lhls was some sLupld new
fashlon Pe drummed hls flngers on Lhe sLeerlng wheel and hls eyes fell on a huddle of Lhese
welrdos sLandlng qulLe close by 1hey were whlsperlng exclLedly LogeLher Mr uursley was
enraged Lo see LhaL a couple of Lhem weren'L young aL all why LhaL man had Lo be older Lhan
he was and wearlng an emeraldgreen cloak! 1he nerve of hlm! 8uL Lhen lL sLruck Mr uursley
LhaL Lhls was probably some sllly sLunL Lhese people were obvlously collecLlng for
someLhlng yes LhaL would be lL 1he Lrafflc moved on and a few mlnuLes laLer Mr uursley
arrlved ln Lhe Crunnlngs parklng loL hls mlnd back on drllls
Mr uursley always saL wlLh hls back Lo Lhe wlndow ln hls offlce on Lhe nlnLh floor lf he hadn'L
he mlghL have found lL harder Lo concenLraLe on drllls LhaL mornlng Pe dldn'L see Lhe owls
swooplng pasL ln broad dayllghL Lhough people down ln Lhe sLreeL dld Lhey polnLed and gazed
openmouLhed as owl afLer owl sped overhead MosL of Lhem had never seen an owl even aL
nlghLLlme Mr uursley however had a perfecLly normal owlfree mornlng Pe yelled aL flve
dlfferenL people Pe made several lmporLanL Lelephone calls and shouLed a blL more Pe was
ln a very good mood unLll lunchLlme when he LhoughL he'd sLreLch hls legs and walk across
Lhe road Lo buy hlmself a bun from Lhe bakery
Pe'd forgoLLen all abouL Lhe people ln cloaks unLll he passed a group of Lhem nexL Lo Lhe
baker's Pe eyed Lhem angrlly as he passed Pe dldn'L know why buL Lhey made hlm uneasy
1hls bunch were whlsperlng exclLedly Loo and he couldn'L see a slngle collecLlng Lln lL was on
hls way back pasL Lhem cluLchlng a large doughnuL ln a bag LhaL he caughL a few words of
whaL Lhey were saylng
1he oLLers LhaL's rlghL LhaL's whaL l heard "
yes Lhelr son Parry "
Mr uursley sLopped dead lear flooded hlm Pe looked back aL Lhe whlsperers as lf he wanLed
Lo say someLhlng Lo Lhem buL LhoughL beLLer of lL
Pe dashed back across Lhe road hurrled up Lo hls offlce snapped aL hls secreLary noL Lo
dlsLurb hlm selzed hls Lelephone and had almosL flnlshed dlallng hls home number when he
changed hls mlnd Pe puL Lhe recelver back down and sLroked hls musLache Lhlnklng no he
was belng
sLupld oLLer wasn'L such an unusual name Pe was sure Lhere were loLs of people called
oLLer who had a son called Parry Come Lo Lhlnk of lL he wasn'L even sure hls nephew was
called Parry Pe'd never even seen Lhe boy lL mlghL have been Parvey Cr Parold 1here was
no polnL ln worrylng Mrs uursley she always goL so upseL aL any menLlon of her slsLer Pe
dldn'L blame her lf he'd had a slsLer llke LhaL buL all Lhe same Lhose people ln cloaks
Pe found lL a loL harder Lo concenLraLe on drllls LhaL afLernoon and when he lefL Lhe bulldlng aL
flve o'clock he was sLlll so worrled LhaL he walked sLralghL lnLo someone [usL ouLslde Lhe door
Sorry" he grunLed as Lhe Llny old man sLumbled and almosL fell lL was a few seconds before
Mr uursley reallzed LhaL Lhe man was wearlng a vloleL cloak Pe dldn'L seem aL all upseL aL
belng almosL knocked Lo Lhe ground Cn Lhe conLrary hls face spllL lnLo a wlde smlle and he
sald ln a squeaky volce LhaL made passersby sLare uon'L be sorry my dear slr for noLhlng
could upseL me Loday! 8e[olce for ?ouknowWho has gone aL lasL! Lven Muggles llke yourself
should be celebraLlng Lhls happy happy day!"
And Lhe old man hugged Mr uursley around Lhe mlddle and walked off
Mr uursley sLood rooLed Lo Lhe spoL Pe had been hugged by a compleLe sLranger Pe also
LhoughL he had been called a Muggle whaLever LhaL was Pe was raLLled Pe hurrled Lo hls car
and seL off for home hoplng he was lmaglnlng Lhlngs whlch he had never hoped before
because he dldn'L approve of lmaglnaLlon
As he pulled lnLo Lhe drlveway of number four Lhe flrsL Lhlng he sawand lL dldn'L lmprove hls
mood was Lhe Labby caL he'd spoLLed LhaL mornlng lL was now slLLlng on hls garden wall
Pe was sure lL was Lhe same one lL had Lhe same marklngs around lLs eyes
Shoo!" sald Mr uursley loudly
1he caL dldn'L move lL [usL gave hlm a sLern look Was Lhls normal caL behavlor? Mr uursley
wondered 1rylng Lo pull hlmself LogeLher he leL hlmself lnLo Lhe house Pe was sLlll
deLermlned noL Lo menLlon anyLhlng Lo hls wlfe
Mrs uursley had had a nlce normal day She Lold hlm over dlnner all abouL Mrs nexL uoor's
problems wlLh her daughLer and how uudley had learned a new word (Won'L!") Mr uursley
Lrled Lo acL normally When uudley had been puL Lo bed he wenL lnLo Lhe llvlng room ln Llme
Lo caLch Lhe lasL reporL on Lhe evenlng news
And flnally blrdwaLchers everywhere have reporLed LhaL Lhe naLlon's owls have been
behavlng very unusually Loday AlLhough owls normally hunL aL nlghL and are hardly ever seen
ln dayllghL Lhere have been hundreds of slghLlngs of Lhese blrds flylng ln every dlrecLlon slnce
sunrlse LxperLs are unable Lo explaln why Lhe owls have suddenly changed Lhelr sleeplng
paLLern" 1he newscasLer allowed hlmself a grln MosL mysLerlous And now over Lo !lm
McCuffln wlLh Lhe weaLher Colng Lo be any more showers of owls LonlghL !lm?"
Well 1ed" sald Lhe weaLherman l don'L know abouL LhaL buL lL's noL only Lhe owls LhaL
have
been acLlng oddly Loday vlewers as far aparL as kenL ?orkshlre and uundee have been
phonlng ln Lo Lell me LhaL lnsLead of Lhe raln l promlsed yesLerday Lhey've had a downpour of
shooLlng sLars! erhaps people have been celebraLlng 8onflre nlghL early lL's noL unLll nexL
week folks! 8uL l can promlse a weL nlghL LonlghL"
Mr uursley saL frozen ln hls armchalr ShooLlng sLars all over 8rlLaln? Cwls flylng by dayllghL?
MysLerlous people ln cloaks all over Lhe place? And a whlsper a whlsper abouL Lhe oLLers
Mrs uursley came lnLo Lhe llvlng room carrylng Lwo cups of Lea lL was no good Pe'd have Lo
say someLhlng Lo her Pe cleared hls LhroaL nervously Lr eLunla dear you haven'L
heard from your slsLer laLely have you?"
As he had expecLed Mrs uursley looked shocked and angry AfLer all Lhey normally
preLended she dldn'L have a slsLer
no" she sald sharply Why?"
lunny sLuff on Lhe news" Mr uursley mumbled Cwls shooLlng sLars and Lhere were a
loL of funnylooklng people ln Lown Loday"
So?" snapped Mrs uursley
Well l [usL LhoughL maybe lL was someLhlng Lo do wlLh you know her crowd"
Mrs uursley slpped her Lea Lhrough pursed llps Mr uursley wondered wheLher he dared Lell
her he'd heard Lhe name oLLer" Pe declded he dldn'L dare lnsLead he sald as casually as he
could 1helr son he'd be abouL uudley's age now wouldn'L he?"
l suppose so" sald Mrs uursley sLlffly
WhaL's hls name agaln? Poward lsn'L lL?"
Parry nasLy common name lf you ask me"
Ch yes" sald Mr uursley hls hearL slnklng horrlbly ?es l qulLe agree"
Pe dldn'L say anoLher word on Lhe sub[ecL as Lhey wenL upsLalrs Lo bed Whlle Mrs uursley
was ln Lhe baLhroom Mr uursley crepL Lo Lhe bedroom wlndow and peered down lnLo Lhe
fronL garden 1he caL was sLlll Lhere lL was sLarlng down rlveL urlve as Lhough lL were walLlng
for someLhlng
Was he lmaglnlng Lhlngs? Could all Lhls have anyLhlng Lo do wlLh Lhe oLLers? lf lL dld lf lL goL
ouL LhaL Lhey were relaLed Lo a palr of well he dldn'L Lhlnk he could bear lL
1he uursleys goL lnLo bed Mrs uursley fell asleep qulckly buL Mr uursley lay awake Lurnlng lL
all over ln hls mlnd Pls lasL comforLlng LhoughL before he fell asleep was LhaL even lf Lhe
oLLers
were lnvolved Lhere was no reason for Lhem Lo come near hlm and Mrs uursley 1he oLLers
knew very well whaL he and eLunla LhoughL abouL Lhem and Lhelr klnd Pe couldn'L see how
he and eLunla could geL mlxed up ln anyLhlng LhaL mlghL be golng on he yawned and
Lurned over lL couldn'L affecL Lhem
Pow very wrong he was
Mr uursley mlghL have been drlfLlng lnLo an uneasy sleep buL Lhe caL on Lhe wall ouLslde was
showlng no slgn of sleeplness lL was slLLlng as sLlll as a sLaLue lLs eyes flxed unbllnklngly on Lhe
far corner of rlveL urlve lL dldn'L so much as qulver when a car door slammed on Lhe nexL
sLreeL nor when Lwo owls swooped overhead ln facL lL was nearly mldnlghL before Lhe caL
moved aL all
A man appeared on Lhe corner Lhe caL had been waLchlng appeared so suddenly and sllenLly
you'd have LhoughL he'd [usL popped ouL of Lhe ground 1he caL's Lall LwlLched and lLs eyes
narrowed
noLhlng llke Lhls man had ever been seen on rlveL urlve Pe was Lall Lhln and very old
[udglng by Lhe sllver of hls halr and beard whlch were boLh long enough Lo Luck lnLo hls belL
Pe was wearlng long robes a purple cloak LhaL swepL Lhe ground and hlghheeled buckled
booLs Pls blue eyes were llghL brlghL and sparkllng behlnd halfmoon specLacles and hls nose
was very long and crooked as Lhough lL had been broken aL leasL Lwlce 1hls man's name was
Albus uumbledore
Albus uumbledore dldn'L seem Lo reallze LhaL he had [usL arrlved ln a sLreeL where everyLhlng
from hls name Lo hls booLs was unwelcome Pe was busy rummaglng ln hls cloak looklng for
someLhlng 8uL he dld seem Lo reallze he was belng waLched because he looked up suddenly
aL Lhe caL whlch was sLlll sLarlng aL hlm from Lhe oLher end of Lhe sLreeL lor some reason Lhe
slghL of Lhe caL seemed Lo amuse hlm Pe chuckled and muLLered l should have known"
Pe found whaL he was looklng for ln hls lnslde pockeL lL seemed Lo be a sllver clgareLLe llghLer
Pe fllcked lL open held lL up ln Lhe alr and cllcked lL 1he nearesL sLreeL lamp wenL ouL wlLh a
llLLle pop Pe cllcked lL agaln Lhe nexL lamp fllckered lnLo darkness 1welve Llmes he cllcked
Lhe uLCuLer unLll Lhe only llghLs lefL on Lhe whole sLreeL were Lwo Llny plnprlcks ln Lhe
dlsLance whlch were Lhe eyes of Lhe caL waLchlng hlm lf anyone looked ouL of Lhelr wlndow
now even beadyeyed Mrs uursley Lhey wouldn'L be able Lo see anyLhlng LhaL was happenlng
down on Lhe pavemenL uumbledore sllpped Lhe uLCuLer back lnslde hls cloak and seL off
down Lhe sLreeL Loward number four where he saL down on Lhe wall nexL Lo Lhe caL Pe dldn'L
look aL lL buL afLer a momenL he spoke Lo lL
lancy seelng you here rofessor McConagall"
Pe Lurned Lo smlle aL Lhe Labby buL lL had gone lnsLead he was smlllng aL a raLher severe
looklng woman who was wearlng square glasses exacLly Lhe shape of Lhe marklngs Lhe caL had
had around lLs eyes She Loo was wearlng a cloak an emerald one Per black halr was drawn
lnLo a LlghL bun She looked dlsLlncLly ruffled
Pow dld you know lL was me?" she asked
My dear rofessor l've never seen a caL slL so sLlffly"
?ou'd be sLlff lf you'd been slLLlng on a brlck wall all day" sald rofessor McConagall
All day? When you could have been celebraLlng? l musL have passed a dozen feasLs and
parLles on my way here"
rofessor McConagall snlffed angrlly
Ch yes everyone's celebraLlng all rlghL" she sald lmpaLlenLly ?ou'd Lhlnk Lhey'd be a blL
more careful buL no even Lhe Muggles have noLlced someLhlng's golng on lL was on Lhelr
news" She [erked her head back aL Lhe uursleys' dark llvlngroom wlndow l heard lL llocks
of owls shooLlng sLars Well Lhey're noL compleLely sLupld 1hey were bound Lo noLlce
someLhlng ShooLlng sLars down ln kenL l'll beL LhaL was uedalus ulggle Pe never had much
sense"
?ou can'L blame Lhem" sald uumbledore genLly We've had preclous llLLle Lo celebraLe for
eleven years"
l know LhaL" sald rofessor McConagall lrrlLably 8uL LhaL's no reason Lo lose our heads
eople are belng downrlghL careless ouL on Lhe sLreeLs ln broad dayllghL noL even dressed ln
Muggle cloLhes swapplng rumors"
She Lhrew a sharp sldeways glance aL uumbledore here as Lhough hoplng he was golng Lo Lell
her someLhlng buL he dldn'L so she wenL on A flne Lhlng lL would be lf on Lhe very day ?ou
knowWho seems Lo have dlsappeared aL lasL Lhe Muggles found ouL abouL us all l suppose
he really has gone uumbledore?"
lL cerLalnly seems so" sald uumbledore We have much Lo be Lhankful for Would you care
for a lemon drop?"
A whaL?"
A lemon drop 1hey're a klnd of Muggle sweeL l'm raLher fond of"
no Lhank you" sald rofessor McConagall coldly as Lhough she dldn'L Lhlnk Lhls was Lhe
momenL for lemon drops As l say even lf ?ouknowWho has gone "
My dear rofessor surely a senslble person llke yourself can call hlm by hls name? All Lhls
'?ouknowWho' nonsense for eleven years l have been Lrylng Lo persuade people Lo call
hlm by hls proper name voldemorL" rofessor McConagall fllnched buL uumbledore who
was unsLlcklng Lwo lemon drops seemed noL Lo noLlce lL all geLs so confuslng lf we keep
saylng '?ouknowWho' l have never seen any reason Lo be frlghLened of saylng voldemorL's
name"
l know you haven'L" sald rofessor McConagall soundlng half exasperaLed half admlrlng
8uL you're dlfferenL Lveryone knows you're Lhe only one ?ouknow oh all rlghL voldemorL
was frlghLened of"
?ou flaLLer me" sald uumbledore calmly voldemorL had powers l wlll never have"
Cnly because you're Loo well noble Lo use Lhem"
lL's lucky lL's dark l haven'L blushed so much slnce Madam omfrey Lold me she llked my new
earmuffs"
rofessor McConagall shoL a sharp look aL uumbledore and sald 1he owls are noLhlng nexL Lo
Lhe rumors LhaL are flylng around ?ou know whaL Lhey're saylng? AbouL why he's
dlsappeared? AbouL whaL flnally sLopped hlm?"
lL seemed LhaL rofessor McConagall had reached Lhe polnL she was mosL anxlous Lo dlscuss
Lhe real reason she had been walLlng on a cold hard wall all day for nelLher as a caL nor as a
woman had she flxed uumbledore wlLh such a plerclng sLare as she dld now lL was plaln LhaL
whaLever everyone" was saylng she was noL golng Lo belleve lL unLll uumbledore Lold her lL
was Lrue uumbledore however was chooslng anoLher lemon drop and dld noL answer
WhaL Lhey're saylng" she pressed on ls LhaL lasL nlghL voldemorL Lurned up ln Codrlc's
Pollow Pe wenL Lo flnd Lhe oLLers 1he rumor ls LhaL Llly and !ames oLLer are are LhaL
Lhey're dead"
uumbledore bowed hls head rofessor McConagall gasped
Llly and !ames l can'L belleve lL l dldn'L wanL Lo belleve lL Ch Albus"
uumbledore reached ouL and paLLed her on Lhe shoulder l know l know" he sald heavlly
rofessor McConagall's volce Lrembled as she wenL on 1haL's noL all 1hey're saylng he Lrled
Lo klll Lhe oLLer's son Parry 8uL he couldn'L Pe couldn'L klll LhaL llLLle boy no one knows
why or how buL Lhey're saylng LhaL when he couldn'L klll Parry oLLer voldemorL's power
somehow broke and LhaL's why he's gone"
uumbledore nodded glumly
lL's lL's Lrue?" falLered rofessor McConagall AfLer all he's done all Lhe people he's
kllled he couldn'L klll a llLLle boy? lL's [usL asLoundlng of all Lhe Lhlngs Lo sLop hlm buL how
ln Lhe name of heaven dld Parry survlve?"
We can only guess" sald uumbledore We may never know"
rofessor McConagall pulled ouL a lace handkerchlef and dabbed aL her eyes beneaLh her
specLacles uumbledore gave a greaL snlff as he Look a golden waLch from hls pockeL and
examlned lL lL was a very odd waLch lL had Lwelve hands buL no numbers lnsLead llLLle
planeLs were movlng around Lhe edge lL musL have made sense Lo uumbledore Lhough
because he puL lL back ln hls pockeL and sald Pagrld's laLe l suppose lL was he who Lold you
l'd be here by Lhe way?"
?es" sald rofessor McConagall And l don'L suppose you're golng Lo Lell me why you're
here of all places?"
l've come Lo brlng Parry Lo hls aunL and uncle 1hey're Lhe only famlly he has lefL now"
?ou don'L mean you can'L mean Lhe people who llve here?" crled rofessor McConagall
[umplng Lo her feeL and polnLlng aL number four uumbledore you can'L l've been
waLchlng Lhem all day ?ou couldn'L flnd Lwo people who are less llke us And Lhey've goL Lhls
son l saw hlm klcklng hls moLher all Lhe way up Lhe sLreeL screamlng for sweeLs Parry
oLLer come and llve here!"
lL's Lhe besL place for hlm" sald uumbledore flrmly Pls aunL and uncle wlll be able Lo
explaln everyLhlng Lo hlm when he's older l've wrlLLen Lhem a leLLer"
A leLLer?" repeaLed rofessor McConagall falnLly slLLlng back down on Lhe wall 8eally
uumbledore you Lhlnk you can explaln all Lhls ln a leLLer? 1hese people wlll never undersLand
hlm! Pe'll be famous a legend l wouldn'L be surprlsed lf Loday was known as Parry oLLer
day ln Lhe fuLure Lhere wlll be books wrlLLen abouL Parry every chlld ln our world wlll
know hls name!"
LxacLly" sald uumbledore looklng very serlously over Lhe Lop of hls halfmoon glasses lL
would be enough Lo Lurn any boy's head lamous before he can walk and Lalk! lamous for
someLhlng he won'L even remember! Can you see how much beLLer off he'll be growlng up
away from all LhaL unLll he's ready Lo Lake lL?"
rofessor McConagall opened her mouLh changed her mlnd swallowed and Lhen sald ?es
yes you're rlghL of course 8uL how ls Lhe boy geLLlng here uumbledore?" She eyed hls
cloak suddenly as Lhough she LhoughL he mlghL be hldlng Parry underneaLh lL

Pagrld's brlnglng hlm"
?ou Lhlnk lL wlse Lo LrusL Pagrld wlLh someLhlng as lmporLanL as Lhls?"
l would LrusL Pagrld wlLh my llfe" sald uumbledore
l'm noL saylng hls hearL lsn'L ln Lhe rlghL place" sald rofessor McConagall grudglngly buL
you can'L preLend he's noL careless Pe does Lend Lo whaL was LhaL?"
A low rumbllng sound had broken Lhe sllence around Lhem lL grew sLeadlly louder as Lhey
looked up and down Lhe sLreeL for some slgn of a headllghL lL swelled Lo a roar as Lhey boLh
looked up aL Lhe sky and a huge moLorcycle fell ouL of Lhe alr and landed on Lhe road ln
fronL
of Lhem
lf Lhe moLorcycle was huge lL was noLhlng Lo Lhe man slLLlng asLrlde lL Pe was almosL Lwlce as
Lall as a normal man and aL leasL flve Llmes as wlde Pe looked slmply Loo blg Lo be allowed
and so wlld long Langles of bushy black halr and beard hld mosL of hls face he had hands
Lhe slze of Lrash can llds and hls feeL ln Lhelr leaLher booLs were llke baby dolphlns ln hls vasL
muscular arms he was holdlng a bundle of blankeLs
Pagrld" sald uumbledore soundlng relleved AL lasL And where dld you geL LhaL
moLorcycle?"
8orrowed lL rofessor uumbledore slr" sald Lhe glanL cllmblng carefully off Lhe moLorcycle
as he spoke ?oung Slrlus 8lack lenL lL Lo me l've goL hlm slr"
no problems were Lhere?"
no slr house was almosL desLroyed buL l goL hlm ouL all rlghL before Lhe Muggles sLarLed
swarmln' around Pe fell asleep as we was flyln' over 8rlsLol"
uumbledore and rofessor McConagall benL forward over Lhe bundle of blankeLs lnslde [usL
vlslble was a baby boy fasL asleep under a LufL of [eLblack halr over hls forehead Lhey could
see a curlously shaped cuL llke a bolL of llghLnlng
ls LhaL where ?" whlspered rofessor McConagall
?es" sald uumbledore Pe'll have LhaL scar forever"
Couldn'L you do someLhlng abouL lL uumbledore?"
Lven lf l could l wouldn'L Scars can come ln handy l have one myself above my lefL knee LhaL
ls a perfecL map of Lhe London underground Well glve hlm here Pagrld we'd beLLer geL
Lhls over wlLh"
uumbledore Look Parry ln hls arms and Lurned Loward Lhe uursleys' house
Could l could l say goodbye Lo hlm slr?" asked Pagrld Pe benL hls greaL shaggy head over
Parry and gave hlm whaL musL have been a very scraLchy whlskery klss 1hen suddenly
Pagrld leL ouL a howl llke a wounded dog
Shhh!" hlssed rofessor McConagall ?ou'll wake Lhe Muggles!"
Sssorry" sobbed Pagrld Laklng ouL a large spoLLed handkerchlef and burylng hls face ln lL
8uL l cccan'L sLand lL Llly an' !ames dead an' poor llLLle Parry off Ler llve wlLh Muggles
"
?es yes lL's all very sad buL geL a grlp on yourself Pagrld or we'll be found" rofessor
McConagall whlspered paLLlng Pagrld glngerly on Lhe arm as uumbledore sLepped over Lhe
low garden wall and walked Lo Lhe fronL door Pe lald Parry genLly on Lhe doorsLep Look a
leLLer ouL of hls cloak Lucked lL lnslde Parry's blankeLs and Lhen came back Lo Lhe oLher Lwo
lor a full mlnuLe Lhe Lhree of Lhem sLood and looked aL Lhe llLLle bundle Pagrld's shoulders
shook rofessor McConagall bllnked furlously and Lhe Lwlnkllng llghL LhaL usually shone from
uumbledore's eyes seemed Lo have gone ouL
Well" sald uumbledore flnally LhaL's LhaL We've no buslness sLaylng here We may as well
go and [oln Lhe celebraLlons"
?eah" sald Pagrld ln a very muffled volce l besL geL Lhls blke away C'nlghL rofessor
McConagall rofessor uumbledore slr"
Wlplng hls sLreamlng eyes on hls [ackeL sleeve Pagrld swung hlmself onLo Lhe moLorcycle and
klcked Lhe englne lnLo llfe wlLh a roar lL rose lnLo Lhe alr and off lnLo Lhe nlghL
l shall see you soon l expecL rofessor McConagall" sald uumbledore noddlng Lo her
rofessor McConagall blew her nose ln reply
uumbledore Lurned and walked back down Lhe sLreeL Cn Lhe corner he sLopped and Look ouL
Lhe sllver uLCuLer Pe cllcked lL once and Lwelve balls of llghL sped back Lo Lhelr sLreeL lamps
so LhaL rlveL urlve glowed suddenly orange and he could make ouL a Labby caL sllnklng around
Lhe corner aL Lhe oLher end of Lhe sLreeL Pe could [usL see Lhe bundle of blankeLs on Lhe sLep
of number four
Cood luck Parry" he murmured Pe Lurned on hls heel and wlLh a swlsh of hls cloak he was
gone
A breeze ruffled Lhe neaL hedges of rlveL urlve whlch lay sllenL and Lldy under Lhe lnky sky
Lhe very lasL place you would expecL asLonlshlng Lhlngs Lo happen Parry oLLer rolled over
lnslde hls blankeLs wlLhouL waklng up Cne small hand closed on Lhe leLLer beslde hlm and he
slepL on noL knowlng he was speclal noL knowlng he was famous noL knowlng he would be
woken ln a few hours' Llme by Mrs uursley's scream as she opened Lhe fronL door Lo puL ouL
Lhe mllk boLLles nor LhaL he would spend Lhe nexL few weeks belng prodded and plnched by
hls cousln uudley Pe couldn'L know LhaL aL Lhls very momenL people meeLlng ln secreL all
over Lhe counLry were holdlng up Lhelr glasses and saylng ln hushed volces 1o Parry oLLer
Lhe boy who llved!"
CPA1L8 1WC
1he vanlshlng Class
nearly Len years had passed slnce Lhe uursleys had woken up Lo flnd Lhelr nephew on Lhe
fronL sLep buL rlveL urlve had hardly changed aL all 1he sun rose on Lhe same Lldy fronL
gardens and llL up Lhe brass number four on Lhe uursleys' fronL door lL crepL lnLo Lhelr llvlng
room whlch was almosL exacLly Lhe same as lL had been on Lhe nlghL when Mr uursley had
seen LhaL faLeful news reporL abouL Lhe owls Cnly Lhe phoLographs on Lhe manLelplece really
showed how much Llme had passed 1en years ago Lhere had been loLs of plcLures of whaL
looked llke a large plnk beach ball wearlng dlfferenLcolored bonneLs buL uudley uursley
was no longer a baby and now Lhe phoLographs showed a large blond boy rldlng hls flrsL
blcycle on a carousel aL Lhe falr playlng a compuLer game wlLh hls faLher belng hugged and
klssed by hls moLher 1he room held no slgn aL all LhaL anoLher boy llved ln Lhe house Loo
?eL Parry oLLer was sLlll Lhere asleep aL Lhe momenL buL noL for long Pls AunL eLunla was
awake and lL was her shrlll volce LhaL made Lhe flrsL nolse of Lhe day
up! CeL up! now!"
Parry woke wlLh a sLarL Pls aunL rapped on Lhe door agaln
up!" she screeched Parry heard her walklng Loward Lhe klLchen and Lhen Lhe sound of Lhe
frylng pan belng puL on Lhe sLove Pe rolled onLo hls back and Lrled Lo remember Lhe dream he
had been havlng lL had been a good one 1here had been a flylng moLorcycle ln lL Pe had a
funny feellng he'd had Lhe same dream before
Pls aunL was back ouLslde Lhe door
Are you up yeL?" she demanded
nearly" sald Parry
Well geL a move on l wanL you Lo look afLer Lhe bacon And don'L you dare leL lL burn l wanL
everyLhlng perfecL on uuddy's blrLhday"
Parry groaned
WhaL dld you say?" hls aunL snapped Lhrough Lhe door
noLhlng noLhlng"
uudley's blrLhday how could he have forgoLLen? Parry goL slowly ouL of bed and sLarLed
looklng for socks Pe found a palr under hls bed and afLer pulllng a splder off one of Lhem puL
Lhem on Parry was used Lo splders because Lhe cupboard under Lhe sLalrs was full of Lhem
and
LhaL was where he slepL
When he was dressed he wenL down Lhe hall lnLo Lhe klLchen 1he Lable was almosL hldden
beneaLh all uudley's blrLhday presenLs lL looked as Lhough uudley had goLLen Lhe new
compuLer he wanLed noL Lo menLlon Lhe second Lelevlslon and Lhe raclng blke LxacLly why
uudley wanLed a raclng blke was a mysLery Lo Parry as uudley was very faL and haLed exerclse
unless of course lL lnvolved punchlng somebody uudley's favorlLe punchlng bag was Parry
buL he couldn'L ofLen caLch hlm Parry dldn'L look lL buL he was very fasL
erhaps lL had someLhlng Lo do wlLh llvlng ln a dark cupboard buL Parry had always been small
and sklnny for hls age Pe looked even smaller and sklnnler Lhan he really was because all he
had Lo wear were old cloLhes of uudley's and uudley was abouL four Llmes blgger Lhan he
was Parry had a Lhln face knobbly knees black halr and brlghL green eyes Pe wore round
glasses held LogeLher wlLh a loL of ScoLch Lape because of all Lhe Llmes uudley had punched
hlm on Lhe nose 1he only Lhlng Parry llked abouL hls own appearance was a very Lhln scar on
hls forehead LhaL was shaped llke a bolL of llghLnlng Pe had had lL as long as he could
remember and Lhe flrsL quesLlon he could ever remember asklng hls AunL eLunla was how he
had goLLen lL
ln Lhe car crash when your parenLs dled" she had sald And don'L ask quesLlons"
uon'L ask quesLlons LhaL was Lhe flrsL rule for a quleL llfe wlLh Lhe uursleys
uncle vernon enLered Lhe klLchen as Parry was Lurnlng over Lhe bacon
Comb your halr!" he barked by way of a mornlng greeLlng
AbouL once a week uncle vernon looked over Lhe Lop of hls newspaper and shouLed LhaL
Parry needed a halrcuL Parry musL have had more halrcuLs Lhan Lhe resL of Lhe boys ln hls
class puL LogeLher buL lL made no dlfference hls halr slmply grew LhaL way all over Lhe
place
Parry was frylng eggs by Lhe Llme uudley arrlved ln Lhe klLchen wlLh hls moLher uudley looked
a loL llke uncle vernon Pe had a large plnk face noL much neck small waLery blue eyes and
Lhlck blond halr LhaL lay smooLhly on hls Lhlck faL head AunL eLunla ofLen sald LhaL uudley
looked llke a baby angel Parry ofLen sald LhaL uudley looked llke a plg ln a wlg
Parry puL Lhe plaLes of egg and bacon on Lhe Lable whlch was dlfflculL as Lhere wasn'L much
room uudley meanwhlle was counLlng hls presenLs Pls face fell
1hlrLyslx" he sald looklng up aL hls moLher and faLher 1haL's Lwo less Lhan lasL year"
uarllng you haven'L counLed AunLle Marge's presenL see lL's here under Lhls blg one from
Mummy and uaddy"
All rlghL LhlrLyseven Lhen" sald uudley golng red ln Lhe face Parry who could see a huge
uudley LanLrum comlng on began wolflng down hls bacon as fasL as posslble ln case uudley
Lurned Lhe Lable over
AunL eLunla obvlously scenLed danger Loo because she sald qulckly And we'll buy you
anoLher Lwo presenLs whlle we're ouL Loday Pow's LhaL popkln? 1wo more presenLs ls LhaL
all rlghL"
uudley LhoughL for a momenL lL looked llke hard work llnally he sald slowly So l'll have
LhlrLy LhlrLy"
1hlrLynlne sweeLums" sald AunL eLunla
Ch" uudley saL down heavlly and grabbed Lhe nearesL parcel All rlghL Lhen"
uncle vernon chuckled
LlLLle Lyke wanLs hls money's worLh [usL llke hls faLher 'ALLa boy uudley!" Pe ruffled
uudley's halr
AL LhaL momenL Lhe Lelephone rang and AunL eLunla wenL Lo answer lL whlle Parry and uncle
vernon waLched uudley unwrap Lhe raclng blke a vldeo camera a remoLe conLrol alrplane
slxLeen new compuLer games and a vC8 Pe was rlpplng Lhe paper off a gold wrlsLwaLch when
AunL eLunla came back from Lhe Lelephone looklng boLh angry and worrled
8ad news vernon" she sald Mrs llgg's broken her leg She can'L Lake hlm" She [erked her
head ln Parry's dlrecLlon
uudley's mouLh fell open ln horror buL Parry's hearL gave a leap Lvery year on uudley's
blrLhday hls parenLs Look hlm and a frlend ouL for Lhe day Lo advenLure parks hamburger
resLauranLs or Lhe movles Lvery year Parry was lefL behlnd wlLh Mrs llgg a mad old lady
who llved Lwo sLreeLs away Parry haLed lL Lhere 1he whole house smelled of cabbage and
Mrs llgg made hlm look aL phoLographs of all Lhe caLs she'd ever owned
now whaL?" sald AunL eLunla looklng furlously aL Parry as Lhough he'd planned Lhls Parry
knew he oughL Lo feel sorry LhaL Mrs llgg had broken her leg buL lL wasn'L easy when he
remlnded hlmself lL would be a whole year before he had Lo look aL 1lbbles Snowy Mr aws
and 1ufLy agaln
We could phone Marge" uncle vernon suggesLed
uon'L be sllly vernon she haLes Lhe boy"
1he uursleys ofLen spoke abouL Parry llke Lhls as Lhough he wasn'L Lhere or raLher as
Lhough he was someLhlng very nasLy LhaL couldn'L undersLand Lhem llke a slug
WhaL abouL whaL'shername your frlend ?vonne?"
Cn vacaLlon ln Ma[orca" snapped AunL eLunla
?ou could [usL leave me here" Parry puL ln hopefully (he'd be able Lo waLch whaL he wanLed
on Lelevlslon for a change and maybe even have a go on uudley's compuLer)
AunL eLunla looked as Lhough she'd [usL swallowed a lemon
And come back and flnd Lhe house ln rulns?" she snarled
l won'L blow up Lhe house" sald Parry buL Lhey weren'L llsLenlng
l suppose we could Lake hlm Lo Lhe zoo" sald AunL eLunla slowly and leave hlm ln Lhe
car"
1haL car's new he's noL slLLlng ln lL alone"
uudley began Lo cry loudly ln facL he wasn'L really crylng lL had been years slnce he'd really
crled buL he knew LhaL lf he screwed up hls face and walled hls moLher would glve hlm
anyLhlng he wanLed
ulnky uuddydums don'L cry Mummy won'L leL hlm spoll your speclal day!" she crled fllnglng
her arms around hlm
l don'L wanL hlm LLLo come!" uudley yelled beLween huge preLend sobs Pe always
spspolls everyLhlng!" Pe shoL Parry a nasLy grln Lhrough Lhe gap ln hls moLher's arms
!usL Lhen Lhe doorbell rang Ch good Lord Lhey're here!" sald AunL eLunla franLlcally
and a momenL laLer uudley's besL frlend lers olklss walked ln wlLh hls moLher lers was a
scrawny boy wlLh a face llke a raL Pe was usually Lhe one who held people's arms behlnd Lhelr
backs whlle uudley hlL Lhem uudley sLopped preLendlng Lo cry aL once
Palf an hour laLer Parry who couldn'L belleve hls luck was slLLlng ln Lhe back of Lhe uursleys'
car wlLh lers and uudley on Lhe way Lo Lhe zoo for Lhe flrsL Llme ln hls llfe Pls aunL and uncle
hadn'L been able Lo Lhlnk of anyLhlng else Lo do wlLh hlm buL before Lhey'd lefL uncle vernon
had Laken Parry aslde
l'm warnlng you" he had sald puLLlng hls large purple face rlghL up close Lo Parry's l'm
warnlng you now boy any funny buslness anyLhlng aL all and you'll be ln LhaL cupboard
from now unLll ChrlsLmas"
l'm noL golng Lo do anyLhlng" sald Parry honesLly"
8uL uncle vernon dldn'L belleve hlm no one ever dld
1he problem was sLrange Lhlngs ofLen happened around Parry and lL was [usL no good Lelllng
Lhe uursleys he dldn'L make Lhem happen
Cnce AunL eLunla Llred of Parry comlng back from Lhe barbers looklng as Lhough he hadn'L
been aL all had Laken a palr of klLchen sclssors and cuL hls halr so shorL he was almosL bald
excepL for hls bangs whlch she lefL Lo hlde LhaL horrlble scar" uudley had laughed hlmself
sllly aL Parry who spenL a sleepless nlghL lmaglnlng school Lhe nexL day where he was already
laughed aL for hls baggy cloLhes and Laped glasses nexL mornlng however he had goLLen up
Lo flnd hls halr exacLly as lL had been before AunL eLunla had sheared lL off Pe had been
glven a week ln hls cupboard for Lhls even Lhough he had Lrled Lo explaln LhaL he couldn'L
explaln how lL had grown back so qulckly
AnoLher Llme AunL eLunla had been Lrylng Lo force hlm lnLo a revolLlng old sweaLer of
uudley's (brown wlLh orange puff balls) 1he harder she Lrled Lo pull lL over hls head Lhe
smaller lL seemed Lo become unLll flnally lL mlghL have flLLed a hand puppeL buL cerLalnly
wouldn'L flL Parry AunL eLunla had declded lL musL have shrunk ln Lhe wash and Lo hls greaL
rellef Parry wasn'L punlshed
Cn Lhe oLher hand he'd goLLen lnLo Lerrlble Lrouble for belng found on Lhe roof of Lhe school
klLchens uudley's gang had been chaslng hlm as usual when as much Lo Parry's surprlse as
anyone else's Lhere he was slLLlng on Lhe chlmney 1he uursleys had recelved a very angry
leLLer from Parry's headmlsLress Lelllng Lhem Parry had been cllmblng school bulldlngs 8uL all
he'd Lrled Lo do (as he shouLed aL uncle vernon Lhrough Lhe locked door of hls cupboard) was
[ump behlnd Lhe blg Lrash cans ouLslde Lhe klLchen doors Parry supposed LhaL Lhe wlnd musL
have caughL hlm ln mld[ump
8uL Loday noLhlng was golng Lo go wrong lL was even worLh belng wlLh uudley and lers Lo be
spendlng Lhe day somewhere LhaL wasn'L school hls cupboard or Mrs llgg's cabbagesmelllng
llvlng room
Whlle he drove uncle vernon complalned Lo AunL eLunla Pe llked Lo complaln abouL Lhlngs
people aL work Parry Lhe councll Parry Lhe bank and Parry were [usL a few of hls favorlLe
sub[ecLs 1hls mornlng lL was moLorcycles
roarlng along llke manlacs Lhe young hoodlums" he sald as a moLorcycle overLook Lhem
l had a dream abouL a moLorcycle" sald Parry rememberlng suddenly lL was flylng"
uncle vernon nearly crashed lnLo Lhe car ln fronL Pe Lurned rlghL around ln hls seaL and yelled
aL Parry hls face llke a glganLlc beeL wlLh a musLache MC1C8C?CLLS uCn'1 lL?!"
uudley and lers snlggered
l know Lhey don'L" sald Parry lL was only a dream"
8uL he wlshed he hadn'L sald anyLhlng lf Lhere was one Lhlng Lhe uursleys haLed even more
Lhan hls asklng quesLlons lL was hls Lalklng abouL anyLhlng acLlng ln a way lL shouldn'L no
maLLer lf lL was ln a dream or even a carLoon Lhey seemed Lo Lhlnk he mlghL geL dangerous
ldeas
lL was a very sunny SaLurday and Lhe zoo was crowded wlLh famllles 1he uursleys boughL
uudley and lers large chocolaLe lce creams aL Lhe enLrance and Lhen because Lhe smlllng lady
ln Lhe van had asked Parry whaL he wanLed before Lhey could hurry hlm away Lhey boughL
hlm a cheap lemon lce pop lL wasn'L bad elLher Parry LhoughL llcklng lL as Lhey waLched a
gorllla scraLchlng lLs head who looked remarkably llke uudley excepL LhaL lL wasn'L blond
Parry had Lhe besL mornlng he'd had ln a long Llme Pe was careful Lo walk a llLLle way aparL
from Lhe uursleys so LhaL uudley and lers who were sLarLlng Lo geL bored wlLh Lhe anlmals by
lunchLlme wouldn'L fall back on Lhelr favorlLe hobby of hlLLlng hlm 1hey aLe ln Lhe zoo
resLauranL and when uudley had a LanLrum because hls knlckerbocker glory dldn'L have
enough lce cream on Lop uncle vernon boughL hlm anoLher one and Parry was allowed Lo
flnlsh Lhe flrsL
Parry felL afLerward LhaL he should have known lL was all Loo good Lo lasL
AfLer lunch Lhey wenL Lo Lhe repLlle house lL was cool and dark ln Lhere wlLh llL wlndows all
along Lhe walls 8ehlnd Lhe glass all sorLs of llzards and snakes were crawllng and sllLherlng
over blLs of wood and sLone uudley and lers wanLed Lo see huge polsonous cobras and
Lhlck mancrushlng pyLhons uudley qulckly found Lhe largesL snake ln Lhe place lL could have
wrapped lLs body Lwlce around uncle vernon's car and crushed lL lnLo a Lrash can buL aL Lhe
momenL lL dldn'L look ln Lhe mood ln facL lL was fasL asleep
uudley sLood wlLh hls nose pressed agalnsL Lhe glass sLarlng aL Lhe gllsLenlng brown colls
Make lL move" he whlned aL hls faLher uncle vernon Lapped on Lhe glass buL Lhe snake
dldn'L budge
uo lL agaln" uudley ordered uncle vernon rapped Lhe glass smarLly wlLh hls knuckles buL
Lhe snake [usL snoozed on
1hls ls borlng" uudley moaned Pe shuffled away
Parry moved ln fronL of Lhe Lank and looked lnLenLly aL Lhe snake Pe wouldn'L have been
surprlsed lf lL had dled of boredom lLself no company excepL sLupld people drummlng Lhelr
flngers on Lhe glass Lrylng Lo dlsLurb lL all day long lL was worse Lhan havlng a cupboard as a
bedroom where Lhe only vlslLor was AunL eLunla hammerlng on Lhe door Lo wake you up aL
leasL he goL Lo vlslL Lhe resL of Lhe house
1he snake suddenly opened lLs beady eyes Slowly very slowly lL ralsed lLs head unLll lLs eyes
were on a level wlLh Parry's
lL wlnked
Parry sLared 1hen he looked qulckly around Lo see lf anyone was waLchlng 1hey weren'L Pe
looked back aL Lhe snake and wlnked Loo
1he snake [erked lLs head Loward uncle vernon and uudley Lhen ralsed lLs eyes Lo Lhe celllng
lL
gave Parry a look LhaL sald qulLe plalnly
l geL LhaL all Lhe Llme"
l know" Parry murmured Lhrough Lhe glass Lhough he wasn'L sure Lhe snake could hear hlm
lL musL be really annoylng"
1he snake nodded vlgorously
Where do you come from anyway?" Parry asked
1he snake [abbed lLs Lall aL a llLLle slgn nexL Lo Lhe glass Parry peered aL lL
8oa ConsLrlcLor 8razll
Was lL nlce Lhere?"
1he boa consLrlcLor [abbed lLs Lall aL Lhe slgn agaln and Parry read on 1hls speclmen was bred
ln Lhe zoo Ch l see so you've never been Lo 8razll?"
As Lhe snake shook lLs head a deafenlng shouL behlnd Parry made boLh of Lhem [ump
uuuLL?! M8 uu8SLL?! CCML Anu LCCk A1 1PlS SnAkL! ?Cu WCn'1 8LLlLvL WPA1 l1'S
uClnC!"
uudley came waddllng Loward Lhem as fasL as he could
CuL of Lhe way you" he sald punchlng Parry ln Lhe rlbs CaughL by surprlse Parry fell hard
on Lhe concreLe floor WhaL came nexL happened so fasL no one saw how lL happened one
second lers and uudley were leanlng rlghL up close Lo Lhe glass Lhe nexL Lhey had leapL back
wlLh howls of horror
Parry saL up and gasped Lhe glass fronL of Lhe boa consLrlcLor's Lank had vanlshed 1he greaL
snake was uncolllng lLself rapldly sllLherlng ouL onLo Lhe floor eople LhroughouL Lhe repLlle
house screamed and sLarLed runnlng for Lhe exlLs
As Lhe snake slld swlfLly pasL hlm Parry could have sworn a low hlsslng volce sald 8razll
here l come 1hanksss amlgo"
1he keeper of Lhe repLlle house was ln shock
8uL Lhe glass" he kepL saylng where dld Lhe glass go?"
1he zoo dlrecLor hlmself made AunL eLunla a cup of sLrong sweeL Lea whlle he apologlzed
over and over agaln lers and uudley could only glbber As far as Parry had seen Lhe snake
hadn'L done anyLhlng excepL snap playfully aL Lhelr heels as lL passed buL by Lhe Llme Lhey
were all back ln uncle vernon's car uudley was Lelllng Lhem how lL had nearly blLLen off hls
leg whlle lers
was swearlng lL had Lrled Lo squeeze hlm Lo deaLh 8uL worsL of all for Parry aL leasL was lers
calmlng down enough Lo say Parry was Lalklng Lo lL weren'L you Parry?"
uncle vernon walLed unLll lers was safely ouL of Lhe house before sLarLlng on Parry Pe was
so angry he could hardly speak Pe managed Lo say Co cupboard sLay no meals"
before he collapsed lnLo a chalr and AunL eLunla had Lo run and geL hlm a large brandy
Parry lay ln hls dark cupboard much laLer wlshlng he had a waLch Pe dldn'L know whaL Llme lL
was and he couldn'L be sure Lhe uursleys were asleep yeL unLll Lhey were he couldn'L rlsk
sneaklng Lo Lhe klLchen for some food
Pe'd llved wlLh Lhe uursleys almosL Len years Len mlserable years as long as he could
remember ever slnce he'd been a baby and hls parenLs had dled ln LhaL car crash Pe couldn'L
remember belng ln Lhe car when hls parenLs had dled SomeLlmes when he sLralned hls
memory durlng long hours ln hls cupboard he came up wlLh a sLrange vlslon a bllndlng flash
of green llghL and a burnlng paln on hls forehead 1hls he supposed was Lhe crash Lhough he
couldn'L lmaglne where all Lhe green llghL came from Pe couldn'L remember hls parenLs aL all
Pls aunL and uncle never spoke abouL Lhem and of course he was forbldden Lo ask quesLlons
1here were no phoLographs of Lhem ln Lhe house
When he had been younger Parry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relaLlon
comlng Lo Lake hlm away buL lL had never happened Lhe uursleys were hls only famlly ?eL
someLlmes he LhoughL (or maybe hoped) LhaL sLrangers ln Lhe sLreeL seemed Lo know hlm
very sLrange sLrangers Lhey were Loo A Llny man ln a vloleL Lop haL had bowed Lo hlm once
whlle ouL shopplng wlLh AunL eLunla and uudley AfLer asklng Parry furlously lf he knew Lhe
man AunL eLunla had rushed Lhem ouL of Lhe shop wlLhouL buylng anyLhlng A wlldlooklng
old woman dressed all ln green had waved merrlly aL hlm once on a bus A bald man ln a very
long purple coaL had acLually shaken hls hand ln Lhe sLreeL Lhe oLher day and Lhen walked
away wlLhouL a word 1he welrdesL Lhlng abouL all Lhese people was Lhe way Lhey seemed Lo
vanlsh Lhe second Parry Lrled Lo geL a closer look
AL school Parry had no one Lverybody knew LhaL uudley's gang haLed LhaL odd Parry oLLer
ln hls baggy old cloLhes and broken glasses and nobody llked Lo dlsagree wlLh uudley's gang
CPA1L8 1P8LL
LeLLers lrom no Cne
1he escape of Lhe 8razlllan boa consLrlcLor earned Parry hls longesLever punlshmenL 8y Lhe
Llme he was allowed ouL of hls cupboard agaln Lhe summer holldays had sLarLed and uudley
had already broken hls new vldeo camera crashed hls remoLe conLrol alrplane and flrsL Llme
ouL on hls raclng blke knocked down old Mrs llgg as she crossed rlveL urlve on her cruLches
Parry was glad school was over buL Lhere was no escaplng uudley's gang who vlslLed Lhe
house every slngle day lers uennls Malcolm and Cordon were all blg and sLupld buL as
uudley was Lhe blggesL and sLupldesL of Lhe loL he was Lhe leader 1he resL of Lhem were all
qulLe happy Lo [oln ln uudley's favorlLe sporL Parry PunLlng
1hls was why Parry spenL as much Llme as posslble ouL of Lhe house wanderlng around and
Lhlnklng abouL Lhe end of Lhe holldays where he could see a Llny ray of hope When
SepLember came he would be golng off Lo secondary school and for Lhe flrsL Llme ln hls llfe he
wouldn'L be wlLh uudley uudley had been accepLed aL uncle vernon's old prlvaLe school
SmelLlngs lers olklss was golng Lhere Loo Parry on Lhe oLher hand was golng Lo SLonewall
Plgh Lhe local publlc school uudley LhoughL Lhls was very funny
1hey sLuff people's heads down Lhe LolleL Lhe flrsL day aL SLonewall" he Lold Parry WanL Lo
come upsLalrs and pracLlce?"
no Lhanks" sald Parry 1he poor LolleL's never had anyLhlng as horrlble as your head down
lL lL mlghL be slck" 1hen he ran before uudley could work ouL whaL he'd sald
Cne day ln !uly AunL eLunla Look uudley Lo London Lo buy hls SmelLlngs unlform leavlng
Parry aL Mrs llgg's Mrs llgg wasn'L as bad as usual lL Lurned ouL she'd broken her leg
Lrlpplng over one of her caLs and she dldn'L seem qulLe as fond of Lhem as before She leL
Parry waLch Lelevlslon and gave hlm a blL of chocolaLe cake LhaL LasLed as Lhough she'd had lL
for several years
1haL evenlng uudley paraded around Lhe llvlng room for Lhe famlly ln hls brandnew unlform
SmelLlngs' boys wore maroon LallcoaLs orange knlckerbockers and flaL sLraw haLs called
boaLers 1hey also carrled knobbly sLlcks used for hlLLlng each oLher whlle Lhe Leachers
weren'L looklng 1hls was supposed Lo be good Lralnlng for laLer llfe
As he looked aL uudley ln hls new knlckerbockers uncle vernon sald gruffly LhaL lL was Lhe
proudesL momenL of hls llfe AunL eLunla bursL lnLo Lears and sald she couldn'L belleve lL was
her lckle uudleyklns he looked so handsome and grownup Parry dldn'L LrusL hlmself Lo
speak Pe LhoughL Lwo of hls rlbs mlghL already have cracked from Lrylng noL Lo laugh
1here was a horrlble smell ln Lhe klLchen Lhe nexL mornlng when Parry wenL ln for breakfasL lL
seemed Lo be comlng from a large meLal Lub ln Lhe slnk Pe wenL Lo have a look 1he Lub was
full
of whaL looked llke dlrLy rags swlmmlng ln gray waLer
WhaL's Lhls?" he asked AunL eLunla Per llps LlghLened as Lhey always dld lf he dared Lo ask a
quesLlon
?our new school unlform" she sald
Parry looked ln Lhe bowl agaln
Ch" he sald l dldn'L reallze lL had Lo be so weL"
uon'L be sLupld" snapped AunL eLunla l'm dyelng some of uudley's old Lhlngs gray for you
lL'll look [usL llke everyone else's when l've flnlshed"
Parry serlously doubLed Lhls buL LhoughL lL besL noL Lo argue Pe saL down aL Lhe Lable and
Lrled noL Lo Lhlnk abouL how he was golng Lo look on hls flrsL day aL SLonewall Plgh llke he
was wearlng blLs of old elephanL skln probably
uudley and uncle vernon came ln boLh wlLh wrlnkled noses because of Lhe smell from Parry's
new unlform uncle vernon opened hls newspaper as usual and uudley banged hls SmelLlng
sLlck whlch he carrled everywhere on Lhe Lable
1hey heard Lhe cllck of Lhe mall sloL and flop of leLLers on Lhe doormaL
CeL Lhe mall uudley" sald uncle vernon from behlnd hls paper
Make Parry geL lL"
CeL Lhe mall Parry"
Make uudley geL lL"
oke hlm wlLh your SmelLlng sLlck uudley"
Parry dodged Lhe SmelLlng sLlck and wenL Lo geL Lhe mall 1hree Lhlngs lay on Lhe doormaL a
posLcard from uncle vernon's slsLer Marge who was vacaLlonlng on Lhe lsle of WlghL a brown
envelope LhaL looked llke a blll and a leLLer for Parry
Parry plcked lL up and sLared aL lL hls hearL Lwanglng llke a glanL elasLlc band no one ever ln
hls whole llfe had wrlLLen Lo hlm Who would? Pe had no frlends no oLher relaLlves he
dldn'L belong Lo Lhe llbrary so he'd never even goL rude noLes asklng for books back ?eL here
lL was a leLLer addressed so plalnly Lhere could be no mlsLake
Mr P oLLer
1he Cupboard under Lhe SLalrs
4 rlveL urlve
LlLLle Whlnglng
Surrey
1he envelope was Lhlck and heavy made of yellowlsh parchmenL and Lhe address was wrlLLen
ln emeraldgreen lnk 1here was no sLamp
1urnlng Lhe envelope over hls hand Lrembllng Parry saw a purple wax seal bearlng a coaL of
arms a llon an eagle a badger and a snake surroundlng a large leLLer P
Purry up boy!" shouLed uncle vernon from Lhe klLchen WhaL are you dolng checklng for
leLLer bombs?" Pe chuckled aL hls own [oke
Parry wenL back Lo Lhe klLchen sLlll sLarlng aL hls leLLer Pe handed uncle vernon Lhe blll and
Lhe posLcard saL down and slowly began Lo open Lhe yellow envelope
uncle vernon rlpped open Lhe blll snorLed ln dlsgusL and fllpped over Lhe posLcard
Marge's lll" he lnformed AunL eLunla ALe a funny whelk"
uad!" sald uudley suddenly uad Parry's goL someLhlng!"
Parry was on Lhe polnL of unfoldlng hls leLLer whlch was wrlLLen on Lhe same heavy
parchmenL as Lhe envelope when lL was [erked sharply ouL of hls hand by uncle vernon
1haL's mlne!" sald Parry Lrylng Lo snaLch lL back
Who'd be wrlLlng Lo you?" sneered uncle vernon shaklng Lhe leLLer open wlLh one hand and
glanclng aL lL Pls face wenL from red Lo green fasLer Lhan a seL of Lrafflc llghLs And lL dldn'L
sLop Lhere WlLhln seconds lL was Lhe graylsh whlLe of old porrldge
eLunla!" he gasped
uudley Lrled Lo grab Lhe leLLer Lo read lL buL uncle vernon held lL hlgh ouL of hls reach AunL
eLunla Look lL curlously and read Lhe flrsL llne lor a momenL lL looked as Lhough she mlghL
falnL She cluLched her LhroaL and made a choklng nolse
vernon! Ch my goodness vernon!"
1hey sLared aL each oLher seemlng Lo have forgoLLen LhaL Parry and uudley were sLlll ln Lhe
room uudley wasn'L used Lo belng lgnored Pe gave hls faLher a sharp Lap on Lhe head wlLh hls
SmelLlng sLlck
l wanL Lo read LhaL leLLer" he sald loudly
l wanL Lo read lL" sald Parry furlously as lL's mlne"
CeL ouL boLh of you" croaked uncle vernon sLufflng Lhe leLLer back lnslde lLs envelope
Parry dldn'L move
l WAn1 M? LL11L8!" he shouLed
LeL me see lL!" demanded uudley
Cu1!" roared uncle vernon and he Look boLh Parry and uudley by Lhe scruffs of Lhelr necks
and Lhrew Lhem lnLo Lhe hall slammlng Lhe klLchen door behlnd Lhem Parry and uudley
prompLly had a furlous buL sllenL flghL over who would llsLen aL Lhe keyhole uudley won so
Parry hls glasses dangllng from one ear lay flaL on hls sLomach Lo llsLen aL Lhe crack beLween
door and floor
vernon" AunL eLunla was saylng ln a qulverlng volce look aL Lhe address how could Lhey
posslbly know where he sleeps? ?ou don'L Lhlnk Lhey're waLchlng Lhe house?"
WaLchlng spylng mlghL be followlng us" muLLered uncle vernon wlldly
8uL whaL should we do vernon? Should we wrlLe back? 1ell Lhem we don'L wanL "
Parry could see uncle vernon's shlny black shoes paclng up and down Lhe klLchen
no" he sald flnally no we'll lgnore lL lf Lhey don'L geL an answer ?es LhaL's besL we
won'L do anyLhlng"
8uL "
l'm noL havlng one ln Lhe house eLunla! uldn'L we swear when we Look hlm ln we'd sLamp
ouL LhaL dangerous nonsense?"
1haL evenlng when he goL back from work uncle vernon dld someLhlng he'd never done
before he vlslLed Parry ln hls cupboard
Where's my leLLer?" sald Parry Lhe momenL uncle vernon had squeezed Lhrough Lhe door
Who's wrlLlng Lo me?"
no one lL was addressed Lo you by mlsLake" sald uncle vernon shorLly l have burned lL"
lL was noL a mlsLake" sald Parry angrlly lL had my cupboard on lL"
SlLLnCL!" yelled uncle vernon and a couple of splders fell from Lhe celllng Pe Look a few
deep breaLhs and Lhen forced hls face lnLo a smlle whlch looked qulLe palnful
Lr yes Parry abouL Lhls cupboard ?our aunL and l have been Lhlnklng you're really
geLLlng a blL blg for lL we Lhlnk lL mlghL be nlce lf you moved lnLo uudley's second bedroom
Why?" sald Parry
uon'L ask quesLlons!" snapped hls uncle 1ake Lhls sLuff upsLalrs now"
1he uursleys' house had four bedrooms one for uncle vernon and AunL eLunla one for
vlslLors (usually uncle vernon's slsLer Marge) one where uudley slepL and one where uudley
kepL all Lhe Loys and Lhlngs LhaL wouldn'L flL lnLo hls flrsL bedroom lL only Look Parry one Lrlp
upsLalrs Lo move everyLhlng he owned from Lhe cupboard Lo Lhls room Pe saL down on Lhe
bed and sLared around hlm nearly everyLhlng ln here was broken 1he monLhold vldeo
camera was lylng on Lop of a small worklng Lank uudley had once drlven over Lhe nexL door
nelghbor's dog ln Lhe corner was uudley's flrsLever Lelevlslon seL whlch he'd puL hls fooL
Lhrough when hls favorlLe program had been canceled Lhere was a large blrdcage whlch had
once held a parroL LhaL uudley had swapped aL school for a real alr rlfle whlch was up on a
shelf wlLh Lhe end all benL because uudley had saL on lL CLher shelves were full of books 1hey
were Lhe only Lhlngs ln Lhe room LhaL looked as Lhough Lhey'd never been Louched
lrom downsLalrs came Lhe sound of uudley bawllng aL hls moLher l don'L wanL hlm ln Lhere
l need LhaL room make hlm geL ouL"
Parry slghed and sLreLched ouL on Lhe bed ?esLerday he'd have glven anyLhlng Lo be up here
1oday he'd raLher be back ln hls cupboard wlLh LhaL leLLer Lhan up here wlLhouL lL
nexL mornlng aL breakfasL everyone was raLher quleL uudley was ln shock Pe'd screamed
whacked hls faLher wlLh hls SmelLlng sLlck been slck on purpose klcked hls moLher and
Lhrown hls LorLolse Lhrough Lhe greenhouse roof and he sLlll dldn'L have hls room back Parry
was Lhlnklng abouL Lhls Llme yesLerday and blLLerly wlshlng he'd opened Lhe leLLer ln Lhe hall
uncle vernon and AunL eLunla kepL looklng aL each oLher darkly
When Lhe mall arrlved uncle vernon who seemed Lo be Lrylng Lo be nlce Lo Parry made
uudley go and geL lL 1hey heard hlm banglng Lhlngs wlLh hls SmelLlng sLlck all Lhe way down
Lhe hall 1hen he shouLed 1here's anoLher one! 'Mr P oLLer 1he SmallesL 8edroom 4
rlveL urlve '"
WlLh a sLrangled cry uncle vernon leapL from hls seaL and ran down Lhe hall Parry rlghL
behlnd hlm uncle vernon had Lo wresLle uudley Lo Lhe ground Lo geL Lhe leLLer from hlm
whlch was made dlfflculL by Lhe facL LhaL Parry had grabbed uncle vernon around Lhe neck
from behlnd AfLer a mlnuLe of confused flghLlng ln whlch everyone goL hlL a loL by Lhe
SmelLlng sLlck uncle vernon sLralghLened up gasplng for breaLh wlLh Parry's leLLer cluLched
ln hls hand
Co Lo your cupboard l mean your bedroom" he wheezed aL Parry uudley go [usL
go"
Parry walked round and round hls new room Someone knew he had moved ouL of hls
cupboard
and Lhey seemed Lo know he hadn'L recelved hls flrsL leLLer Surely LhaL meanL Lhey'd Lry
agaln? And Lhls Llme he'd make sure Lhey dldn'L fall Pe had a plan
1he repalred alarm clock rang aL slx o'clock Lhe nexL mornlng Parry Lurned lL off qulckly and
dressed sllenLly Pe musLn'L wake Lhe uursleys Pe sLole downsLalrs wlLhouL Lurnlng on any of
Lhe llghLs
Pe was golng Lo walL for Lhe posLman on Lhe corner of rlveL urlve and geL Lhe leLLers for
number four flrsL Pls hearL hammered as he crepL across Lhe dark hall Loward Lhe fronL door

AAAAA888CP!"
Parry leapL lnLo Lhe alr he'd Lrodden on someLhlng blg and squashy on Lhe doormaL
someLhlng allve!
LlghLs cllcked on upsLalrs and Lo hls horror Parry reallzed LhaL Lhe blg squashy someLhlng had
been hls uncle's face uncle vernon had been lylng aL Lhe fooL of Lhe fronL door ln a sleeplng
bag clearly maklng sure LhaL Parry dldn'L do exacLly whaL he'd been Lrylng Lo do Pe shouLed
aL Parry for abouL half an hour and Lhen Lold hlm Lo go and make a cup of Lea Parry shuffled
mlserably off lnLo Lhe klLchen and by Lhe Llme he goL back Lhe mall had arrlved rlghL lnLo
uncle vernon's lap Parry could see Lhree leLLers addressed ln green lnk
l wanL " he began buL uncle vernon was Learlng Lhe leLLers lnLo pleces before hls eyes
uncle vernon dldn'L go Lo work LhaL day Pe sLayed aL home and nalled up Lhe mall sloL
See" he explalned Lo AunL eLunla Lhrough a mouLhful of nalls lf Lhey can'L dellver Lhem
Lhey'll [usL glve up"
l'm noL sure LhaL'll work vernon"
Ch Lhese people's mlnds work ln sLrange ways eLunla Lhey're noL llke you and me" sald
uncle vernon Lrylng Lo knock ln a nall wlLh Lhe plece of frulLcake AunL eLunla had [usL
broughL hlm
Cn lrlday no less Lhan Lwelve leLLers arrlved for Parry As Lhey couldn'L go Lhrough Lhe mall
sloL Lhey had been pushed under Lhe door sloLLed Lhrough Lhe sldes and a few even forced
Lhrough Lhe small wlndow ln Lhe downsLalrs baLhroom
uncle vernon sLayed aL home agaln AfLer burnlng all Lhe leLLers he goL ouL a hammer and
nalls and boarded up Lhe cracks around Lhe fronL and back doors so no one could go ouL Pe
hummed 1lpLoe 1hrough Lhe 1ullps" as he worked and [umped aL small nolses
Cn SaLurday Lhlngs began Lo geL ouL of hand 1wenLyfour leLLers Lo Parry found Lhelr way
lnLo Lhe house rolled up and hldden lnslde each of Lhe Lwo dozen eggs LhaL Lhelr very
confused mllkman had handed AunL eLunla Lhrough Lhe llvlng room wlndow Whlle uncle
vernon made
furlous Lelephone calls Lo Lhe posL offlce and Lhe dalry Lrylng Lo flnd someone Lo complaln Lo
AunL eLunla shredded Lhe leLLers ln her food processor
Who on earLh wanLs Lo Lalk Lo you Lhls badly?" uudley asked Parry ln amazemenL
Cn Sunday mornlng uncle vernon saL down aL Lhe breakfasL Lable looklng Llred and raLher lll
buL happy
no posL on Sundays" he remlnded Lhem cheerfully as he spread marmalade on hls
newspapers no damn leLLers Loday "
SomeLhlng came whlzzlng down Lhe klLchen chlmney as he spoke and caughL hlm sharply on
Lhe back of Lhe head nexL momenL LhlrLy or forLy leLLers came pelLlng ouL of Lhe flreplace llke
bulleLs 1he uursleys ducked buL Parry leapL lnLo Lhe alr Lrylng Lo caLch one
CuL! Cu1!"
uncle vernon selzed Parry around Lhe walsL and Lhrew hlm lnLo Lhe hall When AunL eLunla
and uudley had run ouL wlLh Lhelr arms over Lhelr faces uncle vernon slammed Lhe door shuL
1hey could hear Lhe leLLers sLlll sLreamlng lnLo Lhe room bounclng off Lhe walls and floor
1haL does lL" sald uncle vernon Lrylng Lo speak calmly buL pulllng greaL LufLs ouL of hls
musLache aL Lhe same Llme l wanL you all back here ln flve mlnuLes ready Lo leave We're
golng away !usL pack some cloLhes no argumenLs!"
Pe looked so dangerous wlLh half hls musLache mlsslng LhaL no one dared argue 1en mlnuLes
laLer Lhey had wrenched Lhelr way Lhrough Lhe boardedup doors and were ln Lhe car
speedlng Loward Lhe hlghway uudley was snlffllng ln Lhe back seaL hls faLher had hlL hlm
round Lhe head for holdlng Lhem up whlle he Lrled Lo pack hls Lelevlslon vC8 and compuLer ln
hls sporLs bag
1hey drove And Lhey drove Lven AunL eLunla dldn'L dare ask where Lhey were golng Lvery
now and Lhen uncle vernon would Lake a sharp Lurn and drlve ln Lhe opposlLe dlrecLlon for a
whlle
Shake 'em off shake 'em off" he would muLLer whenever he dld Lhls
1hey dldn'L sLop Lo eaL or drlnk all day 8y nlghLfall uudley was howllng Pe'd never had such a
bad day ln hls llfe Pe was hungry he'd mlssed flve Lelevlslon programs he'd wanLed Lo see
and he'd never gone so long wlLhouL blowlng up an allen on hls compuLer
uncle vernon sLopped aL lasL ouLslde a gloomylooklng hoLel on Lhe ouLsklrLs of a blg clLy
uudley and Parry shared a room wlLh Lwln beds and damp musLy sheeLs uudley snored buL
Parry sLayed awake slLLlng on Lhe wlndowslll sLarlng down aL Lhe llghLs of passlng cars and
wonderlng
1hey aLe sLale cornflakes and cold Llnned LomaLoes on LoasL for breakfasL Lhe nexL day 1hey
had
[usL flnlshed when Lhe owner of Lhe hoLel came over Lo Lhelr Lable
'Scuse me buL ls one of you Mr P oLLer? Cnly l goL abouL an 'undred of Lhese aL Lhe fronL
desk"
She held up a leLLer so Lhey could read Lhe green lnk address
Mr P oLLer
8oom 17
8allvlew PoLel
CokeworLh
Parry made a grab for Lhe leLLer buL uncle vernon knocked hls hand ouL of Lhe way 1he
woman sLared
l'll Lake Lhem" sald uncle vernon sLandlng up qulckly and followlng her from Lhe dlnlng
room
Wouldn'L lL be beLLer [usL Lo go home dear?" AunL eLunla suggesLed Llmldly hours laLer buL
uncle vernon dldn'L seem Lo hear her LxacLly whaL he was looklng for none of Lhem knew Pe
drove Lhem lnLo Lhe mlddle of a foresL goL ouL looked around shook hls head goL back ln Lhe
car and off Lhey wenL agaln 1he same Lhlng happened ln Lhe mlddle of a plowed fleld
halfway across a suspenslon brldge and aL Lhe Lop of a mulLllevel parklng garage
uaddy's gone mad hasn'L he?" uudley asked AunL eLunla dully laLe LhaL afLernoon uncle
vernon had parked aL Lhe coasL locked Lhem all lnslde Lhe car and dlsappeared
lL sLarLed Lo raln CreaL drops beaL on Lhe roof of Lhe car uudley snlveled
lL's Monday" he Lold hls moLher 1he CreaL PumberLo's on LonlghL l wanL Lo sLay
somewhere wlLh a Lelevlslon"
Monday 1hls remlnded Parry of someLhlng lf lL was Monday and you could usually counL
on uudley Lo know Lhe days Lhe week because of Lelevlslon Lhen Lomorrow 1uesday was
Parry's elevenLh blrLhday Cf course hls blrLhdays were never exacLly fun lasL year Lhe
uursleys had glven hlm a coaL hanger and a palr of uncle vernon's old socks SLlll you weren'L
eleven every day
uncle vernon was back and he was smlllng Pe was also carrylng a long Lhln package and
dldn'L answer AunL eLunla when she asked whaL he'd boughL
lound Lhe perfecL place!" he sald Come on! Lveryone ouL!"
lL was very cold ouLslde Lhe car uncle vernon was polnLlng aL whaL looked llke a large rock
way ouL aL sea erched on Lop of Lhe rock was Lhe mosL mlserable llLLle shack you could
lmaglne Cne Lhlng was cerLaln Lhere was no Lelevlslon ln Lhere
SLorm forecasL for LonlghL!" sald uncle vernon gleefully clapplng hls hands LogeLher And
Lhls genLleman's klndly agreed Lo lend us hls boaL!"
A LooLhless old man came ambllng up Lo Lhem polnLlng wlLh a raLher wlcked grln aL an old
rowboaL bobblng ln Lhe lrongray waLer below Lhem
l've already goL us some raLlons" sald uncle vernon so all aboard!"
lL was freezlng ln Lhe boaL lcy sea spray and raln crepL down Lhelr necks and a chllly wlnd
whlpped Lhelr faces AfLer whaL seemed llke hours Lhey reached Lhe rock where uncle
vernon sllpplng and slldlng led Lhe way Lo Lhe brokendown house
1he lnslde was horrlble lL smelled sLrongly of seaweed Lhe wlnd whlsLled Lhrough Lhe gaps ln
Lhe wooden walls and Lhe flreplace was damp and empLy 1here were only Lwo rooms
uncle vernon's raLlons Lurned ouL Lo be a bag of chlps each and four bananas Pe Lrled Lo sLarL
a flre buL Lhe empLy chlp bags [usL smoked and shrlveled up
Could do wlLh some of Lhose leLLers now eh?" he sald cheerfully
Pe was ln a very good mood Cbvlously he LhoughL nobody sLood a chance of reachlng Lhem
here ln a sLorm Lo dellver mall Parry prlvaLely agreed Lhough Lhe LhoughL dldn'L cheer hlm up
aL all
As nlghL fell Lhe promlsed sLorm blew up around Lhem Spray from Lhe hlgh waves splaLLered
Lhe walls of Lhe huL and a flerce wlnd raLLled Lhe fllLhy wlndows AunL eLunla found a few
moldy blankeLs ln Lhe second room and made up a bed for uudley on Lhe moLheaLen sofa She
and uncle vernon wenL off Lo Lhe lumpy bed nexL door and Parry was lefL Lo flnd Lhe sofLesL
blL of floor he could and Lo curl up under Lhe LhlnnesL mosL ragged blankeL
1he sLorm raged more and more feroclously as Lhe nlghL wenL on Parry couldn'L sleep Pe
shlvered and Lurned over Lrylng Lo geL comforLable hls sLomach rumbllng wlLh hunger
uudley's snores were drowned by Lhe low rolls of Lhunder LhaL sLarLed near mldnlghL 1he
llghLed dlal of uudley's waLch whlch was dangllng over Lhe edge of Lhe sofa on hls faL wrlsL
Lold Parry he'd be eleven ln Len mlnuLes' Llme Pe lay and waLched hls blrLhday Llck nearer
wonderlng lf Lhe uursleys would remember aL all wonderlng where Lhe leLLer wrlLer was now
llve mlnuLes Lo go Parry heard someLhlng creak ouLslde Pe hoped Lhe roof wasn'L golng Lo
fall ln alLhough he mlghL be warmer lf lL dld lour mlnuLes Lo go Maybe Lhe house ln rlveL
urlve would be so full of leLLers when Lhey goL back LhaL he'd be able Lo sLeal one somehow
1hree mlnuLes Lo go Was LhaL Lhe sea slapplng hard on Lhe rock llke LhaL? And (Lwo mlnuLes
Lo
go) whaL was LhaL funny crunchlng nolse? Was Lhe rock crumbllng lnLo Lhe sea?
Cne mlnuLe Lo go and he'd be eleven 1hlrLy seconds LwenLy Len nlne maybe he'd
wake uudley up [usL Lo annoy hlm Lhree Lwo one
8CCM
1he whole shack shlvered and Parry saL bolL uprlghL sLarlng aL Lhe door Someone was
ouLslde knocklng Lo come ln
CPA1L8 lCu8
1he keeper of Lhe keys
8CCM 1hey knocked agaln uudley [erked awake
Where's Lhe cannon?" he sald sLupldly
1here was a crash behlnd Lhem and uncle vernon came sklddlng lnLo Lhe room Pe was
holdlng a rlfle ln hls hands now Lhey knew whaL had been ln Lhe long Lhln package he had
broughL wlLh Lhem
Who's Lhere?" he shouLed l warn you l'm armed!"
1here was a pause 1hen
SMASP!
1he door was hlL wlLh such force LhaL lL swung clean off lLs hlnges and wlLh a deafenlng crash
landed flaL on Lhe floor
A glanL of a man was sLandlng ln Lhe doorway Pls face was almosL compleLely hldden by a
long shaggy mane of halr and a wlld Langled beard buL you could make ouL hls eyes gllnLlng
llke black beeLles under all Lhe halr
1he glanL squeezed hls way lnLo Lhe huL sLooplng so LhaL hls head [usL brushed Lhe celllng Pe
benL down plcked up Lhe door and flLLed lL easlly back lnLo lLs frame 1he nolse of Lhe sLorm
ouLslde dropped a llLLle Pe Lurned Lo look aL Lhem all
Couldn'L make us a cup o' Lea could yeh? lL's noL been an easy [ourney"
Pe sLrode over Lo Lhe sofa where uudley saL frozen wlLh fear
8udge up yeh greaL lump" sald Lhe sLranger
uudley squeaked and ran Lo hlde behlnd hls moLher who was crouchlng Lerrlfled behlnd
uncle vernon
An' here's Parry!" sald Lhe glanL
Parry looked up lnLo Lhe flerce wlld shadowy face and saw LhaL Lhe beeLle eyes were crlnkled
ln a smlle
Las' Llme l saw you you was only a baby" sald Lhe glanL ?eh look a loL llke yer dad buL
yeh've goL yer mom's eyes"
uncle vernon made a funny rasplng nolse
l demand LhaL you leave aL once slr!" he sald ?ou are breaklng and enLerlng!"
Ah shuL up uursley yeh greaL prune" sald Lhe glanL he reached over Lhe back of Lhe sofa
[erked Lhe gun ouL of uncle vernon's hands benL lL lnLo a knoL as easlly as lf lL had been made
of rubber and Lhrew lL lnLo a corner of Lhe room
uncle vernon made anoLher funny nolse llke a mouse belng Lrodden on
Anyway Parry" sald Lhe glanL Lurnlng hls back on Lhe uursleys a very happy blrLhday Lo
yeh CoL summaL fer yeh here l mlghLa saL on lL aL some polnL buL lL'll LasLe all rlghL"
lrom an lnslde pockeL of hls black overcoaL he pulled a sllghLly squashed box Parry opened lL
wlLh Lrembllng flngers lnslde was a large sLlcky chocolaLe cake wlLh Pappy 8lrLhday Parry
wrlLLen on lL ln green lclng
Parry looked up aL Lhe glanL Pe meanL Lo say Lhank you buL Lhe words goL losL on Lhe way Lo
hls mouLh and whaL he sald lnsLead was Who are you?"
1he glanL chuckled
1rue l haven'L lnLroduced meself 8ubeus Pagrld keeper of keys and Crounds aL PogwarLs"
Pe held ouL an enormous hand and shook Parry's whole arm
WhaL abouL LhaL Lea Lhen eh?" he sald rubblng hls hands LogeLher l'd noL say no Ler
summaL sLronger lf yeh've goL lL mlnd"
Pls eyes fell on Lhe empLy graLe wlLh Lhe shrlveled chlp bags ln lL and he snorLed Pe benL
down over Lhe flreplace Lhey couldn'L see whaL he was dolng buL when he drew back a second
laLer Lhere was a roarlng flre Lhere lL fllled Lhe whole damp huL wlLh fllckerlng llghL and Parry
felL Lhe warmLh wash over hlm as Lhough he'd sunk lnLo a hoL baLh
1he glanL saL back down on Lhe sofa whlch sagged under hls welghL and began Laklng all sorLs
of Lhlngs ouL of Lhe pockeLs of hls coaL a copper keLLle a squashy package of sausages a
poker a LeapoL several chlpped mugs and a boLLle of some amber llquld LhaL he Look a swlg
from before sLarLlng Lo make Lea Soon Lhe huL was full of Lhe sound and smell of slzzllng
sausage nobody sald a Lhlng whlle Lhe glanL was worklng buL as he slld Lhe flrsL slx faL [ulcy
sllghLly burnL sausages from Lhe poker uudley fldgeLed a llLLle uncle vernon sald sharply
uon'L Louch anyLhlng he glves you uudley"
1he glanL chuckled darkly
?er greaL puddln' of a son don' need faLLenln' anymore uursley don' worry"
Pe passed Lhe sausages Lo Parry who was so hungry he had never LasLed anyLhlng so
wonderful buL he sLlll couldn'L Lake hls eyes off Lhe glanL llnally as nobody seemed abouL Lo
explaln anyLhlng he sald l'm sorry buL l sLlll don'L really know who you are"
1he glanL Look a gulp of Lea and wlped hls mouLh wlLh Lhe back of hls hand
Call me Pagrld" he sald everyone does An' llke l Lold yeh l'm keeper of keys aL PogwarLs
yeh'll know all abouL PogwarLs o' course
Lr no" sald Parry
Pagrld looked shocked
Sorry" Parry sald qulckly
Sorry?" barked Pagrld Lurnlng Lo sLare aL Lhe uursleys who shrank back lnLo Lhe shadows
lL's Lhem as should be sorry! l knew yeh weren'L geLLln' yer leLLers buL l never LhoughL yeh
wouldn'L even know abou' PogwarLs fer cryln' ouL loud! uld yeh never wonder where yer
parenLs learned lL all?"
All whaL?" asked Parry
ALL WPA1?" Pagrld Lhundered now walL [us' one second!"
Pe had leapL Lo hls feeL ln hls anger he seemed Lo flll Lhe whole huL 1he uursleys were
cowerlng agalnsL Lhe wall
uo you mean Ler Lell me" he growled aL Lhe uursleys LhaL Lhls boy Lhls boy! knows
noLhln' abou' abouL An?1PlnC?"
Parry LhoughL Lhls was golng a blL far Pe had been Lo school afLer all and hls marks weren'L
bad
l know some Lhlngs" he sald l can you know do maLh and sLuff"
8uL Pagrld slmply waved hls hand and sald AbouL our world l mean ?our world My world
?er parenLs' world"
WhaL world?"
Pagrld looked as lf he was abouL Lo explode
uu8SLL?!" he boomed
uncle vernon who had gone very pale whlspered someLhlng LhaL sounded llke
Mlmblewlmble" Pagrld sLared wlldly aL Parry
8uL yeh musL know abouL yer mom and dad" he sald l mean Lhey're famous ?ou're
famous"
WhaL? My my mom and dad weren'L famous were Lhey?"
?eh don' know yeh don' know" Pagrld ran hls flngers Lhrough hls halr flxlng Parry wlLh a
bewlldered sLare
?eh don' know whaL yeh are?" he sald flnally
uncle vernon suddenly found hls volce
SLop!" he commanded SLop rlghL Lhere slr! l forbld you Lo Lell Lhe boy anyLhlng!"
A braver man Lhan vernon uursley would have qualled under Lhe furlous look Pagrld now gave
hlm when Pagrld spoke hls every syllable Lrembled wlLh rage
?ou never Lold hlm? never Lold hlm whaL was ln Lhe leLLer uumbledore lefL fer hlm? l was
Lhere! l saw uumbledore leave lL uursley! An' you've kepL lL from hlm all Lhese years?"
kepL whaL from me?" sald Parry eagerly
S1C! l lC88lu ?Cu!" yelled uncle vernon ln panlc
AunL eLunla gave a gasp of horror
Ah go boll yer heads boLh of yeh" sald Pagrld Parry yer a wlzard"
1here was sllence lnslde Lhe huL Cnly Lhe sea and Lhe whlsLllng wlnd could be heard
l'm a whaL?" gasped Parry
A wlzard o' course" sald Pagrld slLLlng back down on Lhe sofa whlch groaned and sank even
lower an' a Lhumpln' good 'un l'd say once yeh've been Lralned up a blL WlLh a mum an'
dad llke yours whaL else would yeh be? An' l reckon lL's abou' Llme yeh read yer leLLer"
Parry sLreLched ouL hls hand aL lasL Lo Lake Lhe yellowlsh envelope addressed ln emerald
green Lo Mr P oLLer 1he lloor PuLonLhe8ock 1he Sea Pe pulled ouL Lhe leLLer and read
PCCWA81S SCPCCL of Wl1CPC8Al1 and WlZA8u8?
PeadmasLer AL8uS uuM8LLuC8L
(Crder of Merlln llrsL Class Crand Sorc Chf Warlock Supreme Mugwump lnLernaLlonal
Confed of Wlzards)
uear Mr oLLer
We are pleased Lo lnform you LhaL you have been accepLed aL PogwarLs School of WlLchcrafL
and Wlzardry lease flnd enclosed a llsL of all necessary books and equlpmenL
1erm beglns on SepLember 1 We awalL your owl by no laLer Lhan !uly 31
?ours slncerely
Mlnerva McConagall
uepuLy PeadmlsLress
CuesLlons exploded lnslde Parry's head llke flreworks and he couldn'L declde whlch Lo ask flrsL
AfLer a few mlnuLes he sLammered WhaL does lL mean Lhey awalL my owl?"
Callopln' Corgons LhaL remlnds me" sald Pagrld clapplng a hand Lo hls forehead wlLh
enough force Lo knock over a carL horse and from yeL anoLher pockeL lnslde hls overcoaL he
pulled an owl a real llve raLher ruffledlooklng owl a long qulll and a roll of parchmenL
WlLh hls Longue beLween hls LeeLh he scrlbbled a noLe LhaL Parry could read upslde down
uear rofessor uumbledore
Clven Parry hls leLLer
1aklng hlm Lo buy hls Lhlngs Lomorrow
WeaLher's horrlble Pope you're well
Pagrld
Pagrld rolled up Lhe noLe gave lL Lo Lhe owl whlch clamped lL ln lLs beak wenL Lo Lhe door
and Lhrew Lhe owl ouL lnLo Lhe sLorm 1hen he came back and saL down as Lhough Lhls was as
normal as Lalklng on Lhe Lelephone
Parry reallzed hls mouLh was open and closed lL qulckly
Where was l?" sald Pagrld buL aL LhaL momenL uncle vernon sLlll ashenfaced buL looklng
very angry moved lnLo Lhe flrellghL
Pe's noL golng" he sald
Pagrld grunLed
l'd llke Ler see a greaL Muggle llke you sLop hlm" he sald
A whaL?" sald Parry lnLeresLed
A Muggle" sald Pagrld lL's whaL we call nonmaglc folk llke Lhem An' lL's your bad luck you
grew up ln a famlly o' Lhe blggesL Muggles l ever lald eyes on"
We swore when we Look hlm ln we'd puL a sLop Lo LhaL rubblsh" sald uncle vernon swore
we'd sLamp lL ouL of hlm! Wlzard lndeed!"
?ou knew?" sald Parry ?ou knew l'm a a wlzard?"
knew!" shrleked AunL eLunla suddenly knew! Cf course we knew! Pow could you noL be
my draLLed slsLer belng whaL she was? Ch she goL a leLLer [usL llke LhaL and dlsappeared off Lo
LhaL LhaL school and came home every vacaLlon wlLh her pockeLs full of frog spawn
Lurnlng Leacups lnLo raLs l was Lhe only one who saw her for whaL she was a freak! 8uL for
my moLher and faLher oh no lL was Llly Lhls and Llly LhaL Lhey were proud of havlng a wlLch ln
Lhe famlly!"
She sLopped Lo draw a deep breaLh and Lhen wenL ranLlng on lL seemed she had been wanLlng
Lo say all Lhls for years
1hen she meL LhaL oLLer aL school and Lhey lefL and goL marrled and had you and of course l
knew you'd be [usL Lhe same [usL as sLrange [usL as as abnormal and Lhen lf you
please she wenL and goL herself blown up and we goL landed wlLh you!"
Parry had gone very whlLe As soon as he found hls volce he sald 8lown up? ?ou Lold me Lhey
dled ln a car crash!"
CA8 C8ASP!" roared Pagrld [umplng up so angrlly LhaL Lhe uursleys scuLLled back Lo Lhelr
corner Pow could a car crash klll Llly an' !ames oLLer? lL's an ouLrage! A scandal! Parry
oLLer noL knowln' hls own sLory when every kld ln our world knows hls name!"
8uL why? WhaL happened?" Parry asked urgenLly
1he anger faded from Pagrld's face Pe looked suddenly anxlous
l never expecLed Lhls" he sald ln a low worrled volce l had no ldea when uumbledore Lold
me Lhere mlghL be Lrouble geLLln' hold of yeh how much yeh dldn'L know Ah Parry l don'
know lf l'm Lhe rlghL person Ler Lell yeh buL someone's goLLa yeh can'L go off Ler
PogwarLs noL knowln'"
Pe Lhrew a dlrLy look aL Lhe uursleys
Well lL's besL yeh know as much as l can Lell yeh mlnd l can'L Lell yeh everyLhln' lL's a
greaL mysL'ry parLs of lL"
Pe saL down sLared lnLo Lhe flre for a few seconds and Lhen sald lL beglns l suppose wlLh
wlLh a person called buL lL's lncredlble yeh don'L know hls name everyone ln our world
knows "
Who?"
Well l don' llke sayln' Lhe name lf l can help lL no one does"
Why noL?"
Culpln' gargoyles Parry people are sLlll scared 8llmey Lhls ls dlfflculL See Lhere was Lhls
wlzard who wenL bad As bad as you could go Worse Worse Lhan worse Pls name was"
Pagrld gulped buL no words came ouL
Could you wrlLe lL down?" Parry suggesLed
nah can'L spell lL All rlghL voldemorL " Pagrld shuddered uon' make me say lL agaln
Anyway Lhls Lhls wlzard abouL LwenLy years ago now sLarLed lookln' fer followers CoL
'em Loo some were afrald some [usL wanLed a blL o' hls power 'cause he was geLLln'
hlmself power all rlghL uark days Parry uldn'L know who Ler LrusL dldn'L dare geL frlendly
wlLh sLrange wlzards or wlLches Lerrlble Lhlngs happened Pe was Lakln' over 'Course some
sLood up Lo hlm an' he kllled 'em Porrlbly Cne o' Lhe only safe places lefL was PogwarLs
8eckon uumbledore's Lhe only one ?ouknowWho was afrald of uldn'L dare Lry Lakln' Lhe
school noL [us' Lhen anyway
now yer mum an' dad were as good a wlLch an' wlzard as l ever knew Pead boy an' glrl aL
PogwarLs ln Lhelr day! Suppose Lhe mysL'ry ls why ?ouknowWho never Lrled Lo geL 'em on
hls slde before probably knew Lhey were Loo close Ler uumbledore Ler wanL anyLhln' Ler do
wlLh Lhe uark Slde
Maybe he LhoughL he could persuade 'em maybe he [usL wanLed 'em ouLLa Lhe way All
anyone knows ls he Lurned up ln Lhe vlllage where you was all llvlng on Palloween Len years
ago ?ou was [usL a year old Pe came Ler yer house an' an' "
Pagrld suddenly pulled ouL a very dlrLy spoLLed handkerchlef and blew hls nose wlLh a sound
llke a foghorn
Sorry" he sald 8uL lL's LhaL sad knew yer mum an' dad an' nlcer people yeh couldn'L flnd
anywa
?ouknowWho kllled 'em An' Lhen an' Lhls ls Lhe real mysL'ry of Lhe Lhlng he Lrled Lo klll
you Loo WanLed Ler make a clean [ob of lL l suppose or maybe he [usL llked klllln' by Lhen
8uL he couldn'L do lL never wondered how you goL LhaL mark on yer forehead? 1haL was no
ordlnary cuL 1haL's whaL yeh geL when a powerful evll curse Louches yeh Look care of yer
mum an' dad an' yer house even buL lL dldn'L work on you an' LhaL's why yer famous
Parry no one ever llved afLer he declded Ler klll 'em no one excepL you an' he'd kllled some
o' Lhe besL wlLches an' wlzards of Lhe age Lhe Mcklnnons Lhe 8ones Lhe reweLLs an'
you was
only a baby an' you llved"
SomeLhlng very palnful was golng on ln Parry's mlnd As Pagrld's sLory came Lo a close he saw
agaln Lhe bllndlng flash of green llghL more clearly Lhan he had ever remembered lL before
and he remembered someLhlng else for Lhe flrsL Llme ln hls llfe a hlgh cold cruel laugh
Pagrld was waLchlng hlm sadly
1ook yeh from Lhe rulned house myself on uumbledore's orders 8roughL yeh Ler Lhls loL "
Load of old Losh" sald uncle vernon Parry [umped he had almosL forgoLLen LhaL Lhe
uursleys were Lhere uncle vernon cerLalnly seemed Lo have goL back hls courage Pe was
glarlng aL Pagrld and hls flsLs were clenched
now you llsLen here boy" he snarled l accepL Lhere's someLhlng sLrange abouL you
probably noLhlng a good beaLlng wouldn'L have cured and as for all Lhls abouL your parenLs
well Lhey were welrdoes no denylng lL and Lhe world's beLLer off wlLhouL Lhem ln my oplnlon
asked for all Lhey goL geLLlng mlxed up wlLh Lhese wlzardlng Lypes [usL whaL l expecLed
always knew Lhey'd come Lo a sLlcky end "
8uL aL LhaL momenL Pagrld leapL from Lhe sofa and drew a baLLered plnk umbrella from lnslde
hls coaL olnLlng Lhls aL uncle vernon llke a sword he sald l'm warnlng you uursley l'm
warnlng you one more word"
ln danger of belng speared on Lhe end of an umbrella by a bearded glanL uncle vernon's
courage falled agaln he flaLLened hlmself agalnsL Lhe wall and fell sllenL
1haL's beLLer" sald Pagrld breaLhlng heavlly and slLLlng back down on Lhe sofa whlch Lhls
Llme sagged rlghL down Lo Lhe floor
Parry meanwhlle sLlll had quesLlons Lo ask hundreds of Lhem
8uL whaL happened Lo vol sorry l mean ?ouknowWho?"
Cood quesLlon Parry ulsappeared vanlshed Same nlghL he Lrled Ler klll you Makes yeh
even more famous 1haL's Lhe blggesL mysL'ry see he was geLLln' more an' more powerful
why'd he go?
Some say he dled Codswallop ln my oplnlon uunno lf he had enough human lefL ln hlm Lo
dle Some say he's sLlll ouL Lhere bldln' hls Llme llke buL l don' belleve lL eople who was on
hls slde came back Ler ours Some of 'em came ouLLa klnda Lrances uon' reckon Lhey could've
done lf he was comln' back
MosL of us reckon he's sLlll ouL Lhere somewhere buL losL hls powers 1oo weak Lo carry on
'Cause someLhln' abouL you flnlshed hlm Parry 1here was someLhln' goln' on LhaL nlghL he
hadn'L counLed on l dunno whaL lL was no one does buL someLhln' abouL you sLumped
hlm
all rlghL"
Pagrld looked aL Parry wlLh warmLh and respecL blazlng ln hls eyes buL Parry lnsLead of
feellng pleased and proud felL qulLe sure Lhere had been a horrlble mlsLake A wlzard? Plm?
Pow could he posslbly be? Pe'd spenL hls llfe belng clouLed by uudley and bullled by AunL
eLunla and uncle vernon lf he was really a wlzard why hadn'L Lhey been Lurned lnLo warLy
Loads every Llme Lhey'd Lrled Lo lock hlm ln hls cupboard? lf he'd once defeaLed Lhe greaLesL
sorcerer ln Lhe world how come uudley had always been able Lo klck hlm around llke a
fooLball?
Pagrld" he sald quleLly l Lhlnk you musL have made a mlsLake l don'L Lhlnk l can be a
wlzard"
1o hls surprlse Pagrld chuckled
noL a wlzard eh? never made Lhlngs happen when you was scared or angry?"
Parry looked lnLo Lhe flre now he came Lo Lhlnk abouL lL every odd Lhlng LhaL had ever made
hls aunL and uncle furlous wlLh hlm had happened when he Parry had been upseL or angry
chased by uudley's gang he had somehow found hlmself ouL of Lhelr reach dreadlng golng Lo
school wlLh LhaL rldlculous halrcuL he'd managed Lo make lL grow back and Lhe very lasL Llme
uudley had hlL hlm hadn'L he goL hls revenge wlLhouL even reallzlng he was dolng lL? Padn'L
he seL a boa consLrlcLor on hlm?
Parry looked back aL Pagrld smlllng and saw LhaL Pagrld was poslLlvely beamlng aL hlm
See?" sald Pagrld Parry oLLer noL a wlzard you walL you'll be rlghL famous aL
PogwarLs"
8uL uncle vernon wasn'L golng Lo glve ln wlLhouL a flghL
Paven'L l Lold you he's noL golng?" he hlssed Pe's golng Lo SLonewall Plgh and he'll be
graLeful for lL l've read Lhose leLLers and he needs all sorLs of rubblsh spell books and
wands and "
lf he wanLs Ler go a greaL Muggle llke you won'L sLop hlm" growled Pagrld SLop Llly an'
!ames oLLer's son goln' Ler PogwarLs! ?er mad Pls name's been down ever slnce he was
born Pe's off Ler Lhe flnesL school of wlLchcrafL and wlzardry ln Lhe world Seven years Lhere
and he won'L know hlmself Pe'll be wlLh youngsLers of hls own sorL fer a change an' he'll be
under Lhe greaLesL headmasLer PogwarLs ever had Albus uumbled"
l AM nC1 A?lnC lC8 SCML C8ACkC1 CLu lCCL 1C 1LACP PlM MAClC 18lCkS!" yelled
uncle vernon
8uL he had flnally gone Loo far Pagrld selzed hls umbrella and whlrled lL over hls head nLvL8
" he Lhundered lnSuL1 AL8uS uuM8LLuC8L ln l8Cn1 Cl ML!"
Pe broughL Lhe umbrella swlshlng down Lhrough Lhe alr Lo polnL aL uudley Lhere was a flash
of vloleL llghL a sound llke a flrecracker a sharp squeal and Lhe nexL second uudley was
danclng on Lhe spoL wlLh hls hands clasped over hls faL boLLom howllng ln paln When he
Lurned hls back on Lhem Parry saw a curly plg's Lall poklng Lhrough a hole ln hls Lrousers
uncle vernon roared ulllng AunL eLunla and uudley lnLo Lhe oLher room he casL one lasL
Lerrlfled look aL Pagrld and slammed Lhe door behlnd Lhem
Pagrld looked down aL hls umbrella and sLroked hls beard
Shouldn'La losL me Lemper" he sald ruefully buL lL dldn'L work anyway MeanL Ler Lurn hlm
lnLo a plg buL l suppose he was so much llke a plg anyway Lhere wasn'L much lefL Ler do"
Pe casL a sldeways look aL Parry under hls bushy eyebrows
8e graLeful lf yeh dldn'L menLlon LhaL Ler anyone aL PogwarLs" he sald l'm er noL
supposed Ler do maglc sLrlcLly speakln' l was allowed Ler do a blL Ler follow yeh an' geL yer
leLLers Lo yeh an' sLuff one o' Lhe reasons l was so keen Ler Lake on Lhe [ob"
Why aren'L you supposed Lo do maglc?" asked Parry
Ch well l was aL PogwarLs meself buL l er goL expelled Ler Lell yeh Lhe LruLh ln me
Lhlrd year 1hey snapped me wand ln half an' everyLhlng 8uL uumbledore leL me sLay on as
gamekeeper CreaL man uumbledore"
Why were you expelled?"
lL's geLLln' laLe and we've goL loLs Ler do Lomorrow" sald Pagrld loudly CoLLa geL up Ler
Lown geL all yer books an' LhaL"
Pe Look off hls Lhlck black coaL and Lhrew lL Lo Parry
?ou can klp under LhaL" he sald uon' mlnd lf lL wrlggles a blL l Lhlnk l sLlll goL a couple o'
doormlce ln one o' Lhe pockeLs"
CPA1L8 llvL
ulagon Alley
Parry woke early Lhe nexL mornlng AlLhough he could Lell lL was dayllghL he kepL hls eyes shuL
LlghL
lL was a dream he Lold hlmself flrmly l dreamed a glanL called Pagrld came Lo Lell me l was
golng Lo a school for wlzards When l open my eyes l'll be aL home ln my cupboard
1here was suddenly a loud Lapplng nolse
And Lhere's AunL eLunla knocklng on Lhe door Parry LhoughL hls hearL slnklng 8uL he sLlll
dldn'L open hls eyes lL had been such a good dream
1ap 1ap 1ap
All rlghL" Parry mumbled l'm geLLlng up"
Pe saL up and Pagrld's heavy coaL fell off hlm 1he huL was full of sunllghL Lhe sLorm was over
Pagrld hlmself was asleep on Lhe collapsed sofa and Lhere was an owl rapplng lLs claw on Lhe
wlndow a newspaper held ln lLs beak
Parry scrambled Lo hls feeL so happy he felL as Lhough a large balloon was swelllng lnslde hlm
Pe wenL sLralghL Lo Lhe wlndow and [erked lL open 1he owl swooped ln and dropped Lhe
newspaper on Lop of Pagrld who dldn'L wake up 1he owl Lhen fluLLered onLo Lhe floor and
began Lo aLLack Pagrld's coaL
uon'L do LhaL"
Parry Lrled Lo wave Lhe owl ouL of Lhe way buL lL snapped lLs beak flercely aL hlm and carrled
on savaglng Lhe coaL
Pagrld!" sald Parry loudly 1here's an owl "
ay hlm" Pagrld grunLed lnLo Lhe sofa
WhaL?"
Pe wanLs payln' fer dellverln' Lhe paper Look ln Lhe pockeLs"
Pagrld's coaL seemed Lo be made of noLhlng buL pockeLs bunches of keys slug pelleLs balls
of sLrlng peppermlnL humbugs Leabags flnally Parry pulled ouL a handful of sLrangelooklng
colns
Clve hlm flve knuLs" sald Pagrld sleeplly
knuLs?"
1he llLLle bronze ones"
Parry counLed ouL flve llLLle bronze colns and Lhe owl held ouL hls leg so Parry could puL Lhe
money lnLo a small leaLher pouch Lled Lo lL 1hen he flew off Lhrough Lhe open wlndow
Pagrld yawned loudly saL up and sLreLched
8esL be off Parry loLs Ler do Loday goLLa geL up Ler London an' buy all yer sLuff fer school"
Parry was Lurnlng over Lhe wlzard colns and looklng aL Lhem Pe had [usL LhoughL of someLhlng
LhaL made hlm feel as Lhough Lhe happy balloon lnslde hlm had goL a puncLure
um Pagrld?"
Mm?" sald Pagrld who was pulllng on hls huge booLs
l haven'L goL any money and you heard uncle vernon lasL nlghL he won'L pay for me Lo go
and learn maglc"
uon'L worry abouL LhaL" sald Pagrld sLandlng up and scraLchlng hls head u'yeh Lhlnk yer
parenLs dldn'L leave yeh anyLhlng?"
8uL lf Lhelr house was desLroyed "
1hey dldn' keep Lhelr gold ln Lhe house boy! nah flrsL sLop fer us ls CrlngoLLs Wlzards' bank
Pave a sausage Lhey're noL bad cold an' l wouldn' say no Leh a blL o' yer blrLhday cake
nelLher"
Wlzards have banks?"
!usL Lhe one CrlngoLLs 8un by gobllns"
Parry dropped Lhe blL of sausage he was holdlng
Cobllns?"
?eah so yeh'd be mad Ler Lry an' rob lL l'll Lell yeh LhaL never mess wlLh gobllns Parry
CrlngoLLs ls Lhe safesL place ln Lhe world fer anyLhlng yeh wanL Ler keep safe 'cepL maybe
PogwarLs As a maLLer o' facL l goLLa vlslL CrlngoLLs anyway ler uumbledore PogwarLs
buslness" Pagrld drew hlmself up proudly Pe usually geLs me Ler do lmporLanL sLuff fer hlm
leLchln' you geLLln' Lhlngs from CrlngoLLs knows he can LrusL me see"
CoL everyLhln'? Come on Lhen"
Parry followed Pagrld ouL onLo Lhe rock 1he sky was qulLe clear now and Lhe sea gleamed ln
Lhe sunllghL 1he boaL uncle vernon had hlred was sLlll Lhere wlLh a loL of waLer ln Lhe boLLom
afLer Lhe sLorm
Pow dld you geL here?" Parry asked looklng around for anoLher boaL
llew" sald Pagrld
llew?"
?eah buL we'll go back ln Lhls noL s'pposed Ler use maglc now l've goL yeh"
1hey seLLled down ln Lhe boaL Parry sLlll sLarlng aL Pagrld Lrylng Lo lmaglne hlm flylng
Seems a shame Ler row Lhough" sald Pagrld glvlng Parry anoLher of hls sldeways looks lf l
was Ler er speed Lhlngs up a blL would yeh mlnd noL menLlonln' lL aL PogwarLs?"
Cf course noL" sald Parry eager Lo see more maglc Pagrld pulled ouL Lhe plnk umbrella
agaln Lapped lL Lwlce on Lhe slde of Lhe boaL and Lhey sped off Loward land
Why would you be mad Lo Lry and rob CrlngoLLs?" Parry asked
Spells enchanLmenLs" sald Pagrld unfoldlng hls newspaper as he spoke 1hey say Lhere's
dragons guardln' Lhe hlgh securlLy vaulLs And Lhen yeh goLLa flnd yer way CrlngoLLs ls
hundreds of mlles under London see ueep under Lhe underground ?eh'd dle of hunger Lryln'
Ler geL ouL even lf yeh dld manage Ler geL yer hands on summaL"
Parry saL and LhoughL abouL Lhls whlle Pagrld read hls newspaper Lhe ually ropheL Parry
had learned from uncle vernon LhaL people llked Lo be lefL alone whlle Lhey dld Lhls buL lL was
very dlfflculL he'd never had so many quesLlons ln hls llfe
MlnlsLry o' Maglc messln' Lhlngs up as usual" Pagrld muLLered Lurnlng Lhe page
1here's a MlnlsLry of Maglc?" Parry asked before he could sLop hlmself
'Course" sald Pagrld 1hey wanLed uumbledore fer MlnlsLer o' course buL he'd never leave
PogwarLs so old Cornellus ludge goL Lhe [ob 8ungler lf ever Lhere was one So he pelLs
uumbledore wlLh owls every mornlng askln' fer advlce"
8uL whaL does a MlnlsLry of Maglc do?"
Well Lhelr maln [ob ls Lo keep lL from Lhe Muggles LhaL Lhere's sLlll wlLches an' wlzards up an'
down Lhe counLry"
Why?"
Why? 8llmey Parry everyone'd be wanLln' maglc soluLlons Lo Lhelr problems nah we're
besL lefL alone"
AL Lhls momenL Lhe boaL bumped genLly lnLo Lhe harbor wall Pagrld folded up hls newspaper
and Lhey clambered up Lhe sLone sLeps onLo Lhe sLreeL
assersby sLared a loL aL Pagrld as Lhey walked Lhrough Lhe llLLle Lown Lo Lhe sLaLlon Parry
couldn'L blame Lhem noL only was Pagrld Lwlce as Lall as anyone else he kepL polnLlng aL
perfecLly ordlnary Lhlngs llke parklng meLers and saylng loudly See LhaL Parry? 1hlngs Lhese
Muggles dream up eh?"
Pagrld" sald Parry panLlng a blL as he ran Lo keep up dld you say Lhere are dragons aL
CrlngoLLs?"
Well so Lhey say" sald Pagrld Crlkey l'd llke a dragon"
?ou'd llke one?"
WanLed one ever slnce l was a kld here we go"
1hey had reached Lhe sLaLlon 1here was a Lraln Lo London ln flve mlnuLes' Llme Pagrld who
dldn'L undersLand Muggle money" as he called lL gave Lhe bllls Lo Parry so he could buy Lhelr
LlckeLs
eople sLared more Lhan ever on Lhe Lraln Pagrld Look up Lwo seaLs and saL knlLLlng whaL
looked llke a canaryyellow clrcus LenL
SLlll goL yer leLLer Parry?" he asked as he counLed sLlLches
Parry Look Lhe parchmenL envelope ouL of hls pockeL
Cood" sald Pagrld 1here's a llsL Lhere of everyLhlng yeh need"
Parry unfolded a second plece of paper he hadn'L noLlced Lhe nlghL before and read
PCCWA81S SCPCCL of Wl1CPC8Al1 and WlZA8u8?
unllC8M
llrsLyear sLudenLs wlll requlre
1 1hree seLs of plaln work robes (black)
2 Cne plaln polnLed haL (black) for day wear
3 Cne palr of proLecLlve gloves (dragon hlde or slmllar)
4 Cne wlnLer cloak (black sllver fasLenlngs)
lease noLe LhaL all puplls' cloLhes should carry name Lags
CCu8SL 8CCkS
All sLudenLs should have a copy of each of Lhe followlng
1he SLandard 8ook of Spells (Crade 1)by Mlranda Coshawk
A PlsLory of Maglc by 8aLhllda 8agshoL
Maglcal 1heory by AdalberL Waffllng
A 8eglnners' Culde Lo 1ransflguraLlon by Lmerlc SwlLch
Cne 1housand Maglcal Perbs and lungl by hylllda Spore
Maglcal urafLs and oLlons by Arsenlus !lgger
lanLasLlc 8easLs and Where Lo llnd 1hem by newL Scamander
1he uark lorces A Culde Lo SelfroLecLlon by CuenLln 1rlmble
C1PL8 LCulMLn1
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewLer sLandard slze 2)
1 seL of glass or crysLal phlals
1 Lelescope seL
1 brass scales
SLudenLs may also brlng an owl C8 a caL C8 a Load
A8Ln1S A8L 8LMlnuLu 1PA1 ll8S1 ?LA8S A8L nC1 ALLCWLu 1PLl8 CWn 88CCMS1lCkS
Can we buy all Lhls ln London?" Parry wondered aloud
lf yeh know where Lo go" sald Pagrld
Parry had never been Lo London before AlLhough Pagrld seemed Lo know where he was
golng
he was obvlously noL used Lo geLLlng Lhere ln an ordlnary way Pe goL sLuck ln Lhe LlckeL barrler
on Lhe underground and complalned loudly LhaL Lhe seaLs were Loo small and Lhe Lralns Loo
slow
l don'L know how Lhe Muggles manage wlLhouL maglc" he sald as Lhey cllmbed a broken
down escalaLor LhaL led up Lo a busLllng road llned wlLh shops
Pagrld was so huge LhaL he parLed Lhe crowd easlly all Parry had Lo do was keep close behlnd
hlm 1hey passed book shops and muslc sLores hamburger resLauranLs and clnemas buL
nowhere LhaL looked as lf lL could sell you a maglc wand 1hls was [usL an ordlnary sLreeL full of
ordlnary people Could Lhere really be plles of wlzard gold burled mlles beneaLh Lhem? Were
Lhere really shops LhaL sold spell books and broomsLlcks? MlghL Lhls noL all be some huge [oke
LhaL Lhe uursleys had cooked up? lf Parry hadn'L known LhaL Lhe uursleys had no sense of
humor he mlghL have LhoughL so yeL somehow even Lhough everyLhlng Pagrld had Lold hlm
so far was unbellevable Parry couldn'L help LrusLlng hlm
1hls ls lL" sald Pagrld comlng Lo a halL Lhe Leaky Cauldron lL's a famous place"
lL was a Llny grubbylooklng pub lf Pagrld hadn'L polnLed lL ouL Parry wouldn'L have noLlced
lL was Lhere 1he people hurrylng by dldn'L glance aL lL 1helr eyes slld from Lhe blg book shop
on one slde Lo Lhe record shop on Lhe oLher as lf Lhey couldn'L see Lhe Leaky Cauldron aL all ln
facL Parry had Lhe mosL pecullar feellng LhaL only he and Pagrld could see lL 8efore he could
menLlon Lhls Pagrld had sLeered hlm lnslde
lor a famous place lL was very dark and shabby A few old women were slLLlng ln a corner
drlnklng Llny glasses of sherry Cne of Lhem was smoklng a long plpe A llLLle man ln a Lop haL
was Lalklng Lo Lhe old barLender who was qulLe bald and looked llke a LooLhless walnuL 1he
low buzz of chaLLer sLopped when Lhey walked ln Lveryone seemed Lo know Pagrld Lhey
waved and smlled aL hlm and Lhe barLender reached for a glass saylng 1he usual Pagrld?"
Can'L 1om l'm on PogwarLs buslness" sald Pagrld clapplng hls greaL hand on Parry's
shoulder and maklng Parry's knees buckle
Cood Lord" sald Lhe barLender peerlng aL Parry ls Lhls can Lhls be ?"
1he Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone compleLely sLlll and sllenL
8less my soul" whlspered Lhe old barLender Parry oLLer whaL an honor"
Pe hurrled ouL from behlnd Lhe bar rushed Loward Parry and selzed hls hand Lears ln hls
eyes
Welcome back Mr oLLer welcome back"
Parry dldn'L know whaL Lo say Lveryone was looklng aL hlm 1he old woman wlLh Lhe plpe was
pufflng on lL wlLhouL reallzlng lL had gone ouL Pagrld was beamlng
1hen Lhere was a greaL scraplng of chalrs and Lhe nexL momenL Parry found hlmself shaklng
hands wlLh everyone ln Lhe Leaky Cauldron
uorls Crockford Mr oLLer can'L belleve l'm meeLlng you aL lasL"
So proud Mr oLLer l'm [usL so proud"
Always wanLed Lo shake your hand l'm all of a fluLLer"
uellghLed Mr oLLer [usL can'L Lell you ulggle's Lhe name uedalus ulggle"
l've seen you before!" sald Parry as uedalus ulggle's Lop haL fell off ln hls exclLemenL ?ou
bowed Lo me once ln a shop"
Pe remembers!" crled uedalus ulggle looklng around aL everyone uld you hear LhaL? Pe
remembers me!" Parry shook hands agaln and agaln uorls Crockford kepL comlng back for
more
A pale young man made hls way forward very nervously Cne of hls eyes was LwlLchlng
rofessor Culrrell!" sald Pagrld Parry rofessor Culrrell wlll be one of your Leachers aL
PogwarLs"
oLLer" sLammered rofessor Culrrell grasplng Parry's hand ccan'L LLell you how p
pleased l am Lo meeL you"
WhaL sorL of maglc do you Leach rofessor Culrrell?"
uuefense AgalnsL Lhe uuuark ArLs" muLLered rofessor Culrrell as Lhough he'd raLher noL
Lhlnk abouL lL nnoL LhaL you nneed lL eh oLLer?" Pe laughed nervously ?ou'll be g
geLLlng all your equlpmenL l suppose? l've ggoL Lo pplck up a new bbook on vamplres m
myself" Pe looked Lerrlfled aL Lhe very LhoughL
8uL Lhe oLhers wouldn'L leL rofessor Culrrell keep Parry Lo hlmself lL Look almosL Len mlnuLes
Lo geL away from Lhem all AL lasL Pagrld managed Lo make hlmself heard over Lhe babble
MusL geL on loLs Ler buy Come on Parry"
uorls Crockford shook Parry's hand one lasL Llme and Pagrld led Lhem Lhrough Lhe bar and
ouL lnLo a small walled courLyard where Lhere was noLhlng buL a Lrash can and a few weeds
Pagrld grlnned aL Parry
1old yeh dldn'L l? 1old yeh you was famous Lven rofessor Culrrell was Lremblln' Ler meeL
yeh mlnd you he's usually Lremblln'"
ls he always LhaL nervous?"
Ch yeah oor bloke 8rllllanL mlnd Pe was flne whlle he was sLudyln' ouLLa books buL Lhen
he Look a year off Ler geL some flrsLhand experlence 1hey say he meL vamplres ln Lhe 8lack
loresL and Lhere was a nasLy blL o' Lrouble wlLh a hag never been Lhe same slnce Scared of
Lhe sLudenLs scared of hls own sub[ecL now where's me umbrella?"
vamplres? Pags? Parry's head was swlmmlng Pagrld meanwhlle was counLlng brlcks ln Lhe
wall above Lhe Lrash can
1hree up Lwo across" he muLLered 8lghL sLand back Parry"
Pe Lapped Lhe wall Lhree Llmes wlLh Lhe polnL of hls umbrella
1he brlck he had Louched qulvered lL wrlggled ln Lhe mlddle a small hole appeared lL
grew wlder and wlder a second laLer Lhey were faclng an archway large enough even for
Pagrld an archway onLo a cobbled sLreeL LhaL LwlsLed and Lurned ouL of slghL
Welcome" sald Pagrld Lo ulagon Alley"
Pe grlnned aL Parry's amazemenL 1hey sLepped Lhrough Lhe archway Parry looked qulckly
over hls shoulder and saw Lhe archway shrlnk lnsLanLly back lnLo solld wall
1he sun shone brlghLly on a sLack of cauldrons ouLslde Lhe nearesL shop Cauldrons All Slzes
Copper 8rass ewLer Sllver SelfSLlrrlng Collapslble sald a slgn hanglng over Lhem
?eah you'll be needln' one" sald Pagrld buL we goLLa geL yer money flrsL"
Parry wlshed he had abouL elghL more eyes Pe Lurned hls head ln every dlrecLlon as Lhey
walked up Lhe sLreeL Lrylng Lo look aL everyLhlng aL once Lhe shops Lhe Lhlngs ouLslde Lhem
Lhe people dolng Lhelr shopplng A plump woman ouLslde an ApoLhecary was shaklng her head
as Lhey passed saylng uragon llver slxLeen Slckles an ounce Lhey're mad"
A low sofL hooLlng came from a dark shop wlLh a slgn saylng Leylops Cwl Lmporlum 1awny
Screech 8arn 8rown and Snowy Several boys of abouL Parry's age had Lhelr noses pressed
agalnsL a wlndow wlLh broomsLlcks ln lL Look" Parry heard one of Lhem say Lhe new
nlmbus 1wo 1housand fasLesL ever " 1here were shops selllng robes shops selllng
Lelescopes and sLrange sllver lnsLrumenLs Parry had never seen before wlndows sLacked wlLh
barrels of baL spleens and eels' eyes LoLLerlng plles of spell books qullls and rolls of
parchmenL poLlon boLLles globes of Lhe moon
CrlngoLLs" sald Pagrld
1hey had reached a snowy whlLe bulldlng LhaL Lowered over Lhe oLher llLLle shops SLandlng
beslde lLs burnlshed bronze doors wearlng a unlform of scarleL and gold was
?eah LhaL's a goblln" sald Pagrld quleLly as Lhey walked up Lhe whlLe sLone sLeps Loward
hlm 1he goblln was abouL a head shorLer Lhan Parry Pe had a swarLhy clever face a polnLed
beard
and Parry noLlced very long flngers and feeL Pe bowed as Lhey walked lnslde now Lhey were
faclng a second palr of doors sllver Lhls Llme wlLh words engraved upon Lhem
LnLer sLranger buL Lake heed
Cf whaL awalLs Lhe sln of greed
lor Lhose who Lake buL do noL earn
MusL pay mosL dearly ln Lhelr Lurn
So lf you seek beneaLh our floors
A Lreasure LhaL was never yours
1hlef you have been warned beware
Cf flndlng more Lhan Lreasure Lhere
Llke l sald ?eh'd be mad Ler Lry an' rob lL" sald Pagrld
A palr of gobllns bowed Lhem Lhrough Lhe sllver doors and Lhey were ln a vasL marble hall
AbouL a hundred more gobllns were slLLlng on hlgh sLools behlnd a long counLer scrlbbllng ln
large ledgers welghlng colns ln brass scales examlnlng preclous sLones Lhrough eyeglasses
1here were Loo many doors Lo counL leadlng off Lhe hall and yeL more gobllns were showlng
people ln and ouL of Lhese Pagrld and Parry made for Lhe counLer
Mornlng" sald Pagrld Lo a free goblln We've come Ler Lake some money ouLLa Mr Parry
oLLer's safe"
?ou have hls key slr?"
CoL lL here somewhere" sald Pagrld and he sLarLed empLylng hls pockeLs onLo Lhe counLer
scaLLerlng a handful of moldy dog blsculLs over Lhe goblln's book of numbers 1he goblln
wrlnkled hls nose Parry waLched Lhe goblln on Lhelr rlghL welghlng a plle of rubles as blg as
glowlng coals
CoL lL" sald Pagrld aL lasL holdlng up a Llny golden key
1he goblln looked aL lL closely
1haL seems Lo be ln order"
An' l've also goL a leLLer here from rofessor uumbledore" sald Pagrld lmporLanLly Lhrowlng
ouL hls chesL lL's abouL Lhe ?ouknowWhaL ln vaulL seven hundred and LhlrLeen"
1he goblln read Lhe leLLer carefully
very well" he sald handlng lL back Lo Pagrld l wlll have someone Lake you down Lo boLh
vaulLs Crlphook!"
Crlphook was yeL anoLher goblln Cnce Pagrld had crammed all Lhe dog blsculLs back lnslde hls
pockeLs he and Parry followed Crlphook Loward one of Lhe doors leadlng off Lhe hall
WhaL's Lhe ?ouknowWhaL ln vaulL seven hundred and LhlrLeen?" Parry asked
Can'L Lell yeh LhaL" sald Pagrld mysLerlously very secreL PogwarLs buslness uumbledore's
LrusLed me More'n my [ob's worLh Ler Lell yeh LhaL"
Crlphook held Lhe door open for Lhem Parry who had expecLed more marble was surprlsed
1hey were ln a narrow sLone passageway llL wlLh flamlng Lorches lL sloped sLeeply downward
and Lhere were llLLle rallway Lracks on Lhe floor Crlphook whlsLled and a small carL came
hurLllng up Lhe Lracks Loward Lhem 1hey cllmbed ln Pagrld wlLh some dlfflculLy and were
off
AL flrsL Lhey [usL hurLled Lhrough a maze of LwlsLlng passages Parry Lrled Lo remember lefL
rlghL rlghL lefL mlddle fork rlghL lefL buL lL was lmposslble 1he raLLllng carL seemed Lo know
lLs own way because Crlphook wasn'L sLeerlng
Parry's eyes sLung as Lhe cold alr rushed pasL Lhem buL he kepL Lhem wlde open Cnce he
LhoughL he saw a bursL of flre aL Lhe end of a passage and LwlsLed around Lo see lf lL was a
dragon buL Loo laLe Lhey plunged even deeper passlng an underground lake where huge
sLalacLlLes and sLalagmlLes grew from Lhe celllng and floor
l never know" Parry called Lo Pagrld over Lhe nolse of Lhe carL whaL's Lhe dlfference
beLween a sLalagmlLe and a sLalacLlLe?"
SLalagmlLe's goL an 'm' ln lL" sald Pagrld An' don' ask me quesLlons [usL now l Lhlnk l'm
gonna be slck"
Pe dld look very green and when Lhe carL sLopped aL lasL beslde a small door ln Lhe passage
wall Pagrld goL ouL and had Lo lean agalnsL Lhe wall Lo sLop hls knees from Lrembllng
Crlphook unlocked Lhe door A loL of green smoke came blllowlng ouL and as lL cleared Parry
gasped lnslde were mounds of gold colns Columns of sllver Peaps of llLLle bronze knuLs
All yours" smlled Pagrld
All Parry's lL was lncredlble 1he uursleys couldn'L have known abouL Lhls or Lhey'd have
had lL from hlm fasLer Lhan bllnklng Pow ofLen had Lhey complalned how much Parry cosL
Lhem Lo keep? And all Lhe Llme Lhere had been a small forLune belonglng Lo hlm burled deep
under London
Pagrld helped Parry plle some of lL lnLo a bag
1he gold ones are Calleons" he explalned SevenLeen sllver Slckles Lo a Calleon and LwenLy
nlne knuLs Lo a Slckle lL's easy enough 8lghL LhaL should be enough fer a couple o' Lerms
we'll keep Lhe resL safe for yeh" Pe Lurned Lo Crlphook vaulL seven hundred and LhlrLeen
now please and can we go more slowly?"
Cne speed only" sald Crlphook
1hey were golng even deeper now and gaLherlng speed 1he alr became colder and colder as
Lhey hurLled round LlghL corners 1hey wenL raLLllng over an underground ravlne and Parry
leaned over Lhe slde Lo Lry Lo see whaL was down aL Lhe dark boLLom buL Pagrld groaned and
pulled hlm back by Lhe scruff of hls neck
vaulL seven hundred and LhlrLeen had no keyhole
SLand back" sald Crlphook lmporLanLly Pe sLroked Lhe door genLly wlLh one of hls long
flngers and lL slmply melLed away
lf anyone buL a CrlngoLLs goblln Lrled LhaL Lhey'd be sucked Lhrough Lhe door and Lrapped ln
Lhere" sald Crlphook
Pow ofLen do you check Lo see lf anyone's lnslde?" Parry asked
AbouL once every Len years" sald Crlphook wlLh a raLher nasLy grln
SomeLhlng really exLraordlnary had Lo be lnslde Lhls Lop securlLy vaulL Parry was sure and he
leaned forward eagerly expecLlng Lo see fabulous [ewels aL Lhe very leasL buL aL flrsL he
LhoughL lL was empLy 1hen he noLlced a grubby llLLle package wrapped up ln brown paper
lylng on Lhe floor Pagrld plcked lL up and Lucked lL deep lnslde hls coaL Parry longed Lo know
whaL lL was buL knew beLLer Lhan Lo ask
Come on back ln Lhls lnfernal carL and don'L Lalk Lo me on Lhe way back lL's besL lf l keep me
mouLh shuL" sald Pagrld
Cne wlld carL rlde laLer Lhey sLood bllnklng ln Lhe sunllghL ouLslde CrlngoLLs Parry dldn'L know
where Lo run flrsL now LhaL he had a bag full of money Pe dldn'L have Lo know how many
Calleons Lhere were Lo a pound Lo know LhaL he was holdlng more money Lhan he'd had ln hls
whole llfe more money Lhan even uudley had ever had
MlghL as well geL yer unlform" sald Pagrld noddlng Loward Madam Malkln's 8obes for All
Cccaslons LlsLen Parry would yeh mlnd lf l sllpped off fer a plckmeup ln Lhe Leaky
Cauldron? l haLe Lhem CrlngoLLs carLs" Pe dld sLlll look a blL slck so Parry enLered Madam
Malkln's shop alone feellng nervous
Madam Malkln was a squaL smlllng wlLch dressed all ln mauve
PogwarLs dear?" she sald when Parry sLarLed Lo speak CoL Lhe loL here anoLher young
man belng flLLed up [usL now ln facL"
ln Lhe back of Lhe shop a boy wlLh a pale polnLed face was sLandlng on a fooLsLool whlle a
second wlLch plnned up hls long black robes Madam Malkln sLood Parry on a sLool nexL Lo hlm
sllpped a long robe over hls head and began Lo pln lL Lo Lhe rlghL lengLh
Pello" sald Lhe boy PogwarLs Loo?"
?es" sald Parry
My faLher's nexL door buylng my books and moLher's up Lhe sLreeL looklng aL wands" sald
Lhe boy Pe had a bored drawllng volce 1hen l'm golng Lo drag Lhem off Lo look aL raclng
brooms l don'L see why flrsL years can'L have Lhelr own l Lhlnk l'll bully faLher lnLo geLLlng me
one and l'll smuggle lL ln somehow"
Parry was sLrongly remlnded of uudley
Pave you goL your own broom?" Lhe boy wenL on
no" sald Parry
lay CulddlLch aL all?"
no" Parry sald agaln wonderlng whaL on earLh CulddlLch could be
l do laLher says lL's a crlme lf l'm noL plcked Lo play for my house and l musL say l agree
know whaL house you'll be ln yeL?"
no" sald Parry feellng more sLupld by Lhe mlnuLe
Well no one really knows unLll Lhey geL Lhere do Lhey buL l know l'll be ln SlyLherln all our
famlly have been lmaglne belng ln Pufflepuff l Lhlnk l'd leave wouldn'L you?"
Mmm" sald Parry wlshlng he could say someLhlng a blL more lnLeresLlng
l say look aL LhaL man!" sald Lhe boy suddenly noddlng Loward Lhe fronL wlndow Pagrld was
sLandlng Lhere grlnnlng aL Parry and polnLlng aL Lwo large lce creams Lo show he couldn'L
come ln
1haL's Pagrld" sald Parry pleased Lo know someLhlng Lhe boy dldn'L Pe works aL
PogwarLs"
Ch" sald Lhe boy l've heard of hlm Pe's a sorL of servanL lsn'L he?"
Pe's Lhe gamekeeper" sald Parry Pe was llklng Lhe boy less and less every second
?es exacLly l heard he's a sorL of savage llves ln a huL on Lhe school grounds and every
now and Lhen he geLs drunk Lrles Lo do maglc and ends up seLLlng flre Lo hls bed"
l Lhlnk he's brllllanL" sald Parry coldly
uo you?" sald Lhe boy wlLh a sllghL sneer Why ls he wlLh you? Where are your parenLs?"
1hey're dead" sald Parry shorLly Pe dldn'L feel much llke golng lnLo Lhe maLLer wlLh Lhls boy
Ch sorry" sald Lhe oLher noL soundlng sorry aL all 8uL Lhey were our klnd weren'L Lhey?"
1hey were a wlLch and wlzard lf LhaL's whaL you mean"
l really don'L Lhlnk Lhey should leL Lhe oLher sorL ln do you? 1hey're [usL noL Lhe same
Lhey've never been broughL up Lo know our ways Some of Lhem have never even heard of
PogwarLs unLll Lhey geL Lhe leLLer lmaglne l Lhlnk Lhey should keep lL ln Lhe old wlzardlng
famllles WhaL's your surname anyway?"
8uL before Parry could answer Madam Malkln sald 1haL's you done my dear" and Parry
noL sorry for an excuse Lo sLop Lalklng Lo Lhe boy hopped down from Lhe fooLsLool
Well l'll see you aL PogwarLs l suppose" sald Lhe drawllng boy
Parry was raLher quleL as he aLe Lhe lce cream Pagrld had boughL hlm (chocolaLe and
raspberry wlLh chopped nuLs)
WhaL's up?" sald Pagrld
noLhlng" Parry lled 1hey sLopped Lo buy parchmenL and qullls Parry cheered up a blL when
he found a boLLle of lnk LhaL changed color as you wroLe When Lhey had lefL Lhe shop he sald
Pagrld whaL's CulddlLch?"
8llmey Parry l keep forgeLLln' how llLLle yeh know noL knowln' abouL CulddlLch!"
uon'L make me feel worse" sald Parry Pe Lold Pagrld abouL Lhe pale boy ln Madam Malkln's
and he sald people from Muggle famllles shouldn'L even be allowed ln "
?er noL from a Muggle famlly lf he'd known who yeh were he's grown up knowln' yer
name lf hls parenLs are wlzardln' folk ?ou saw whaL everyone ln Lhe Leaky Cauldron was llke
when Lhey saw yeh Anyway whaL does he know abouL lL some o' Lhe besL l ever saw were
Lhe only ones wlLh maglc ln 'em ln a long llne o' Muggles look aL yer mum! Look whaL she
had fer a slsLer!"
So whaL ls CulddlLch?"
lL's our sporL Wlzard sporL lL's llke llke soccer ln Lhe Muggle world everyone follows
CulddlLch played up ln Lhe alr on broomsLlcks and Lhere's four balls sorLa hard Ler explaln
Lhe rules"
And whaL are SlyLherln and Pufflepuff?"
School houses 1here's four Lveryone says Pufflepuff are a loL o' duffers buL "
l beL l'm ln Pufflepuff" sald Parry gloomlly
8eLLer Pufflepuff Lhan SlyLherln" sald Pagrld darkly 1here's noL a slngle wlLch or wlzard
who wenL bad who wasn'L ln SlyLherln ?ouknowWho was one"
vol sorry ?ouknowWho was aL PogwarLs?"
?ears an' years ago" sald Pagrld
1hey boughL Parry's school books ln a shop called llourlsh and 8loLLs where Lhe shelves were
sLacked Lo Lhe celllng wlLh books as large as pavlng sLones bound ln leaLher books Lhe slze of
posLage sLamps ln covers of sllk books full of pecullar symbols and a few books wlLh noLhlng ln
Lhem aL all Lven uudley who never read anyLhlng would have been wlld Lo geL hls hands on
some of Lhese Pagrld almosL had Lo drag Parry away from Curses and CounLercurses (8ewlLch
?our lrlends and 8efuddle ?our Lnemles wlLh Lhe LaLesL 8evenges Palr Loss !ellyLegs
1ongue1ylng and Much Much More) by rofessor vlndlcLus vlrldlan
l was Lrylng Lo flnd ouL how Lo curse uudley"
l'm noL sayln' LhaL's noL a good ldea buL yer noL Ler use maglc ln Lhe Muggle world excepL ln
very speclal clrcumsLances" sald Pagrld An' anyway yeh couldn' work any of Lhem curses
yeL yeh'll need a loL more sLudy before yeh geL Ler LhaL level"
Pagrld wouldn'L leL Parry buy a solld gold cauldron elLher (lL says pewLer on yer llsL") buL
Lhey goL a nlce seL of scales for welghlng poLlon lngredlenLs and a collapslble brass Lelescope
1hen Lhey vlslLed Lhe ApoLhecary whlch was fasclnaLlng enough Lo make up for lLs horrlble
smell a mlxLure of bad eggs and roLLed cabbages 8arrels of sllmy sLuff sLood on Lhe floor [ars
of herbs drled rooLs and brlghL powders llned Lhe walls bundles of feaLhers sLrlngs of fangs
and snarled claws hung from Lhe celllng Whlle Pagrld asked Lhe man behlnd Lhe counLer for a
supply of some baslc poLlon lngredlenLs for Parry Parry hlmself examlned sllver unlcorn horns
aL LwenLyone Calleons each and mlnuscule gllLLeryblack beeLle eyes (flve knuLs a scoop)
CuLslde Lhe ApoLhecary Pagrld checked Parry's llsL agaln
!usL yer wand lefL A yeah an' l sLlll haven'L goL yeh a blrLhday presenL"
Parry felL hlmself go red
?ou don'L have Lo "
l know l don'L have Lo 1ell yeh whaL l'll geL yer anlmal noL a Load Loads wenL ouLLa fashlon
years ago yeh'd be laughed aL an' l don' llke caLs Lhey make me sneeze l'll geL yer an owl
All Lhe klds wanL owls Lhey're dead useful carry yer mall an' everyLhln'"
1wenLy mlnuLes laLer Lhey lefL Leylops Cwl Lmporlum whlch had been dark and full of
rusLllng and fllckerlng [ewelbrlghL eyes Parry now carrled a large cage LhaL held a beauLlful
snowy owl fasL asleep wlLh her head under her wlng Pe couldn'L sLop sLammerlng hls Lhanks
soundlng [usL llke rofessor Culrrell
uon' menLlon lL" sald Pagrld gruffly uon' expecL you've had a loLLa presenLs from Lhem
uursleys !usL Clllvanders lefL now only place fer wands Clllvanders and yeh goLLa have Lhe
besL wand"
A maglc wand Lhls was whaL Parry had been really looklng forward Lo
1he lasL shop was narrow and shabby eellng gold leLLers over Lhe door read Clllvanders
Makers of llne Wands slnce 382 8C A slngle wand lay on a faded purple cushlon ln Lhe dusLy
wlndow
A Llnkllng bell rang somewhere ln Lhe depLhs of Lhe shop as Lhey sLepped lnslde lL was a Llny
place empLy excepL for a slngle splndly chalr LhaL Pagrld saL on Lo walL Parry felL sLrangely as
Lhough he had enLered a very sLrlcL llbrary he swallowed a loL of new quesLlons LhaL had [usL
occurred Lo hlm and looked lnsLead aL Lhe Lhousands of narrow boxes plled neaLly rlghL up Lo
Lhe celllng lor some reason Lhe back of hls neck prlckled 1he very dusL and sllence ln here
seemed Lo Llngle wlLh some secreL maglc
Cood afLernoon" sald a sofL volce Parry [umped Pagrld musL have [umped Loo because
Lhere was a loud crunchlng nolse and he goL qulckly off Lhe splndly chalr
An old man was sLandlng before Lhem hls wlde pale eyes shlnlng llke moons Lhrough Lhe
gloom of Lhe shop
Pello" sald Parry awkwardly
Ah yes" sald Lhe man ?es yes l LhoughL l'd be seelng you soon Parry oLLer" lL wasn'L a
quesLlon ?ou have your moLher's eyes lL seems only yesLerday she was ln here herself
buylng her flrsL wand 1en and a quarLer lnches long swlshy made of wlllow nlce wand for
charm work"
Mr Clllvander moved closer Lo Parry Parry wlshed he would bllnk 1hose sllvery eyes were a
blL creepy
?our faLher on Lhe oLher hand favored a mahogany wand Lleven lnches llable A llLLle
more power and excellenL for LransflguraLlon Well l say your faLher favored lL lL's really Lhe
wand
LhaL chooses Lhe wlzard of course"
Mr Clllvander had come so close LhaL he and Parry were almosL nose Lo nose Parry could see
hlmself reflecLed ln Lhose mlsLy eyes
And LhaL's where"
Mr Clllvander Louched Lhe llghLnlng scar on Parry's forehead wlLh a long whlLe flnger
l'm sorry Lo say l sold Lhe wand LhaL dld lL" he sald sofLly 1hlrLeenandahalf lnches ?ew
owerful wand very powerful and ln Lhe wrong hands well lf l'd known whaL LhaL wand was
golng ouL lnLo Lhe world Lo do"
Pe shook hls head and Lhen Lo Parry's rellef spoLLed Pagrld
8ubeus! 8ubeus Pagrld! Pow nlce Lo see you agaln Cak slxLeen lnches raLher bendy
wasn'L lL?"
lL was slr yes" sald Pagrld
Cood wand LhaL one 8uL l suppose Lhey snapped lL ln half when you goL expelled?" sald Mr
Clllvander suddenly sLern
Lr yes Lhey dld yes" sald Pagrld shuffllng hls feeL l've sLlll goL Lhe pleces Lhough" he
added brlghLly
8uL you don'L use Lhem?" sald Mr Clllvander sharply
Ch no slr" sald Pagrld qulckly Parry noLlced he grlpped hls plnk umbrella very LlghLly as he
spoke
Pmmm" sald Mr Clllvander glvlng Pagrld a plerclng look Well now Mr oLLer LeL me
see" Pe pulled a long Lape measure wlLh sllver marklngs ouL of hls pockeL Whlch ls your
wand arm?"
Lr well l'm rlghLhanded" sald Parry
Pold ouL your arm 1haL's lL" Pe measured Parry from shoulder Lo flnger Lhen wrlsL Lo
elbow shoulder Lo floor knee Lo armplL and round hls head As he measured he sald Lvery
Clllvander wand has a core of a powerful maglcal subsLance Mr oLLer We use unlcorn halrs
phoenlx Lall feaLhers and Lhe hearLsLrlngs of dragons no Lwo Clllvander wands are Lhe same
[usL as no Lwo unlcorns dragons or phoenlxes are qulLe Lhe same And of course you wlll
never geL such good resulLs wlLh anoLher wlzard's wand"
Parry suddenly reallzed LhaL Lhe Lape measure whlch was measurlng beLween hls nosLrlls was
dolng Lhls on lLs own Mr Clllvander was fllLLlng around Lhe shelves Laklng down boxes
1haL wlll do" he sald and Lhe Lape measure crumpled lnLo a heap on Lhe floor 8lghL Lhen
Mr oLLer 1ry Lhls one 8eechwood and dragon hearLsLrlng nlne lnches nlce and flexlble
[usL Lake lL and glve lL a wave"
Parry Look Lhe wand and (feellng foollsh) waved lL around a blL buL Mr Clllvander snaLched lL
ouL of hls hand almosL aL once
Maple and phoenlx feaLher Seven lnches CulLe whlppy 1ry "
Parry Lrled buL he had hardly ralsed Lhe wand when lL Loo was snaLched back by Mr
Clllvander
no no here ebony and unlcorn halr elghL and a half lnches sprlngy Co on go on Lry lL
ouL"
Parry Lrled And Lrled Pe had no ldea whaL Mr Clllvander was walLlng for 1he plle of Lrled
wands was mounLlng hlgher and hlgher on Lhe splndly chalr buL Lhe more wands Mr
Clllvander pulled from Lhe shelves Lhe happler he seemed Lo become
1rlcky cusLomer eh? noL Lo worry we'll flnd Lhe perfecL maLch here somewhere l wonder
now yes why noL unusual comblnaLlon holly and phoenlx feaLher eleven lnches nlce
and supple"
Parry Look Lhe wand Pe felL a sudden warmLh ln hls flngers Pe ralsed Lhe wand above hls
head broughL lL swlshlng down Lhrough Lhe dusLy alr and a sLream of red and gold sparks shoL
from Lhe end llke a flrework Lhrowlng danclng spoLs of llghL on Lo Lhe walls Pagrld whooped
and clapped and Mr Clllvander crled Ch bravo! ?es lndeed oh very good Well well well
how curlous how very curlous"
Pe puL Parry's wand back lnLo lLs box and wrapped lL ln brown paper sLlll muLLerlng
Curlous curlous"
Sorry" sald Parry buL whaL's curlous?"
Mr Clllvander flxed Parry wlLh hls pale sLare
l remember every wand l've ever sold Mr oLLer Lvery slngle wand lL so happens LhaL Lhe
phoenlx whose Lall feaLher ls ln your wand gave anoLher feaLher [usL one oLher lL ls very
curlous lndeed LhaL you should be desLlned for Lhls wand when lLs broLher why lLs broLher
gave you LhaL scar"
Parry swallowed
?es LhlrLeenandahalf lnches ?ew Curlous lndeed how Lhese Lhlngs happen 1he wand
chooses Lhe wlzard remember l Lhlnk we musL expecL greaL Lhlngs from you Mr oLLer
AfLer all PeWhoMusLnoL8enamed dld greaL Lhlngs Lerrlble yes buL greaL"
Parry shlvered Pe wasn'L sure he llked Mr Clllvander Loo much Pe pald seven gold Calleons
for hls wand and Mr Clllvander bowed Lhem from hls shop
1he laLe afLernoon sun hung low ln Lhe sky as Parry and Pagrld made Lhelr way back down
ulagon Alley back Lhrough Lhe wall back Lhrough Lhe Leaky Cauldron now empLy Parry
dldn'L speak aL all as Lhey walked down Lhe road he dldn'L even noLlce how much people were
gawklng aL Lhem on Lhe underground laden as Lhey were wlLh all Lhelr funnyshaped
packages wlLh Lhe snowy owl asleep ln lLs cage on Parry's lap up anoLher escalaLor ouL lnLo
addlngLon sLaLlon Parry only reallzed where Lhey were when Pagrld Lapped hlm on Lhe
shoulder
CoL Llme fer a blLe Lo eaL before yer Lraln leaves" he sald
Pe boughL Parry a hamburger and Lhey saL down on plasLlc seaLs Lo eaL Lhem Parry kepL
looklng around LveryLhlng looked so sLrange somehow
?ou all rlghL Parry? ?er very quleL" sald Pagrld
Parry wasn'L sure he could explaln Pe'd [usL had Lhe besL blrLhday of hls llfe and yeL he
chewed hls hamburger Lrylng Lo flnd Lhe words
Lveryone Lhlnks l'm speclal" he sald aL lasL All Lhose people ln Lhe Leaky Cauldron
rofessor Culrrell Mr Clllvander buL l don'L know anyLhlng abouL maglc aL all Pow can Lhey
expecL greaL Lhlngs? l'm famous and l can'L even remember whaL l'm famous for l don'L know
whaL happened when vol sorry l mean Lhe nlghL my parenLs dled"
Pagrld leaned across Lhe Lable 8ehlnd Lhe wlld beard and eyebrows he wore a very klnd smlle
uon' you worry Parry ?ou'll learn fasL enough Lveryone sLarLs aL Lhe beglnnlng aL PogwarLs
you'll be [usL flne !usL be yerself l know lL's hard ?eh've been slngled ouL an' LhaL's always
hard 8uL yeh'll have a greaL Llme aL PogwarLs l dld sLlll do 'smaLLer of facL"
Pagrld helped Parry on Lo Lhe Lraln LhaL would Lake hlm back Lo Lhe uursleys Lhen handed hlm
an envelope
?er LlckeL fer PogwarLs he sald llrsL o' SepLember klng's Cross lL's all on yer LlckeL
Any problems wlLh Lhe uursleys send me a leLLer wlLh yer owl she'll know where Lo flnd me
See yeh soon Parry"
1he Lraln pulled ouL of Lhe sLaLlon Parry wanLed Lo waLch Pagrld unLll he was ouL of slghL he
rose ln hls seaL and pressed hls nose agalnsL Lhe wlndow buL he bllnked and Pagrld had gone
CPA1L8 Slx
1he !ourney lrom laLform nlne and 1hreeCuarLers
Parry's lasL monLh wlLh Lhe uursleys wasn'L fun 1rue uudley was now so scared of Parry he
wouldn'L sLay ln Lhe same room whlle AunL eLunla and uncle vernon dldn'L shuL Parry ln hls
cupboard force hlm Lo do anyLhlng or shouL aL hlm ln facL Lhey dldn'L speak Lo hlm aL all
Palf Lerrlfled half furlous Lhey acLed as Lhough any chalr wlLh Parry ln lL were empLy
AlLhough Lhls was an lmprovemenL ln many ways lL dld become a blL depresslng afLer a whlle
Parry kepL Lo hls room wlLh hls new owl for company Pe had declded Lo call her Pedwlg a
name he had found ln A PlsLory of Maglc Pls school books were very lnLeresLlng Pe lay on hls
bed readlng laLe lnLo Lhe nlghL Pedwlg swooplng ln and ouL of Lhe open wlndow as she
pleased lL was lucky LhaL AunL eLunla dldn'L come ln Lo vacuum anymore because Pedwlg
kepL brlnglng back dead mlce Lvery nlghL before he wenL Lo sleep Parry Llcked off anoLher
day on Lhe plece of paper he had plnned Lo Lhe wall counLlng down Lo SepLember Lhe flrsL
Cn Lhe lasL day of AugusL he LhoughL he'd beLLer speak Lo hls aunL and uncle abouL geLLlng Lo
klng's Cross sLaLlon Lhe nexL day so he wenL down Lo Lhe llvlng room where Lhey were
waLchlng a qulz show on Lelevlslon Pe cleared hls LhroaL Lo leL Lhem know he was Lhere and
uudley screamed and ran from Lhe room
Lr uncle vernon?"
uncle vernon grunLed Lo show he was llsLenlng
Lr l need Lo be aL klng's Cross Lomorrow Lo Lo go Lo PogwarLs"
uncle vernon grunLed agaln
Would lL be all rlghL lf you gave me a llfL?"
CrunL Parry supposed LhaL meanL yes
1hank you"
Pe was abouL Lo go back upsLalrs when uncle vernon acLually spoke
lunny way Lo geL Lo a wlzards' school Lhe Lraln Maglc carpeLs all goL puncLures have Lhey?"
Parry dldn'L say anyLhlng
Where ls Lhls school anyway?"
l don'L know" sald Parry reallzlng Lhls for Lhe flrsL Llme Pe pulled Lhe LlckeL Pagrld had glven
hlm ouL of hls pockeL
l [usL Lake Lhe Lraln from plaLform nlne and LhreequarLers aL eleven o'clock" he read
Pls aunL and uncle sLared
laLform whaL?"
nlne and LhreequarLers"
uon'L Lalk rubblsh" sald uncle vernon 1here ls no plaLform nlne and LhreequarLers"
lL's on my LlckeL"
8arklng" sald uncle vernon howllng mad Lhe loL of Lhem ?ou'll see ?ou [usL walL All rlghL
we'll Lake you Lo klng's Cross We're golng up Lo London Lomorrow anyway or l wouldn'L
boLher"
Why are you golng Lo London?" Parry asked Lrylng Lo keep Lhlngs frlendly
1aklng uudley Lo Lhe hosplLal" growled uncle vernon CoL Lo have LhaL ruddy Lall removed
before he goes Lo SmelLlngs"
Parry woke aL flve o'clock Lhe nexL mornlng and was Loo exclLed and nervous Lo go back Lo
sleep Pe goL up and pulled on hls [eans because he dldn'L wanL Lo walk lnLo Lhe sLaLlon ln hls
wlzard's robes he'd change on Lhe Lraln Pe checked hls PogwarLs llsL yeL agaln Lo make
sure he had everyLhlng he needed saw LhaL Pedwlg was shuL safely ln her cage and Lhen
paced Lhe room walLlng for Lhe uursleys Lo geL up 1wo hours laLer Parry's huge heavy Lrunk
had been loaded lnLo Lhe uursleys' car AunL eLunla had Lalked uudley lnLo slLLlng nexL Lo
Parry and Lhey had seL off
1hey reached klng's Cross aL half pasL Len uncle vernon dumped Parry's Lrunk onLo a carL and
wheeled lL lnLo Lhe sLaLlon for hlm Parry LhoughL Lhls was sLrangely klnd unLll uncle vernon
sLopped dead faclng Lhe plaLforms wlLh a nasLy grln on hls face
Well Lhere you are boy laLform nlne plaLform Len ?our plaLform should be somewhere
ln Lhe mlddle buL Lhey don'L seem Lo have bullL lL yeL do Lhey?"
Pe was qulLe rlghL of course 1here was a blg plasLlc number nlne over one plaLform and a blg
plasLlc number Len over Lhe one nexL Lo lL and ln Lhe mlddle noLhlng aL all
Pave a good Lerm" sald uncle vernon wlLh an even nasLler smlle Pe lefL wlLhouL anoLher
word Parry Lurned and saw Lhe uursleys drlve away All Lhree of Lhem were laughlng Parry's
mouLh wenL raLher dry WhaL on earLh was he golng Lo do? Pe was sLarLlng Lo aLLracL a loL of
funny looks because of Pedwlg Pe'd have Lo ask someone
Pe sLopped a passlng guard buL dldn'L dare menLlon plaLform nlne and LhreequarLers 1he
guard had never heard of PogwarLs and when Parry couldn'L even Lell hlm whaL parL of Lhe
counLry lL was ln he sLarLed Lo geL annoyed as Lhough Parry was belng sLupld on purpose
CeLLlng desperaLe Parry asked for Lhe Lraln LhaL lefL aL eleven o'clock buL Lhe guard sald Lhere
wasn'L one ln Lhe end Lhe guard sLrode away muLLerlng abouL Llme wasLers Parry was now
Lrylng hard noL Lo panlc Accordlng Lo Lhe large clock over Lhe arrlvals board he had Len
mlnuLes lefL Lo geL on Lhe Lraln Lo PogwarLs and he had no ldea how Lo do lL he was sLranded
ln Lhe mlddle of a sLaLlon wlLh a Lrunk he could hardly llfL a pockeL full of wlzard money and a
large owl
Pagrld musL have forgoLLen Lo Lell hlm someLhlng you had Lo do llke Lapplng Lhe Lhlrd brlck on
Lhe lefL Lo geL lnLo ulagon Alley Pe wondered lf he should geL ouL hls wand and sLarL Lapplng
Lhe LlckeL lnspecLor's sLand beLween plaLforms nlne and Len
AL LhaL momenL a group of people passed [usL behlnd hlm and he caughL a few words of whaL
Lhey were saylng
packed wlLh Muggles of course "
Parry swung round 1he speaker was a plump woman who was Lalklng Lo four boys all wlLh
flamlng red halr Lach of Lhem was pushlng a Lrunk llke Parry's ln fronL of hlm and Lhey had
an owl
PearL hammerlng Parry pushed hls carL afLer Lhem 1hey sLopped and so dld he [usL near
enough Lo hear whaL Lhey were saylng
now whaL's Lhe plaLform number?" sald Lhe boys' moLher
nlne and LhreequarLers!" plped a small glrl also redheaded who was holdlng her hand
Mom can'L l go"
?ou're noL old enough Clnny now be quleL All rlghL ercy you go flrsL"
WhaL looked llke Lhe oldesL boy marched Loward plaLforms nlne and Len Parry waLched
careful noL Lo bllnk ln case he mlssed lL buL [usL as Lhe boy reached Lhe dlvldlng barrler
beLween Lhe Lwo plaLforms a large crowd of LourlsLs came swarmlng ln fronL of hlm and by
Lhe Llme Lhe lasL backpack had cleared away Lhe boy had vanlshed
lred you nexL" Lhe plump woman sald
l'm noL lred l'm Ceorge" sald Lhe boy PonesLly woman you call yourself our moLher?
Can'L you Lell l'm Ceorge?"
Sorry Ceorge dear"
Cnly [oklng l am lred" sald Lhe boy and off he wenL Pls Lwln called afLer hlm Lo hurry up
and he musL have done so because a second laLer he had gone buL how had he done lL?
now Lhe Lhlrd broLher was walklng brlskly Loward Lhe barrler he was almosL Lhere and Lhen
qulLe suddenly he wasn'L anywhere
1here was noLhlng else for lL
Lxcuse me" Parry sald Lo Lhe plump woman
Pello dear" she sald llrsL Llme aL PogwarLs? 8on's new Loo"
She polnLed aL Lhe lasL and youngesL of her sons Pe was Lall Lhln and gangllng wlLh freckles
blg hands and feeL and a long nose
?es" sald Parry 1he Lhlng ls Lhe Lhlng ls l don'L know how Lo "
Pow Lo geL onLo Lhe plaLform?" she sald klndly and Parry nodded
noL Lo worry" she sald All you have Lo do ls walk sLralghL aL Lhe barrler beLween plaLforms
nlne and Len uon'L sLop and don'L be scared you'll crash lnLo lL LhaL's very lmporLanL 8esL do
lL aL a blL of a run lf you're nervous Co on go now before 8on"
Lr okay" sald Parry
Pe pushed hls Lrolley around and sLared aL Lhe barrler lL looked very solld
Pe sLarLed Lo walk Loward lL eople [osLled hlm on Lhelr way Lo plaLforms nlne and Len Parry
walked more qulckly Pe was golng Lo smash rlghL lnLo LhaL barrler and Lhen he'd be ln Lrouble
leanlng forward on hls carL he broke lnLo a heavy run Lhe barrler was comlng nearer and
nearer he wouldn'L be able Lo sLop Lhe carL was ouL of conLrol he was a fooL away
he closed hls eyes ready for Lhe crash
lL dldn'L come he kepL on runnlng he opened hls eyes A scarleL sLeam englne was walLlng
nexL Lo a plaLform packed wlLh people A slgn overhead sald PogwarLs' Lxpress eleven o'clock
Parry looked behlnd hlm and saw a wroughLlron archway where Lhe barrler had been wlLh
Lhe words laLform nlne and 1hreeCuarLers on lL Pe had done lL
Smoke from Lhe englne drlfLed over Lhe heads of Lhe chaLLerlng crowd whlle caLs of every
color wound here and Lhere beLween Lhelr legs Cwls hooLed Lo one anoLher ln a dlsgrunLled
sorL of way over Lhe babble and Lhe scraplng of heavy Lrunks
1he flrsL few carrlages were already packed wlLh sLudenLs some hanglng ouL of Lhe wlndow Lo
Lalk Lo Lhelr famllles some flghLlng over seaLs Parry pushed hls carL off down Lhe plaLform ln
search of an empLy seaL Pe passed a roundfaced boy who was saylng Cran l've losL my
Load agaln"
Ch nevllle" he heard Lhe old woman slgh
A boy wlLh dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd
Clve us a look Lee go on"
1he boy llfLed Lhe lld of a box ln hls arms and Lhe people around hlm shrleked and yelled as
someLhlng lnslde poked ouL a long halry leg
Parry pressed on Lhrough Lhe crowd unLll he found an empLy comparLmenL near Lhe end of
Lhe Lraln Pe puL Pedwlg lnslde flrsL and Lhen sLarLed Lo shove and heave hls Lrunk Loward Lhe
Lraln door Pe Lrled Lo llfL lL up Lhe sLeps buL could hardly ralse one end and Lwlce he dropped
lL palnfully on hls fooL
WanL a hand?" lL was one of Lhe redhalred Lwlns he'd followed Lhrough Lhe barrler
?es please" Parry panLed
Cy lred! C'mere and help!"
WlLh Lhe Lwlns' help Parry's Lrunk was aL lasL Lucked away ln a corner of Lhe comparLmenL
1hanks" sald Parry pushlng hls sweaLy halr ouL of hls eyes
WhaL's LhaL?" sald one of Lhe Lwlns suddenly polnLlng aL Parry's llghLnlng scar
8llmey" sald Lhe oLher Lwln Are you ?"
Pe ls" sald Lhe flrsL Lwln Aren'L you?" he added Lo Parry
WhaL?" sald Parry
Parry oLLer" chorused Lhe Lwlns
Ch hlm" sald Parry l mean yes l am"
1he Lwo boys gawked aL hlm and Parry felL hlmself Lurnlng red 1hen Lo hls rellef a volce
came floaLlng ln Lhrough Lhe Lraln's open door
lred? Ceorge? Are you Lhere?"
Comlng Mom"
WlLh a lasL look aL Parry Lhe Lwlns hopped off Lhe Lraln
Parry saL down nexL Lo Lhe wlndow where half hldden he could waLch Lhe redhalred famlly
on Lhe plaLform and hear whaL Lhey were saylng 1helr moLher had [usL Laken ouL her
handkerchlef
8on you've goL someLhlng on your nose"
1he youngesL boy Lrled Lo [erk ouL of Lhe way buL she grabbed hlm and began rubblng Lhe end
of hls nose
Mom geroff" Pe wrlggled free
Aaah has lckle 8onnle goL someflnk on hls nosle?" sald one of Lhe Lwlns
ShuL up" sald 8on
Where's ercy?" sald Lhelr moLher
Pe's comlng now"
1he oldesL boy came sLrldlng lnLo slghL Pe had already changed lnLo hls blllowlng black
PogwarLs robes and Parry noLlced a red and gold badge on hls chesL wlLh Lhe leLLer on lL
Can'L sLay long MoLher" he sald l'm up fronL Lhe prefecLs have goL Lwo comparLmenLs Lo
Lhemselves "
Ch are you a prefecL ercy?" sald one of Lhe Lwlns wlLh an alr of greaL surprlse ?ou should
have sald someLhlng we had no ldea"
Pang on l Lhlnk l remember hlm saylng someLhlng abouL lL" sald Lhe oLher Lwln Cnce "
Cr Lwlce "
A mlnuLe "
All summer "
Ch shuL up" sald ercy Lhe refecL
Pow come ercy geLs new robes anyway?" sald one of Lhe Lwlns
8ecause he's a prefecL" sald Lhelr moLher fondly All rlghL dear well have a good Lerm
send me an owl when you geL Lhere"
She klssed ercy on Lhe cheek and he lefL 1hen she Lurned Lo Lhe Lwlns
now you Lwo Lhls year you behave yourselves lf l geL one more owl Lelllng me you've
you've blown up a LolleL or "
8lown up a LolleL? We've never blown up a LolleL"
CreaL ldea Lhough Lhanks Mom"
lL's noL funny And look afLer 8on"
uon'L worry lckle 8onnleklns ls safe wlLh us"
ShuL up" sald 8on agaln Pe was almosL as Lall as Lhe Lwlns already and hls nose was sLlll plnk
where hls moLher had rubbed lL
Pey Mom guess whaL? Cuess who we [usL meL on Lhe Lraln?"
Parry leaned back qulckly so Lhey couldn'L see hlm looklng
?ou know LhaL blackhalred boy who was near us ln Lhe sLaLlon? know who he ls?"
Who?"
Parry oLLer!"
Parry heard Lhe llLLle glrl's volce
Ch Mom can l go on Lhe Lraln and see hlm Mom eh please"
?ou've already seen hlm Clnny and Lhe poor boy lsn'L someLhlng you goggle aL ln a zoo ls he
really lred? Pow do you know?"
Asked hlm Saw hls scar lL's really Lhere llke llghLnlng"
oor dear no wonder he was alone l wondered Pe was ever so pollLe when he asked how
Lo geL onLo Lhe plaLform"
never mlnd LhaL do you Lhlnk he remembers whaL ?ouknowWho looks llke?"
1helr moLher suddenly became very sLern
l forbld you Lo ask hlm lred no don'L you dare As Lhough he needs remlndlng of LhaL on hls
flrsL day aL school"
All rlghL keep your halr on"
A whlsLle sounded
Purry up!" Lhelr moLher sald and Lhe Lhree boys clambered onLo Lhe Lraln 1hey leaned ouL
of Lhe wlndow for her Lo klss Lhem goodbye and Lhelr younger slsLer began Lo cry
uon'L Clnny we'll send you loads of owls"
We'll send you a PogwarLs' LolleL seaL"
Ceorge!"
Cnly [oklng Mom"
1he Lraln began Lo move Parry saw Lhe boys' moLher wavlng and Lhelr slsLer half laughlng
half crylng runnlng Lo keep up wlLh Lhe Lraln unLll lL gaLhered Loo much speed Lhen she fell
back and waved
Parry waLched Lhe glrl and her moLher dlsappear as Lhe Lraln rounded Lhe corner Pouses
flashed pasL Lhe wlndow Parry felL a greaL leap of exclLemenL Pe dldn'L know whaL he was
golng Lo buL lL had Lo be beLLer Lhan whaL he was leavlng behlnd
1he door of Lhe comparLmenL slld open and Lhe youngesL redheaded boy came ln
Anyone slLLlng Lhere?" he asked polnLlng aL Lhe seaL opposlLe Parry Lverywhere else ls
full"
Parry shook hls head and Lhe boy saL down Pe glanced aL Parry and Lhen looked qulckly ouL of
Lhe wlndow preLendlng he hadn'L looked Parry saw he sLlll had a black mark on hls nose
Pey 8on"
1he Lwlns were back
LlsLen we're golng down Lhe mlddle of Lhe Lraln Lee !ordan's goL a glanL LaranLula down
Lhere"
8lghL" mumbled 8on
Parry" sald Lhe oLher Lwln dld we lnLroduce ourselves? lred and Ceorge Weasley And Lhls
ls 8on our broLher See you laLer Lhen"
8ye" sald Parry and 8on 1he Lwlns slld Lhe comparLmenL door shuL behlnd Lhem
Are you really Parry oLLer?" 8on blurLed ouL
Parry nodded
Ch well l LhoughL lL mlghL be one of lred and Ceorge's [okes" sald 8on And have you
really goL you know"
Pe polnLed aL Parry's forehead
Parry pulled back hls bangs Lo show Lhe llghLnlng scar 8on sLared
So LhaL's where ?ouknowWho ?"
?es" sald Parry buL l can'L remember lL"
noLhlng?" sald 8on eagerly
Well l remember a loL of green llghL buL noLhlng else"
Wow" sald 8on Pe saL and sLared aL Parry for a few momenLs Lhen as Lhough he had
suddenly reallzed whaL he was dolng he looked qulckly ouL of Lhe wlndow agaln
Are all your famlly wlzards?" asked Parry who found 8on [usL as lnLeresLlng as 8on found
hlm
Lr ?es l Lhlnk so" sald 8on l Lhlnk Mom's goL a second cousln who's an accounLanL buL
we never Lalk abouL hlm"
So you musL know loads of maglc already"
1he Weasleys were clearly one of Lhose old wlzardlng famllles Lhe pale boy ln ulagon Alley had
Lalked abouL
l heard you wenL Lo llve wlLh Muggles" sald 8on WhaL are Lhey llke?"
Porrlble well noL all of Lhem My aunL and uncle and cousln are Lhough Wlsh l'd had
Lhree wlzard broLhers"
llve" sald 8on lor some reason he was looklng gloomy l'm Lhe slxLh ln our famlly Lo go Lo
PogwarLs ?ou could say l've goL a loL Lo llve up Lo 8lll and Charlle have already lefL 8lll was
head boy and Charlle was capLaln of CulddlLch now ercy's a prefecL lred and Ceorge mess
around a loL buL Lhey sLlll geL really good marks and everyone Lhlnks Lhey're really funny
Lveryone expecLs me Lo do as well as Lhe oLhers buL lf l do lL's no blg deal because Lhey dld lL
flrsL ?ou never geL anyLhlng new elLher wlLh flve broLhers l've goL 8lll's old robes Charlle's
old wand and ercy's old raL"
8on reached lnslde hls [ackeL and pulled ouL a faL gray raL whlch was asleep
Pls name's Scabbers and he's useless he hardly ever wakes up ercy goL an owl from my dad
for belng made a prefecL buL Lhey couldn'L aff l mean l goL Scabbers lnsLead"
8on's ears wenL plnk Pe seemed Lo Lhlnk he'd sald Loo much because he wenL back Lo sLarlng
ouL of Lhe wlndow
Parry dldn'L Lhlnk Lhere was anyLhlng wrong wlLh noL belng able Lo afford an owl AfLer all
he'd never had any money ln hls llfe unLll a monLh ago and he Lold 8on so all abouL havlng Lo
wear uudley's old cloLhes and never geLLlng proper blrLhday presenLs 1hls seemed Lo cheer
8on up
and unLll Pagrld Lold me l dldn'L know anyLhlng abouL belng a wlzard or abouL my parenLs
or voldemorL "
8on gasped
WhaL?" sald Parry
?ou sald ?ouknowWho's name!" sald 8on soundlng boLh shocked and lmpressed l'd have
LhoughL you of all people "
l'm noL Lrylng Lo be brave or anyLhlng saylng Lhe name" sald Parry l [usL never knew you
shouldn'L See whaL l mean? l've goL loads Lo learn l beL" he added volclng for Lhe flrsL Llme
someLhlng LhaL had been worrylng hlm a loL laLely l beL l'm Lhe worsL ln Lhe class"
?ou won'L be 1here's loads of people who come from Muggle famllles and Lhey learn qulck
enough"
Whlle Lhey had been Lalklng Lhe Lraln had carrled Lhem ouL of London now Lhey were
speedlng pasL flelds full of cows and sheep 1hey were quleL for a Llme waLchlng Lhe flelds and
lanes fllck pasL
Around half pasL Lwelve Lhere was a greaL claLLerlng ouLslde ln Lhe corrldor and a smlllng
dlmpled woman slld back Lhelr door and sald AnyLhlng off Lhe carL dears?"
Parry who hadn'L had any breakfasL leapL Lo hls feeL buL 8on's ears wenL plnk agaln and he
muLLered LhaL he'd broughL sandwlches Parry wenL ouL lnLo Lhe corrldor
Pe had never had any money for candy wlLh Lhe uursleys and now LhaL he had pockeLs
raLLllng wlLh gold and sllver he was ready Lo buy as many Mars 8ars as he could carry buL
Lhe woman dldn'L have Mars 8ars WhaL she dld have were 8eLLle 8oLL's Lvery llavor 8eans
urooble's 8esL 8lowlng Cum ChocolaLe lrogs umpkln asLles Cauldron Cakes Llcorlce
Wands and a number of oLher sLrange Lhlngs Parry had never seen ln hls llfe noL wanLlng Lo
mlss anyLhlng he goL some of everyLhlng and pald Lhe woman eleven sllver Slckles and seven
bronze knuLs
8on sLared as Parry broughL lL all back ln Lo Lhe comparLmenL and Llpped lL onLo an empLy
seaL
Pungry are you?"
SLarvlng" sald Parry Laklng a large blLe ouL of a pumpkln pasLy
8on had Laken ouL a lumpy package and unwrapped lL 1here were four sandwlches lnslde Pe
pulled one of Lhem aparL and sald She always forgeLs l don'L llke corned beef"
Swap you for one of Lhese" sald Parry holdlng up a pasLy Co on "
?ou don'L wanL Lhls lL's all dry" sald 8on She hasn'L goL much Llme" he added qulckly you
know wlLh flve of us"
Co on have a pasLy" sald Parry who had never had anyLhlng Lo share before or lndeed
anyone Lo share lL wlLh lL was a nlce feellng slLLlng Lhere wlLh 8on eaLlng Lhelr way Lhrough
all Parry's pasLles cakes and candles (Lhe sandwlches lay forgoLLen)
WhaL are Lhese?" Parry asked 8on holdlng up a pack of ChocolaLe lrogs 1hey're noL really
frogs are Lhey?" Pe was sLarLlng Lo feel LhaL noLhlng would surprlse hlm
no" sald 8on 8uL see whaL Lhe card ls l'm mlsslng Agrlppa"
WhaL?"
Ch of course you wouldn'L know ChocolaLe lrogs have cards lnslde Lhem you know Lo
collecL famous wlLches and wlzards l've goL abouL flve hundred buL l haven'L goL Agrlppa or
Lolemy"
Parry unwrapped hls ChocolaLe lrog and plcked up Lhe card lL showed a man's face Pe wore
halfmoon glasses had a long crooked nose and flowlng sllver halr beard and musLache
underneaLh Lhe plcLure was Lhe name Albus uumbledore
So Lhls ls uumbledore!" sald Parry
uon'L Lell me you'd never heard of uumbledore!" sald 8on Can l have a frog? l mlghL geL
Agrlppa Lhanks "
Parry Lurned over hls card and read
AL8uS uuM8LLuC8L
Cu88Ln1L? PLAuMAS1L8 Cl PCCWA81S
Consldered by many Lhe greaLesL wlzard of modern Llmes uumbledore ls parLlcularly famous
for hls defeaL of Lhe dark wlzard Crlndelwald ln 1943 for Lhe dlscovery of Lhe Lwelve uses of
dragon's blood and hls work on alchemy wlLh hls parLner nlcolas llamel rofessor
uumbledore en[oys chamber muslc and Lenpln bowllng
Parry Lurned Lhe card back over and saw Lo hls asLonlshmenL LhaL uumbledore's face had
dlsappeared
Pe's gone!"
Well you can'L expecL hlm Lo hang around all day" sald 8on Pe'll be back no l've goL
Morgana agaln and l've goL abouL slx of her do you wanL lL? ?ou can sLarL collecLlng"
8on's eyes sLrayed Lo Lhe plle of ChocolaLe lrogs walLlng Lo be unwrapped
Pelp yourself" sald Parry 8uL ln you know Lhe Muggle world people [usL sLay puL ln
phoLos"
uo Lhey? WhaL Lhey don'L move aL all?" 8on sounded amazed Welrd!"
Parry sLared as uumbledore sldled back lnLo Lhe plcLure on hls card and gave hlm a small
smlle 8on was more lnLeresLed ln eaLlng Lhe frogs Lhan looklng aL Lhe lamous WlLches and
Wlzards cards buL Parry couldn'L keep hls eyes off Lhem Soon he had noL only uumbledore
and Morgana buL PenglsL of WoodcrofL Alberlc Crunnlon Clrce aracelsus and Merlln Pe
flnally Lore hls eyes away from Lhe uruldess Cllodna who was scraLchlng her nose Lo open a
bag of 8erLle 8oLL's Lvery llavor 8eans
?ou wanL Lo be careful wlLh Lhose" 8on warned Parry When Lhey say every flavor Lhey
mean every flavor you know you geL all Lhe ordlnary ones llke chocolaLe and peppermlnL
and marmalade buL Lhen you can geL splnach and llver and Lrlpe Ceorge reckons he had a
boogerflavored one once"
8on plcked up a green bean looked aL lL carefully and blL lnLo a corner
8leaaargh see? SprouLs"
1hey had a good Llme eaLlng Lhe Lvery llavor 8eans Parry goL LoasL coconuL baked bean
sLrawberry curry grass coffee sardlne and was even brave enough Lo nlbble Lhe end off a
funny gray one 8on wouldn'L Louch whlch Lurned ouL Lo be pepper
1he counLryslde now flylng pasL Lhe wlndow was becomlng wllder 1he neaL flelds had gone
now Lhere were woods LwlsLlng rlvers and dark green hllls
1here was a knock on Lhe door of Lhelr comparLmenL and Lhe roundfaced boy Parry had
passed on plaLform nlne and LhreequarLers came ln Pe looked Learful
Sorry" he sald buL have you seen a Load aL all?"
When Lhey shook Lhelr heads he walled l've losL hlm! Pe keeps geLLlng away from me!"
Pe'll Lurn up" sald Parry
?es" sald Lhe boy mlserably Well lf you see hlm"
Pe lefL
uon'L know why he's so boLhered" sald 8on lf l'd broughL a Load l'd lose lL as qulck as l
could Mlnd you l broughL Scabbers so l can'L Lalk"
1he raL was sLlll snoozlng on 8on's lap
Pe mlghL have dled and you wouldn'L know Lhe dlfference" sald 8on ln dlsgusL l Lrled Lo
Lurn hlm yellow yesLerday Lo make hlm more lnLeresLlng buL Lhe spell dldn'L work l'll show
you look"
Pe rummaged around ln hls Lrunk and pulled ouL a very baLLeredlooklng wand lL was chlpped
ln places and someLhlng whlLe was gllnLlng aL Lhe end
unlcorn halr's nearly poklng ouL Anyway "
Pe had [usL ralsed hls wand when Lhe comparLmenL door slld open agaln 1he Loadless boy was
back buL Lhls Llme he had a glrl wlLh hlm She was already wearlng her new PogwarLs robes
Pas anyone seen a Load? nevllle's losL one" she sald She had a bossy sorL of volce loLs of
bushy brown halr and raLher large fronL LeeLh
We've already Lold hlm we haven'L seen lL" sald 8on buL Lhe glrl wasn'L llsLenlng she was
looklng aL Lhe wand ln hls hand
Ch are you dolng maglc? LeL's see lL Lhen"
She saL down 8on looked Laken aback
Lr all rlghL"
Pe cleared hls LhroaL
Sunshlne dalsles buLLer mellow 1urn Lhls sLupld faL raL yellow"
Pe waved hls wand buL noLhlng happened Scabbers sLayed gray and fasL asleep
Are you sure LhaL's a real spell?" sald Lhe glrl Well lL's noL very good ls lL? l've Lrled a few
slmple spells [usL for pracLlce and lL's all worked for me nobody ln my famlly's maglc aL all lL
was ever such a surprlse when l goL my leLLer buL l was ever so pleased of course l mean lL's
Lhe very besL school of wlLchcrafL Lhere ls l've heard l've learned all our course books by
hearL of course l [usL hope lL wlll be enough l'm Permlone Cranger by Lhe way who are
you?"
She sald all Lhls very fasL
Parry looked aL 8on and was relleved Lo see by hls sLunned face LhaL he hadn'L learned all Lhe
course books by hearL elLher
l'm 8on Weasley" 8on muLLered
Parry oLLer" sald Parry
Are you really?" sald Permlone l know all abouL you of course l goL a few exLra books for
background readlng and you're ln Modern Maglcal PlsLory and 1he 8lse and lall of Lhe uark
ArLs and CreaL Wlzardlng LvenLs of Lhe 1wenLleLh CenLury"
Am l?" sald Parry feellng dazed
Coodness dldn'L you know l'd have found ouL everyLhlng l could lf lL was me" sald
Permlone uo elLher of you know whaL house you'll be ln? l've been asklng around and l
hope l'm ln Cryfflndor lL sounds by far Lhe besL l hear uumbledore hlmself was ln lL buL l
suppose 8avenclaw wouldn'L be Loo bad Anyway we'd beLLer go and look for nevllle's Load
?ou Lwo had beLLer change you know l expecL we'll be Lhere soon"
And she lefL Laklng Lhe Loadless boy wlLh her
WhaLever house l'm ln l hope she's noL ln lL" sald 8on Pe Lhrew hls wand back lnLo hls
Lrunk SLupld spell Ceorge gave lL Lo me beL he knew lL was a dud"
WhaL house are your broLhers ln?" asked Parry
Cryfflndor" sald 8on Cloom seemed Lo be seLLllng on hlm agaln Mom and uad were ln lL
Loo l don'L know whaL Lhey'll say lf l'm noL l don'L suppose 8avenclaw would be Loo bad buL
lmaglne lf Lhey puL me ln SlyLherln"
1haL's Lhe house vol l mean ?ouknowWho was ln?"
?eah" sald 8on Pe flopped back lnLo hls seaL looklng depressed
?ou know l Lhlnk Lhe ends of Scabbers' whlskers are a blL llghLer" sald Parry Lrylng Lo Lake
8on's mlnd off houses So whaL do your oldesL broLhers do now LhaL Lhey've lefL anyway?"
Parry was wonderlng whaL a wlzard dld once he'd flnlshed school
Charlle's ln 8omanla sLudylng dragons and 8lll's ln Afrlca dolng someLhlng for CrlngoLLs" sald
8on uld you hear abouL CrlngoLLs? lL's been all over Lhe ually ropheL buL l don'L suppose
you geL LhaL wlLh Lhe Muggles someone Lrled Lo rob a hlgh securlLy vaulL"
Parry sLared
8eally? WhaL happened Lo Lhem?"
noLhlng LhaL's why lL's such blg news 1hey haven'L been caughL My dad says lL musL've
been a powerful uark wlzard Lo geL round CrlngoLLs buL Lhey don'L Lhlnk Lhey Look anyLhlng
LhaL's whaL's odd 'Course everyone geLs scared when someLhlng llke Lhls happens ln case
?ouknowWho's behlnd lL"
Parry Lurned Lhls news over ln hls mlnd Pe was sLarLlng Lo geL a prlckle of fear every Llme ?ou
knowWho was menLloned Pe supposed Lhls was all parL of enLerlng Lhe maglcal world buL lL
had been a loL more comforLable saylng voldemorL" wlLhouL worrylng
WhaL's your CulddlLch Leam?" 8on asked
Lr l don'L know any" Parry confessed
WhaL!" 8on looked dumbfounded Ch you walL lL's Lhe besL game ln Lhe world " And he
was off explalnlng all abouL Lhe four balls and Lhe poslLlons of Lhe seven players descrlblng
famous games he'd been Lo wlLh hls broLhers and Lhe broomsLlck he'd llke Lo geL lf he had Lhe
money Pe was [usL Laklng Parry Lhrough Lhe flner polnLs of Lhe game when Lhe comparLmenL
door slld open yeL agaln buL lL wasn'L nevllle Lhe Loadless boy or Permlone Cranger Lhls Llme
1hree boys enLered and Parry recognlzed Lhe mlddle one aL once lL was Lhe pale boy from
Madam Malkln's robe shop Pe was looklng aL Parry wlLh a loL more lnLeresL Lhan he'd shown
back ln ulagon Alley
ls lL Lrue?" he sald 1hey're saylng all down Lhe Lraln LhaL Parry oLLer's ln Lhls comparLmenL
So lL's you ls lL?"
?es" sald Parry Pe was looklng aL Lhe oLher boys 8oLh of Lhem were LhlckseL and looked
exLremely mean SLandlng on elLher slde of Lhe pale boy Lhey looked llke bodyguards
Ch Lhls ls Crabbe and Lhls ls Coyle" sald Lhe pale boy carelessly noLlclng where Parry was
looklng And my name's Malfoy uraco Malfoy"
8on gave a sllghL cough whlch mlghL have been hldlng a snlgger uraco Malfoy looked aL hlm
1hlnk my name's funny do you? no need Lo ask who you are My faLher Lold me all Lhe
Weasleys have red halr freckles and more chlldren Lhan Lhey can afford"
Pe Lurned back Lo Parry ?ou'll soon flnd ouL some wlzardlng famllles are much beLLer Lhan
oLhers oLLer ?ou don'L wanL Lo go maklng frlends wlLh Lhe wrong sorL l can help you Lhere"
Pe held ouL hls hand Lo shake Parry's buL Parry dldn'L Lake lL
l Lhlnk l can Lell who Lhe wrong sorL are for myself Lhanks" he sald coolly
uraco Malfoy dldn'L go red buL a plnk Llnge appeared ln hls pale cheeks
l'd be careful lf l were you oLLer" he sald slowly unless you're a blL pollLer you'll go Lhe
same way as your parenLs 1hey dldn'L know whaL was good for Lhem elLher ?ou hang around
wlLh rlffraff llke Lhe Weasleys and LhaL Pagrld and lL'll rub off on you"
8oLh Parry and 8on sLood up
Say LhaL agaln" 8on sald hls face as red as hls halr
Ch you're golng Lo flghL us are you?" Malfoy sneered
unless you geL ouL now" sald Parry more bravely Lhan he felL because Crabbe and Coyle
were a loL blgger Lhan hlm or 8on
8uL we don'L feeL llke leavlng do we boys? We've eaLen all our food and you sLlll seem Lo
have some"
Coyle reached Loward Lhe ChocolaLe lrogs nexL Lo 8on 8on leapL forward buL before he'd
so much as Louched Coyle Coyle leL ouL a horrlble yell
Scabbers Lhe raL was hanglng off hls flnger sharp llLLle LeeLh sunk deep lnLo Coyle's knuckle
Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Coyle swung Scabbers round and round howllng and
when Scabbers flnally flew off and hlL Lhe wlndow all Lhree of Lhem dlsappeared aL once
erhaps Lhey LhoughL Lhere were more raLs lurklng among Lhe sweeLs or perhaps Lhey'd heard
fooLsLeps because a second laLer Permlone Cranger had come ln
WhaL has been golng on?" she sald looklng aL Lhe sweeLs all over Lhe floor and 8on plcklng
up Scabbers by hls Lall
l Lhlnk he's been knocked ouL" 8on sald Lo Parry Pe looked closer aL Scabbers no l don'L
belleve lL he's gone back Lo sleep"
And so he had
?ou've meL Malfoy before?"
Parry explalned abouL Lhelr meeLlng ln ulagon Alley
l've heard of hls famlly" sald 8on darkly 1hey were some of Lhe flrsL Lo come back Lo our
slde afLer ?ouknowWho dlsappeared Sald Lhey'd been bewlLched My dad doesn'L belleve lL
Pe says Malfoy's faLher dldn'L need an excuse Lo go over Lo Lhe uark Slde" Pe Lurned Lo
Permlone Can we help you wlLh someLhlng?"
?ou'd beLLer hurry up and puL your robes on l've [usL been up Lo Lhe fronL Lo ask Lhe
conducLor and he says we're nearly Lhere ?ou haven'L been flghLlng have you? ?ou'll be ln
Lrouble before we even geL Lhere!"
Scabbers has been flghLlng noL us" sald 8on scowllng aL her Would you mlnd leavlng whlle
we change?"
All rlghL l only came ln here because people ouLslde are behavlng very chlldlshly raclng up
and down Lhe corrldors" sald Permlone ln a snlffy volce And you've goL dlrL on your nose by
Lhe way dld you know?"
8on glared aL her as she lefL Parry peered ouL of Lhe wlndow lL was geLLlng dark Pe could see
mounLalns and foresLs under a deep purple sky 1he Lraln dld seem Lo be slowlng down
Pe and 8on Look off Lhelr [ackeLs and pulled on Lhelr long black robes 8on's were a blL shorL
for hlm you could see hls sneakers underneaLh Lhem
A volce echoed Lhrough Lhe Lraln We wlll be reachlng PogwarLs ln flve mlnuLes' Llme lease
leave your luggage on Lhe Lraln lL wlll be Laken Lo Lhe school separaLely"
Parry's sLomach lurched wlLh nerves and 8on he saw looked pale under hls freckles 1hey
crammed Lhelr pockeLs wlLh Lhe lasL of Lhe sweeLs and [olned Lhe crowd Lhronglng Lhe
corrldor
1he Lraln slowed rlghL down and flnally sLopped eople pushed Lhelr way Loward Lhe door and
ouL on Lo a Llny dark plaLform Parry shlvered ln Lhe cold nlghL alr 1hen a lamp came bobblng
over Lhe heads of Lhe sLudenLs and Parry heard a famlllar volce llrs' years! llrs' years over
here! All rlghL Lhere Parry?"
Pagrld's blg halry face beamed over Lhe sea of heads
C'mon follow me any more flrs' years? Mlnd yer sLep now! llrs' years follow me!"
Sllpplng and sLumbllng Lhey followed Pagrld down whaL seemed Lo be a sLeep narrow paLh lL
was so dark on elLher slde of Lhem LhaL Parry LhoughL Lhere musL be Lhlck Lrees Lhere nobody
spoke much nevllle Lhe boy who kepL loslng hls Load snlffed once or Lwlce
?eh'll geL yer flrs' slghL o' PogwarLs ln a sec" Pagrld called over hls shoulder [us' round Lhls
bend here"
1here was a loud Cooooh!"
1he narrow paLh had opened suddenly onLo Lhe edge of a greaL black lake erched aLop a hlgh
mounLaln on Lhe oLher slde lLs wlndows sparkllng ln Lhe sLarry sky was a vasL casLle wlLh
many LurreLs and Lowers
no more'n four Lo a boaL!" Pagrld called polnLlng Lo a fleeL of llLLle boaLs slLLlng ln Lhe waLer
by Lhe shore Parry and 8on were followed lnLo Lhelr boaL by nevllle and Permlone
Lveryone ln?" shouLed Pagrld who had a boaL Lo hlmself 8lghL Lhen lC8WA8u!"
And Lhe fleeL of llLLle boaLs moved off all aL once glldlng across Lhe lake whlch was as smooLh
as glass Lveryone was sllenL sLarlng up aL Lhe greaL casLle overhead lL Lowered over Lhem as
Lhey salled nearer and nearer Lo Lhe cllff on whlch lL sLood

Peads down!" yelled Pagrld as Lhe flrsL boaLs reached Lhe cllff Lhey all benL Lhelr heads and
Lhe llLLle boaLs carrled Lhem Lhrough a curLaln of lvy LhaL hld a wlde openlng ln Lhe cllff face
1hey were carrled along a dark Lunnel whlch seemed Lo be Laklng Lhem rlghL underneaLh Lhe
casLle
unLll Lhey reached a klnd of underground harbor where Lhey clambered ouL onLo rocks and
pebbles
Cy you Lhere! ls Lhls your Load?" sald Pagrld who was checklng Lhe boaLs as people cllmbed
ouL of Lhem
1revor!" crled nevllle bllssfully holdlng ouL hls hands 1hen Lhey clambered up a passageway
ln Lhe rock afLer Pagrld's lamp comlng ouL aL lasL onLo smooLh damp grass rlghL ln Lhe
shadow of Lhe casLle
1hey walked up a fllghL of sLone sLeps and crowded around Lhe huge oak fronL door
Lveryone here? ?ou Lhere sLlll goL yer Load?"
Pagrld ralsed a glganLlc flsL and knocked Lhree Llmes on Lhe casLle door
CPA1L8 SLvLn
1he SorLlng PaL
1he door swung open aL once A Lall blackhalred wlLch ln emeraldgreen robes sLood Lhere
She had a very sLern face and Parry's flrsL LhoughL was LhaL Lhls was noL someone Lo cross
1he flrs' years rofessor McConagall" sald Pagrld
1hank you Pagrld l wlll Lake Lhem from here"
She pulled Lhe door wlde 1he enLrance hall was so blg you could have flL Lhe whole of Lhe
uursleys' house ln lL 1he sLone walls were llL wlLh flamlng Lorches llke Lhe ones aL CrlngoLLs
Lhe celllng was Loo hlgh Lo make ouL and a magnlflcenL marble sLalrcase faclng Lhem led Lo Lhe
upper floors
1hey followed rofessor McConagall across Lhe flagged sLone floor Parry could hear Lhe drone
of hundreds of volces from a doorway Lo Lhe rlghL Lhe resL of Lhe school musL already be
here buL rofessor McConagall showed Lhe flrsL years lnLo a small empLy chamber off Lhe
hall 1hey crowded ln sLandlng raLher closer LogeLher Lhan Lhey would usually have done
peerlng abouL nervously
Welcome Lo PogwarLs" sald rofessor McConagall 1he sLarLofLerm banqueL wlll begln
shorLly buL before you Lake your seaLs ln Lhe CreaL Pall you wlll be sorLed lnLo your houses
1he SorLlng ls a very lmporLanL ceremony because whlle you are here your house wlll be
someLhlng llke your famlly wlLhln PogwarLs ?ou wlll have classes wlLh Lhe resL of your house
sleep ln your house dormlLory and spend free Llme ln your house common room
1he four houses are called Cryfflndor Pufflepuff 8avenclaw and SlyLherln Lach house has
lLs own noble hlsLory and each has produced ouLsLandlng wlLches and wlzards Whlle you are
aL PogwarLs your Lrlumphs wlll earn your house polnLs whlle any rulebreaklng wlll lose house
polnLs AL Lhe end of Lhe year Lhe house wlLh Lhe mosL polnLs ls awarded Lhe house cup a
greaL honor l hope each of you wlll be a credlL Lo whlchever house becomes yours
1he SorLlng Ceremony wlll Lake place ln a few mlnuLes ln fronL of Lhe resL of Lhe school l
suggesL you all smarLen yourselves up as much as you can whlle you are walLlng"
Per eyes llngered for a momenL on nevllle's cloak whlch was fasLened under hls lefL ear and
on 8on's smudged nose Parry nervously Lrled Lo flaLLen hls halr
l shall reLurn when we are ready for you" sald rofessor McConagall lease walL quleLly"
She lefL Lhe chamber Parry swallowed
Pow exacLly do Lhey sorL us lnLo houses?" he asked 8on
Some sorL of LesL l Lhlnk lred sald lL hurLs a loL buL l Lhlnk he was [oklng"
Parry's hearL gave a horrlble [olL A LesL? ln fronL of Lhe whole school? 8uL he dldn'L know any
maglc yeL whaL on earLh would he have Lo do? Pe hadn'L expecLed someLhlng llke Lhls Lhe
momenL Lhey arrlved Pe looked around anxlously and saw LhaL everyone else looked Lerrlfled
Loo no one was Lalklng much excepL Permlone Cranger who was whlsperlng very fasL abouL
all Lhe spells she'd learned and wonderlng whlch one she'd need Parry Lrled hard noL Lo llsLen
Lo her Pe'd never been more nervous never noL even when he'd had Lo Lake a school reporL
home Lo Lhe uursleys saylng LhaL he'd somehow Lurned hls Leacher's wlg blue Pe kepL hls eyes
flxed on Lhe door Any second now rofessor McConagall would come back and lead hlm Lo
hls doom
1hen someLhlng happened LhaL made hlm [ump abouL a fooL ln Lhe alr several people
behlnd hlm screamed
WhaL Lhe ?"
Pe gasped So dld Lhe people around hlm AbouL LwenLy ghosLs had [usL sLreamed Lhrough Lhe
back wall earlywhlLe and sllghLly LransparenL Lhey gllded across Lhe room Lalklng Lo one
anoLher and hardly glanclng aL Lhe flrsL years 1hey seemed Lo be argulng WhaL looked llke a
faL llLLle monk was saylng lorglve and forgeL l say we oughL Lo glve hlm a second chance "
My dear lrlar haven'L we glven eeves all Lhe chances he deserves? Pe glves us all a bad
name and you know he's noL really even a ghosL l say whaL are you all dolng here?"
A ghosL wearlng a ruff and LlghLs had suddenly noLlced Lhe flrsL years
nobody answered
new sLudenLs!" sald Lhe laL lrlar smlllng around aL Lhem AbouL Lo be SorLed l suppose?"
A few people nodded muLely
Pope Lo see you ln Pufflepuff!" sald Lhe lrlar My old house you know"
Move along now" sald a sharp volce 1he SorLlng Ceremony's abouL Lo sLarL"
rofessor McConagall had reLurned Cne by one Lhe ghosLs floaLed away Lhrough Lhe
opposlLe wall
now form a llne" rofessor McConagall Lold Lhe flrsL years and follow me"
leellng oddly as Lhough hls legs had Lurned Lo lead Parry goL lnLo llne behlnd a boy wlLh sandy
halr wlLh 8on behlnd hlm and Lhey walked ouL of Lhe chamber back across Lhe hall and
Lhrough a palr of double doors lnLo Lhe CreaL Pall
Parry had never even lmaglned such a sLrange and splendld place lL was llL by Lhousands and
Lhousands of candles LhaL were floaLlng ln mldalr over four long Lables where Lhe resL of Lhe
sLudenLs were slLLlng 1hese Lables were lald wlLh gllLLerlng golden plaLes and gobleLs AL Lhe
Lop of Lhe hall was anoLher long Lable where Lhe Leachers were slLLlng rofessor McConagall
led Lhe flrsL years up here so LhaL Lhey came Lo a halL ln a llne faclng Lhe oLher sLudenLs wlLh
Lhe Leachers behlnd Lhem 1he hundreds of faces sLarlng aL Lhem looked llke pale lanLerns ln
Lhe fllckerlng candlellghL uoLLed here and Lhere among Lhe sLudenLs Lhe ghosLs shone mlsLy
sllver Malnly Lo avold all Lhe sLarlng eyes Parry looked upward and saw a velveLy black celllng
doLLed wlLh sLars Pe heard Permlone whlsper lLs bewlLched Lo look llke Lhe sky ouLslde l
read abouL lL ln PogwarLs A PlsLory"
lL was hard Lo belleve Lhere was a celllng Lhere aL all and LhaL Lhe CreaL Pall dldn'L slmply
open on Lo Lhe heavens
Parry qulckly looked down agaln as rofessor McConagall sllenLly placed a fourlegged sLool ln
fronL of Lhe flrsL years Cn Lop of Lhe sLool she puL a polnLed wlzard's haL 1hls haL was paLched
and frayed and exLremely dlrLy AunL eLunla wouldn'L have leL lL ln Lhe house
Maybe Lhey had Lo Lry and geL a rabblL ouL of lL Parry LhoughL wlldly LhaL seemed Lhe sorL of
Lhlng noLlclng LhaL everyone ln Lhe hall was now sLarlng aL Lhe haL he sLared aL lL Loo lor a
few seconds Lhere was compleLe sllence 1hen Lhe haL LwlLched A rlp near Lhe brlm opened
wlde llke a mouLh and Lhe haL began Lo slng
Ch you may noL Lhlnk l'm preLLy
8uL don'L [udge on whaL you see
l'll eaL myself lf you can flnd
A smarLer haL Lhan me
?ou can keep your bowlers black
?our Lop haLs sleek and Lall
lor l'm Lhe PogwarLs SorLlng PaL
And l can cap Lhem all
1here's noLhlng hldden ln your head
1he SorLlng PaL can'L see
So Lry me on and l wlll Lell you
Where you oughL Lo be
?ou mlghL belong ln Cryfflndor
Where dwell Lhe brave aL hearL
1helr darlng nerve and chlvalry
SeL Cryfflndors aparL
?ou mlghL belong ln Pufflepuff
Where Lhey are [usL and loyal
1hose paLlenL Pufflepuffs are Lrue
And unafrald of Loll
Cr yeL ln wlse old 8avenclaw
lf you've a ready mlnd
Where Lhose of wlL and learnlng
Wlll always flnd Lhelr klnd
Cr perhaps ln SlyLherln
?ou'll make your real frlends
1hose cunnlng folk use any means
1o achleve Lhelr ends
So puL me on! uon'L be afrald!
And don'L geL ln a flap!
?ou're ln safe hands (Lhough l have none)
lor l'm a 1hlnklng Cap!"
1he whole hall bursL lnLo applause as Lhe haL flnlshed lLs song lL bowed Lo each of Lhe four
Lables and Lhen became qulLe sLlll agaln
So we've [usL goL Lo Lry on Lhe haL!" 8on whlspered Lo Parry l'll klll lred he was golng on
abouL wresLllng a Lroll"
Parry smlled weakly ?es Lrylng on Lhe haL was a loL beLLer Lhan havlng Lo do a spell buL he
dld wlsh Lhey could have Lrled lL on wlLhouL everyone waLchlng 1he haL seemed Lo be asklng
raLher a loL Parry dldn'L feel brave or qulckwlLLed or any of lL aL Lhe momenL lf only Lhe haL
had menLloned a house for people who felL a blL queasy LhaL would have been Lhe one for
hlm
rofessor McConagall now sLepped forward holdlng a long roll of parchmenL
When l call your name you wlll puL on Lhe haL and slL on Lhe sLool Lo be sorLed" she sald
AbboLL Pannah!"
A plnkfaced glrl wlLh blonde plgLalls sLumbled ouL of llne puL on Lhe haL whlch fell rlghL down
over her eyes and saL down A momenLs pause
PullLLull!" shouLed Lhe haL
1he Lable on Lhe rlghL cheered and clapped as Pannah wenL Lo slL down aL Lhe Pufflepuff Lable
Parry saw Lhe ghosL of Lhe laL lrlar wavlng merrlly aL her
8ones Susan!"
PullLLull!" shouLed Lhe haL agaln and Susan scuLLled off Lo slL nexL Lo Pannah
8ooL 1erry!"
8AvLnCLAW!"
1he Lable second from Lhe lefL clapped Lhls Llme several 8avenclaws sLood up Lo shake hands
wlLh 1erry as he [olned Lhem
8rocklehursL Mandy" wenL Lo 8avenclaw Loo buL 8rown Lavender" became Lhe flrsL new
Cryfflndor and Lhe Lable on Lhe far lefL exploded wlLh cheers Parry could see 8on's Lwln
broLhers caLcalllng
8ulsLrode MllllcenL" Lhen became a SlyLherln erhaps lL was Parry's lmaglnaLlon afLer all
he'd heard abouL SlyLherln buL he LhoughL Lhey looked llke an unpleasanL loL
Pe was sLarLlng Lo feel deflnlLely slck now Pe remembered belng plcked for Leams durlng gym
aL hls old school Pe had always been lasL Lo be chosen noL because he was no good buL
because no one wanLed uudley Lo Lhlnk Lhey llked hlm
llnchlleLchley !usLln!"
PullLLull!"
SomeLlmes Parry noLlced Lhe haL shouLed ouL Lhe house aL once buL aL oLhers lL Look a llLLle
whlle Lo declde llnnlgan Seamus" Lhe sandyhalred boy nexL Lo Parry ln Lhe llne saL on Lhe
sLool for almosL a whole mlnuLe before Lhe haL declared hlm a Cryfflndor
Cranger Permlone!"
Permlone almosL ran Lo Lhe sLool and [ammed Lhe haL eagerly on her head
C8?lllnuC8!" shouLed Lhe haL 8on groaned
A horrlble LhoughL sLruck Parry as horrlble LhoughLs always do when you're very nervous
WhaL lf he wasn'L chosen aL all? WhaL lf he [usL saL Lhere wlLh Lhe haL over hls eyes for ages
unLll rofessor McConagall [erked lL off hls head and sald Lhere had obvlously been a mlsLake
and he'd beLLer geL back on Lhe Lraln?
When nevllle LongboLLom Lhe boy who kepL loslng hls Load was called he fell over on hls way
Lo Lhe sLool 1he haL Look a long Llme Lo declde wlLh nevllle When lL flnally shouLed
C8?lllnuC8" nevllle ran off sLlll wearlng lL and had Lo [og back amld gales of laughLer Lo
glve lL Lo Macuougal Morag"
Malfoy swaggered forward when hls name was called and goL hls wlsh aL once Lhe haL had
barely Louched hls head when lL screamed SL?1PL8ln!"
Malfoy wenL Lo [oln hls frlends Crabbe and Coyle looklng pleased wlLh hlmself
1here weren'L many people lefL now Moon" noLL" arklnson" Lhen a palr of Lwln
glrls aLll" and aLll" Lhen erks SallyAnne" and Lhen aL lasL
oLLer Parry!"
As Parry sLepped forward whlspers suddenly broke ouL llke llLLle hlsslng flres all over Lhe hall
oLLer dld she say?"
1he Parry oLLer?"
1he lasL Lhlng Parry saw before Lhe haL dropped over hls eyes was Lhe hall full of people
cranlng Lo geL a good look aL hlm nexL second he was looklng aL Lhe black lnslde of Lhe haL Pe
walLed
Pmm" sald a small volce ln hls ear ulfflculL very dlfflculL lenLy of courage l see noL a bad
mlnd elLher 1here's LalenL A my goodness yes and a nlce LhlrsL Lo prove yourself now
LhaL's lnLeresLlng So where shall l puL you?"
Parry grlpped Lhe edges of Lhe sLool and LhoughL noL SlyLherln noL SlyLherln
noL SlyLherln eh?" sald Lhe small volce Are you sure? ?ou could be greaL you know lL's all
here ln your head and SlyLherln wlll help you on Lhe way Lo greaLness no doubL abouL LhaL
no? Well lf you're sure beLLer be C8?lllnuC8!"
Parry heard Lhe haL shouL Lhe lasL word Lo Lhe whole hall Pe Look off Lhe haL and walked
shaklly Loward Lhe Cryfflndor Lable Pe was so relleved Lo have been chosen and noL puL ln
SlyLherln he hardly noLlced LhaL he was geLLlng Lhe loudesL cheer yeL ercy Lhe refecL goL up
and shook hls hand vlgorously whlle Lhe Weasley Lwlns yelled We goL oLLer! We goL
oLLer!" Parry saL down opposlLe Lhe ghosL ln Lhe ruff he'd seen earller 1he ghosL paLLed hls
arm glvlng Parry Lhe sudden horrlble feellng he'd [usL plunged lL lnLo a buckeL of lcecold
waLer
Pe could see Lhe Plgh 1able properly now AL Lhe end nearesL hlm saL Pagrld who caughL hls
eye and gave hlm Lhe Lhumbs up Parry grlnned back And Lhere ln Lhe cenLer of Lhe Plgh
1able ln a large gold chalr saL Albus uumbledore Parry recognlzed hlm aL once from Lhe card
he'd goLLen ouL of Lhe ChocolaLe lrog on Lhe Lraln uumbledore's sllver halr was Lhe only Lhlng
ln Lhe whole hall LhaL shone as brlghLly as Lhe ghosLs Parry spoLLed rofessor Culrrell Loo Lhe
nervous young man from Lhe Leaky Cauldron Pe was looklng very pecullar ln a large purple
Lurban
And now Lhere were only Lhree people lefL Lo be sorLed 1homas uean" a 8lack boy even
Laller Lhan 8on [olned Parry aL Lhe Cryfflndor Lable 1urpln Llsa" became a 8avenclaw and
Lhen lL was 8on's Lurn Pe was pale green by now Parry crossed hls flngers under Lhe Lable
and a second laLer Lhe haL had shouLed C8?lllnuC8!"
Parry clapped loudly wlLh Lhe resL as 8on collapsed lnLo Lhe chalr nexL Lo hlm
Well done 8on excellenL" sald ercy Weasley pompously across Parry as Zablnl 8lalse"
was made a SlyLherln rofessor McConagall rolled up her scroll and Look Lhe SorLlng PaL
away
Parry looked down aL hls empLy gold plaLe Pe had only [usL reallzed how hungry he was 1he
pumpkln pasLles seemed ages ago
Albus uumbledore had goLLen Lo hls feeL Pe was beamlng aL Lhe sLudenLs hls arms opened
wlde as lf noLhlng could have pleased hlm more Lhan Lo see Lhem all Lhere
Welcome" he sald Welcome Lo a new year aL PogwarLs! 8efore we begln our banqueL l
would llke Lo say a few words And here Lhey are nlLwlL! 8lubber! CddmenL! 1weak!
1hank you!"
Pe saL back down Lverybody clapped and cheered Parry dldn'L know wheLher Lo laugh or noL
ls he a blL mad?" he asked ercy uncerLalnly
Mad?" sald ercy alrlly Pe's a genlus! 8esL wlzard ln Lhe world! 8uL he ls a blL mad yes
oLaLoes Parry?"
Parry's mouLh fell open 1he dlshes ln fronL of hlm were now plled wlLh food Pe had never
seen so many Lhlngs he llked Lo eaL on one Lable roasL beef roasL chlcken pork chops and
lamb chops sausages bacon and sLeak bolled poLaLoes roasL poLaLoes frles ?orkshlre
puddlng peas carroLs gravy keLchup and for some sLrange reason peppermlnL humbugs
1he uursleys had never exacLly sLarved Parry buL he'd never been allowed Lo eaL as much as
he llked uudley had always Laken anyLhlng LhaL Parry really wanLed even lf lL made hlm slck
Parry plled hls plaLe wlLh a blL of everyLhlng excepL Lhe peppermlnLs and began Lo eaL lL was
all dellclous
1haL does look good" sald Lhe ghosL ln Lhe ruff sadly waLchlng Parry cuL up hls sLeak
Can'L you ?"
l haven'L eaLen for nearly flve hundred years" sald Lhe ghosL l don'L need Lo of course buL
one does mlss lL l don'L Lhlnk l've lnLroduced myself? Slr nlcholas de MlmsyorplngLon aL
your servlce 8esldenL ghosL of Cryfflndor 1ower"
l know who you are!" sald 8on suddenly My broLhers Lold me abouL you you're nearly
Peadless nlck!"
l would prefer you Lo call me Slr nlcholas de Mlmsy " Lhe ghosL began sLlffly buL sandy
halred Seamus llnnlgan lnLerrupLed
nearly Peadless? Pow can you be nearly headless?"
Slr nlcholas looked exLremely mlffed as lf Lhelr llLLle chaL wasn'L golng aL all Lhe way he
wanLed
Llke Lhls" he sald lrrlLably Pe selzed hls lefL ear and pulled Pls whole head swung off hls
neck and fell onLo hls shoulder as lf lL was on a hlnge Someone had obvlously Lrled Lo behead
hlm buL noL done lL properly Looklng pleased aL Lhe sLunned looks on Lhelr faces nearly
Peadless nlck fllpped hls head back onLo hls neck coughed and sald So new Cryfflndors! l
hope you're golng Lo help us wln Lhe house champlonshlp Lhls year? Cryfflndors have never
gone so long wlLhouL wlnnlng SlyLherlns have goL Lhe cup slx years ln a row! 1he 8loody
8aron's becomlng almosL unbearable he's Lhe SlyLherln ghosL"
Parry looked over aL Lhe SlyLherln Lable and saw a horrlble ghosL slLLlng Lhere wlLh blank
sLarlng eyes a gaunL face and robes sLalned wlLh sllver blood Pe was rlghL nexL Lo Malfoy
who Parry was pleased Lo see dldn'L look Loo pleased wlLh Lhe seaLlng arrangemenLs
Pow dld he geL covered ln blood?" asked Seamus wlLh greaL lnLeresL
l've never asked" sald nearly Peadless nlck dellcaLely
When everyone had eaLen as much as Lhey could Lhe remalns of Lhe food faded from Lhe
plaLes leavlng Lhem sparkllng clean as before A momenL laLer Lhe desserLs appeared 8locks
of lce cream ln every flavor you could Lhlnk of apple ples Lreacle LarLs chocolaLe eclalrs and
[am doughnuLs Lrlfle sLrawberrles !ellC rlce puddlng
As Parry helped hlmself Lo a Lreacle LarL Lhe Lalk Lurned Lo Lhelr famllles
l'm halfandhalf" sald Seamus Me dad's a Muggle Mom dldn'L Lell hlm she was a wlLch 'Lll
afLer Lhey were marrled 8lL of a nasLy shock for hlm"
1he oLhers laughed
WhaL abouL you nevllle?" sald 8on
Well my gran broughL me up and she's a wlLch" sald nevllle buL Lhe famlly LhoughL l was
allMuggle for ages My CreaL uncle Algle kepL Lrylng Lo caLch me off my guard and force some
maglc ouL of me he pushed me off Lhe end of 8lackpool pler once l nearly drowned buL
noLhlng happened unLll l was elghL CreaL uncle Algle came round for dlnner and he was
hanglng me ouL of an upsLalrs wlndow by Lhe ankles when my CreaL AunLle Lnld offered hlm a
merlngue and he accldenLally leL go 8uL l bounced all Lhe way down Lhe garden and lnLo
Lhe road 1hey were all really pleased Cran was crylng she was so happy And you should
have seen Lhelr faces when l goL ln here Lhey LhoughL l mlghL noL be maglc enough Lo come
you see CreaL uncle Algle was so pleased he boughL me my Load"
Cn Parry's oLher slde ercy Weasley and Permlone were Lalklng abouL lessons (l do hope
Lhey sLarL rlghL away Lhere's so much Lo learn l'm parLlcularly lnLeresLed ln 1ransflguraLlon
you know Lurnlng someLhlng lnLo someLhlng else of course lL's supposed Lo be very dlfflculL
" ?ou'll be sLarLlng small [usL maLches lnLo needles and LhaL sorL of Lhlng ")
Parry who was sLarLlng Lo feel warm and sleepy looked up aL Lhe Plgh 1able agaln Pagrld
was drlnklng deeply from hls gobleL rofessor McConagall was Lalklng Lo rofessor
uumbledore rofessor Culrrell ln hls absurd Lurban was Lalklng Lo a Leacher wlLh greasy
black halr a hooked nose and sallow skln
lL happened very suddenly 1he hooknosed Leacher looked pasL Culrrell's Lurban sLralghL lnLo
Parry's eyes and a sharp hoL paln shoL across Lhe scar on Parry's forehead
Cuch!" Parry clapped a hand Lo hls head
WhaL ls lL?" asked ercy
nnoLhlng"
1he paln had gone as qulckly as lL had come Parder Lo shake off was Lhe feellng Parry had
goLLen from Lhe Leacher's look a feellng LhaL he dldn'L llke Parry aL all
Who's LhaL Leacher Lalklng Lo rofessor Culrrell?" he asked ercy
Ch you know Culrrell already do you? no wonder he's looklng so nervous LhaL's rofessor
Snape Pe Leaches oLlons buL he doesn'L wanL Lo everyone knows he's afLer Culrrell's [ob
knows an awful loL abouL Lhe uark ArLs Snape"
Parry waLched Snape for a whlle buL Snape dldn'L look aL hlm agaln
AL lasL Lhe desserLs Loo dlsappeared and rofessor uumbledore goL Lo hls feeL agaln 1he hall
fell sllenL
Ahem [usL a few more words now LhaL we are all fed and waLered l have a few sLarLof
Lerm noLlces Lo glve you
llrsL years should noLe LhaL Lhe foresL on Lhe grounds ls forbldden Lo all puplls And a few of
our older sLudenLs would do well Lo remember LhaL as well"
uumbledore's Lwlnkllng eyes flashed ln Lhe dlrecLlon of Lhe Weasley Lwlns
l have also been asked by Mr lllch Lhe careLaker Lo remlnd you all LhaL no maglc should be
used beLween classes ln Lhe corrldors
CulddlLch Lrlals wlll be held ln Lhe second week of Lhe Lerm Anyone lnLeresLed ln playlng for
Lhelr house Leams should conLacL Madam Pooch
And flnally l musL Lell you LhaL Lhls year Lhe Lhlrdfloor corrldor on Lhe rlghLhand slde ls ouL
of bounds Lo everyone who does noL wlsh Lo dle a very palnful deaLh"
Parry laughed buL he was one of Lhe few who dld
Pe's noL serlous?" he muLLered Lo ercy
MusL be" sald ercy frownlng aL uumbledore lL's odd because he usually glves us a reason
why we're noL allowed Lo go somewhere Lhe foresL's full of dangerous beasLs everyone
knows LhaL l do Lhlnk he mlghL have Lold us prefecLs aL leasL"
And now before we go Lo bed leL us slng Lhe school song!" crled uumbledore Parry noLlced
LhaL Lhe oLher Leachers' smlles had become raLher flxed
uumbledore gave hls wand a llLLle fllck as lf he was Lrylng Lo geL a fly off Lhe end and a long
golden rlbbon flew ouL of lL whlch rose hlgh above Lhe Lables and LwlsLed lLself snakellke lnLo
words
Lveryone plck Lhelr favorlLe Lune" sald uumbledore and off we go!"
And Lhe school bellowed
PogwarLs PogwarLs Poggy WarLy PogwarLs
1each us someLhlng please
WheLher we be old and bald
Cr young wlLh scabby knees
Cur heads could do wlLh fllllng
WlLh some lnLeresLlng sLuff
lor now Lhey're bare and full of alr
uead flles and blLs of fluff
So Leach us Lhlngs worLh knowlng
8rlng back whaL we've forgoL
[usL do your besL we'll do Lhe resL
And learn unLll our bralns all roL"
Lverybody flnlshed Lhe song aL dlfferenL Llmes AL lasL only Lhe Weasley Lwlns were lefL slnglng
along Lo a very slow funeral march uumbledore conducLed Lhelr lasL few llnes wlLh hls wand
and when Lhey had flnlshed he was one of Lhose who clapped loudesL
Ah muslc" he sald wlplng hls eyes A maglc beyond all we do here! And now bedLlme Cff
you LroL!"
1he Cryfflndor flrsL years followed ercy Lhrough Lhe chaLLerlng crowds ouL of Lhe CreaL Pall
and up Lhe marble sLalrcase Parry's legs were llke lead agaln buL only because he was so Llred
and full of food Pe was Loo sleepy even Lo be surprlsed LhaL Lhe people ln Lhe porLralLs along
Lhe corrldors whlspered and polnLed as Lhey passed or LhaL Lwlce ercy led Lhem Lhrough
doorways hldden behlnd slldlng panels and hanglng LapesLrles 1hey cllmbed more sLalrcases
yawnlng and dragglng Lhelr feeL and Parry was [usL wonderlng how much farLher Lhey had Lo
go when Lhey came Lo a sudden halL
A bundle of walklng sLlcks was floaLlng ln mldalr ahead of Lhem and as ercy Look a sLep
Loward Lhem Lhey sLarLed Lhrowlng Lhemselves aL hlm
eeves" ercy whlspered Lo Lhe flrsL years A polLergelsL" Pe ralsed hls volce eeves
show yourself"
A loud rude sound llke Lhe alr belng leL ouL of a balloon answered
uo you wanL me Lo go Lo Lhe 8loody 8aron?"
1here was a pop and a llLLle man wlLh wlcked dark eyes and a wlde mouLh appeared floaLlng
crosslegged ln Lhe alr cluLchlng Lhe walklng sLlcks
Cooooooh!" he sald wlLh an evll cackle lckle llrsLles! WhaL fun!"
Pe swooped suddenly aL Lhem 1hey all ducked
Co away eeves or Lhe 8aron'll hear abouL Lhls l mean lL!" barked ercy
eeves sLuck ouL hls Longue and vanlshed dropplng Lhe walklng sLlcks on nevllle's head 1hey
heard hlm zoomlng away raLLllng coaLs of armor as he passed
?ou wanL Lo waLch ouL for eeves" sald ercy as Lhey seL off agaln 1he 8loody 8aron's Lhe
only one who can conLrol hlm he won'L even llsLen Lo us prefecLs Pere we are"
AL Lhe very end of Lhe corrldor hung a porLralL of a very faL woman ln a plnk sllk dress
assword?" she sald
CapuL uraconls" sald ercy and Lhe porLralL swung forward Lo reveal a round hole ln Lhe
wall 1hey all scrambled Lhrough lL nevllle needed a leg up and found Lhemselves ln Lhe
Cryfflndor common room a cozy round room full of squashy armchalrs
ercy dlrecLed Lhe glrls Lhrough one door Lo Lhelr dormlLory and Lhe boys Lhrough anoLher AL
Lhe Lop of a splral sLalrcase Lhey were obvlously ln one of Lhe Lowers Lhey found Lhelr
beds aL lasL flve fourposLers hung wlLh deep red velveL curLalns 1helr Lrunks had already
been broughL up 1oo Llred Lo Lalk much Lhey pulled on Lhelr pa[amas and fell lnLo bed
CreaL food lsn'L lL?" 8on muLLered Lo Parry Lhrough Lhe hanglngs CeL off Scabbers! Pe's
chewlng my sheeLs"
Parry was golng Lo ask 8on lf he'd had any of Lhe Lreacle LarL buL he fell asleep almosL aL once
erhaps Parry had eaLen a blL Loo much because he had a very sLrange dream Pe was
wearlng rofessor Culrrell's Lurban whlch kepL Lalklng Lo hlm Lelllng hlm he musL Lransfer Lo
SlyLherln aL once because lL was hls desLlny Parry Lold Lhe Lurban he dldn'L wanL Lo be ln
SlyLherln lL goL heavler and heavler he Lrled Lo pull lL off buL lL LlghLened palnfully and
Lhere was Malfoy laughlng aL hlm as he sLruggled wlLh lL Lhen Malfoy Lurned lnLo Lhe hook
nosed Leacher Snape whose laugh became hlgh and cold Lhere was a bursL of green llghL
and Parry woke sweaLlng and shaklng
Pe rolled over and fell asleep agaln and when he woke nexL day he dldn'L remember Lhe
dream aL all
CPA1L8 LlCP1
1he oLlons MasLer
1here look"
Where?"
nexL Lo Lhe Lall kld wlLh Lhe red halr"
Wearlng Lhe glasses?"
uld you see hls face?"
uld you see hls scar?"
Whlspers followed Parry from Lhe momenL he lefL hls dormlLory Lhe nexL day eople llnlng up
ouLslde classrooms sLood on LlpLoe Lo geL a look aL hlm or doubled back Lo pass hlm ln Lhe
corrldors agaln sLarlng Parry wlshed Lhey wouldn'L because he was Lrylng Lo concenLraLe on
flndlng hls way Lo classes
1here were a hundred and forLyLwo sLalrcases aL PogwarLs wlde sweeplng ones narrow
rlckeLy ones some LhaL led somewhere dlfferenL on a lrlday some wlLh a vanlshlng sLep
halfway up LhaL you had Lo remember Lo [ump 1hen Lhere were doors LhaL wouldn'L open
unless you asked pollLely or Llckled Lhem ln exacLly Lhe rlghL place and doors LhaL weren'L
really doors aL all buL solld walls [usL preLendlng lL was also very hard Lo remember where
anyLhlng was because lL all seemed Lo move around a loL 1he people ln Lhe porLralLs kepL
golng Lo vlslL each oLher and Parry was sure Lhe coaLs of armor could walk
1he ghosLs dldn'L help elLher lL was always a nasLy shock when one of Lhem gllded suddenly
Lhrough a door you were Lrylng Lo open nearly Peadless nlck was always happy Lo polnL new
Cryfflndors ln Lhe rlghL dlrecLlon buL eeves Lhe olLergelsL was worLh Lwo locked doors and a
Lrlck sLalrcase lf you meL hlm when you were laLe for class Pe would drop wasLepaper baskeLs
on your head pull rugs from under your feeL pelL you wlLh blLs of chalk or sneak up behlnd
you lnvlslble grab your nose and screech CC1 ?Cu8 CCnk!"
Lven worse Lhan eeves lf LhaL was posslble was Lhe careLaker Argus lllch Parry and 8on
managed Lo geL on Lhe wrong slde of hlm on Lhelr very flrsL mornlng lllch found Lhem Lrylng
Lo force Lhelr way Lhrough a door LhaL unlucklly Lurned ouL Lo be Lhe enLrance Lo Lhe ouLof
bounds corrldor on Lhe Lhlrd floor Pe wouldn'L belleve Lhey were losL was sure Lhey were
Lrylng Lo break lnLo lL on purpose and was LhreaLenlng Lo lock Lhem ln Lhe dungeons when
Lhey were rescued by rofessor Culrrell who was passlng
lllch owned a caL called Mrs norrls a scrawny dusLcolored creaLure wlLh bulglng lamp llke
eyes [usL llke lllch's She paLrolled Lhe corrldors alone 8reak a rule ln fronL of her puL [usL one
Loe ouL of llne and she'd whlsk off for lllch who'd appear wheezlng Lwo seconds laLer lllch
knew Lhe secreL passageways of Lhe school beLLer Lhan anyone (excepL perhaps Lhe Weasley
Lwlns) and could pop up as suddenly as any of Lhe ghosLs 1he sLudenLs all haLed hlm and lL
was Lhe dearesL amblLlon of many Lo glve Mrs norrls a good klck
And Lhen once you had managed Lo flnd Lhem Lhere were Lhe classes Lhemselves 1here was
a loL more Lo maglc as Parry qulckly found ouL Lhan wavlng your wand and saylng a few funny
words
1hey had Lo sLudy Lhe nlghL skles Lhrough Lhelr Lelescopes every Wednesday aL mldnlghL and
learn Lhe names of dlfferenL sLars and Lhe movemenLs of Lhe planeLs 1hree Llmes a week Lhey
wenL ouL Lo Lhe greenhouses behlnd Lhe casLle Lo sLudy Perbology wlLh a dumpy llLLle wlLch
called rofessor SprouL where Lhey learned how Lo Lake care of all Lhe sLrange planLs and
fungl and found ouL whaL Lhey were used for Laslly Lhe mosL borlng class was PlsLory of
Maglc whlch was Lhe only one LaughL by a ghosL rofessor 8lnns had been very old lndeed
when he had fallen asleep ln fronL of Lhe sLaff room flre and goL up nexL mornlng Lo Leach
leavlng hls body behlnd hlm 8lnns droned on and on whlle Lhey scrlbbled down names and
daLes and goL LmeLlc Lhe Lvll and urlc Lhe Cddball mlxed up
rofessor lllLwlck Lhe Charms Leacher was a Llny llLLle wlzard who had Lo sLand on a plle of
books Lo see over hls desk AL Lhe sLarL of Lhelr flrsL class he Look Lhe roll call and when he
reached Parry's name he gave an exclLed squeak and Loppled ouL of slghL
rofessor McConagall was agaln dlfferenL Parry had been qulLe rlghL Lo Lhlnk she wasn'L a
Leacher Lo cross SLrlcL and clever she gave Lhem a LalklngLo Lhe momenL Lhey saL down ln her
flrsL class
1ransflguraLlon ls some of Lhe mosL complex and dangerous maglc you wlll learn aL
PogwarLs" she sald Anyone messlng around ln my class wlll leave and noL come back ?ou
have been warned"
1hen she changed her desk lnLo a plg and back agaln 1hey were all very lmpressed and
couldn'L walL Lo geL sLarLed buL soon reallzed Lhey weren'L golng Lo be changlng Lhe furnlLure
lnLo anlmals for a long Llme AfLer Laklng a loL of compllcaLed noLes Lhey were each glven a
maLch and sLarLed Lrylng Lo Lurn lL lnLo a needle 8y Lhe end of Lhe lesson only Permlone
Cranger had made any dlfference Lo her maLch rofessor McConagall showed Lhe class how lL
had gone all sllver and polnLy and gave Permlone a rare smlle
1he class everyone had really been looklng forward Lo was uefense AgalnsL Lhe uark ArLs buL
Culrrell's lessons Lurned ouL Lo be a blL of a [oke Pls classroom smelled sLrongly of garllc
whlch everyone sald was Lo ward off a vamplre he'd meL ln 8omanla and was afrald would be
comlng back Lo geL hlm one of Lhese days Pls Lurban he Lold Lhem had been glven Lo hlm by
an Afrlcan prlnce as a Lhankyou for geLLlng rld of a Lroublesome zomble buL Lhey weren'L sure
Lhey belleved Lhls sLory lor one Lhlng when Seamus llnnlgan asked eagerly Lo hear how
Culrrell had foughL off Lhe zomble Culrrell wenL plnk and sLarLed Lalklng abouL Lhe weaLher
for anoLher Lhey had noLlced LhaL a funny smell hung around Lhe Lurban and Lhe Weasley
Lwlns lnslsLed LhaL lL was
sLuffed full of garllc as well so LhaL Culrrell was proLecLed wherever he wenL
Parry was very relleved Lo flnd ouL LhaL he wasn'L mlles behlnd everyone else LoLs of people
had come from Muggle famllles and llke hlm hadn'L had any ldea LhaL Lhey were wlLches and
wlzards 1here was so much Lo learn LhaL even people llke 8on dldn'L have much of a head
sLarL
lrlday was an lmporLanL day for Parry and 8on 1hey flnally managed Lo flnd Lhelr way down
Lo Lhe CreaL Pall for breakfasL wlLhouL geLLlng losL once
WhaL have we goL Loday?" Parry asked 8on as he poured sugar on hls porrldge
uouble oLlons wlLh Lhe SlyLherlns" sald 8on Snape's Pead of SlyLherln Pouse 1hey say he
always favors Lhem we'll be able Lo see lf lL's Lrue"
Wlsh McConagall favored us" sald Parry rofessor McConagall was head of Cryfflndor
Pouse buL lL hadn'L sLopped her from glvlng Lhem a huge plle of homework Lhe day before
!usL Lhen Lhe mall arrlved Parry had goLLen used Lo Lhls by now buL lL had glven hlm a blL of a
shock on Lhe flrsL mornlng when abouL a hundred owls had suddenly sLreamed lnLo Lhe CreaL
Pall durlng breakfasL clrcllng Lhe Lables unLll Lhey saw Lhelr owners and dropplng leLLers and
packages onLo Lhelr laps
Pedwlg hadn'L broughL Parry anyLhlng so far She someLlmes flew ln Lo nlbble hls ear and have
a blL of LoasL before golng off Lo sleep ln Lhe owlery wlLh Lhe oLher school owls 1hls mornlng
however she fluLLered down beLween Lhe marmalade and Lhe sugar bowl and dropped a noLe
onLo Parry's plaLe Parry Lore lL open aL once lL sald ln a very unLldy scrawl
uear Parry
l know you geL lrlday afLernoons off so would you llke Lo come and have a cup of Lea wlLh me
around Lhree?
l wanL Lo hear all abouL your flrsL week Send us an answer back wlLh Pedwlg
Pagrld
Parry borrowed 8on's qulll scrlbbled ?es please see you laLer on Lhe back of Lhe noLe and
senL Pedwlg off agaln
lL was lucky LhaL Parry had Lea wlLh Pagrld Lo look forward Lo because Lhe oLlons lesson
Lurned ouL Lo be Lhe worsL Lhlng LhaL had happened Lo hlm so far
AL Lhe sLarLofLerm banqueL Parry had goLLen Lhe ldea LhaL rofessor Snape dlsllked hlm 8y
Lhe end of Lhe flrsL oLlons lesson he knew he'd been wrong Snape dldn'L dlsllke Parry he
haLed hlm
oLlons lessons Look place down ln one of Lhe dungeons lL was colder here Lhan up ln Lhe
maln casLle and would have been qulLe creepy enough wlLhouL Lhe plckled anlmals floaLlng ln
glass [ars all around Lhe walls
Snape llke lllLwlck sLarLed Lhe class by Laklng Lhe roll call and llke lllLwlck he paused aL
Parry's name
Ah ?es" he sald sofLly Parry oLLer Cur new celebrlLy"
uraco Malfoy and hls frlends Crabbe and Coyle snlggered behlnd Lhelr hands Snape flnlshed
calllng Lhe names and looked up aL Lhe class Pls eyes were black llke Pagrld's buL Lhey had
none of Pagrld's warmLh 1hey were cold and empLy and made you Lhlnk of dark Lunnels
?ou are here Lo learn Lhe subLle sclence and exacL arL of poLlonmaklng" he began Pe spoke
ln barely more Lhan a whlsper buL Lhey caughL every word llke rofessor McConagall
Snape had Lhe glfL of keeplng a class sllenL wlLhouL efforL As Lhere ls llLLle foollsh wand
wavlng here many of you wlll hardly belleve Lhls ls maglc l don'L expecL you wlll really
undersLand Lhe beauLy of Lhe sofLly slmmerlng cauldron wlLh lLs shlmmerlng fumes Lhe
dellcaLe power of llqulds LhaL creep Lhrough human velns bewlLchlng Lhe mlnd ensnarlng Lhe
senses l can Leach you how Lo boLLle fame brew glory even sLopper deaLh lf you aren'L as
blg a bunch of dunderheads as l usually have Lo Leach"
More sllence followed Lhls llLLle speech Parry and 8on exchanged looks wlLh ralsed eyebrows
Permlone Cranger was on Lhe edge of her seaL and looked desperaLe Lo sLarL provlng LhaL she
wasn'L a dunderhead
oLLer!" sald Snape suddenly WhaL would l geL lf l added powdered rooL of asphodel Lo an
lnfuslon of wormwood?"
owdered rooL of whaL Lo an lnfuslon of whaL? Parry glanced aL 8on who looked as sLumped
as he was Permlone's hand had shoL lnLo Lhe alr
l don'L know slr" sald Parry
Snape's llps curled lnLo a sneer
1uL LuL fame clearly lsn'L everyLhlng"
Pe lgnored Permlone's hand
LeL's Lry agaln oLLer where would you look lf l Lold you Lo flnd me a bezoar?"
Permlone sLreLched her hand as hlgh lnLo Lhe alr as lL would go wlLhouL her leavlng her seaL
buL Parry dldn'L have Lhe falnLesL ldea whaL a bezoar was Pe Lrled noL Lo look aL Malfoy
Crabbe and Coyle who were shaklng wlLh laughLer
l don'L know slr"
1houghL you wouldn'L open a book before comlng eh oLLer?" Parry forced hlmself Lo keep
looklng sLralghL lnLo Lhose cold eyes Pe had looked Lhrough hls books aL Lhe uursleys' buL dld
Snape expecL hlm Lo remember everyLhlng ln Cne 1housand Maglcal Perbs and lungl?
Snape was sLlll lgnorlng Permlone's qulverlng hand
WhaL ls Lhe dlfference oLLer beLween monkshood and wolfsbane?"
AL Lhls Permlone sLood up her hand sLreLchlng Loward Lhe dungeon celllng
l don'L know" sald Parry quleLly l Lhlnk Permlone does Lhough why don'L you Lry her?"
A few people laughed Parry caughL Seamus's eye and Seamus wlnked Snape however was
noL pleased
SlL down" he snapped aL Permlone lor your lnformaLlon oLLer asphodel and wormwood
make a sleeplng poLlon so powerful lL ls known as Lhe uraughL of Llvlng ueaLh A bezoar ls a
sLone Laken from Lhe sLomach of a goaL and lL wlll save you from mosL polsons As for
monkshood and wolfsbane Lhey are Lhe same planL whlch also goes by Lhe name of aconlLe
Well? Why aren'L you all copylng LhaL down?"
1here was a sudden rummaglng for qullls and parchmenL Cver Lhe nolse Snape sald And a
polnL wlll be Laken from Cryfflndor Pouse for your cheek oLLer"
1hlngs dldn'L lmprove for Lhe Cryfflndors as Lhe oLlons lesson conLlnued Snape puL Lhem all
lnLo palrs and seL Lhem Lo mlxlng up a slmple poLlon Lo cure bolls Pe swepL around ln hls long
black cloak waLchlng Lhem welgh drled neLLles and crush snake fangs crlLlclzlng almosL
everyone excepL Malfoy whom he seemed Lo llke Pe was [usL Lelllng everyone Lo look aL Lhe
perfecL way Malfoy had sLewed hls horned slugs when clouds of acld green smoke and a loud
hlsslng fllled Lhe dungeon nevllle had somehow managed Lo melL Seamus's cauldron lnLo a
LwlsLed blob and Lhelr poLlon was seeplng across Lhe sLone floor burnlng holes ln people's
shoes WlLhln seconds Lhe whole class was sLandlng on Lhelr sLools whlle nevllle who had
been drenched ln Lhe poLlon when Lhe cauldron collapsed moaned ln paln as angry red bolls
sprang up all over hls arms and legs
ldloL boy!" snarled Snape clearlng Lhe spllled poLlon away wlLh one wave of hls wand l
suppose you added Lhe porcuplne qullls before Laklng Lhe cauldron off Lhe flre?"
nevllle whlmpered as bolls sLarLed Lo pop up all over hls nose
1ake hlm up Lo Lhe hosplLal wlng" Snape spaL aL Seamus 1hen he rounded on Parry and 8on
who had been worklng nexL Lo nevllle
?ou oLLer why dldn'L you Lell hlm noL Lo add Lhe qullls? 1houghL he'd make you look
good lf he goL lL wrong dld you? 1haL's anoLher polnL you've losL for Cryfflndor"
1hls was so unfalr LhaL Parry opened hls mouLh Lo argue buL 8on klcked hlm behlnd Lhelr
cauldron
uon'L push lL" he muLLered l've heard Snape can Lurn very nasLy"
As Lhey cllmbed Lhe sLeps ouL of Lhe dungeon an hour laLer Parry's mlnd was raclng and hls
splrlLs were low Pe'd losL Lwo polnLs for Cryfflndor ln hls very flrsL week why dld Snape haLe
hlm so much?
Cheer up" sald 8on Snape's always Laklng polnLs off lred and Ceorge Can l come and meeL
Pagrld wlLh you?"
AL flve Lo Lhree Lhey lefL Lhe casLle and made Lhelr way across Lhe grounds Pagrld llved ln a
small wooden house on Lhe edge of Lhe forbldden foresL A crossbow and a palr of galoshes
were ouLslde Lhe fronL door
When Parry knocked Lhey heard a franLlc scrabbllng from lnslde and several boomlng barks
1hen Pagrld's volce rang ouL saylng 8ack lang back"
Pagrld's blg halry face appeared ln Lhe crack as he pulled Lhe door open
Pang on" he sald 8ack lang"
Pe leL Lhem ln sLruggllng Lo keep a hold on Lhe collar of an enormous black boarhound
1here was only one room lnslde Pams and pheasanLs were hanglng from Lhe celllng a copper
keLLle was bolllng on Lhe open flre and ln Lhe corner sLood a masslve bed wlLh a paLchwork
qullL over lL
Make yerselves aL home" sald Pagrld leLLlng go of lang who bounded sLralghL aL 8on and
sLarLed llcklng hls ears Llke Pagrld lang was clearly noL as flerce as he looked
1hls ls 8on" Parry Lold Pagrld who was pourlng bolllng waLer lnLo a large LeapoL and puLLlng
rock cakes onLo a plaLe
AnoLher Weasley eh?" sald Pagrld glanclng aL 8on's freckles l spenL half me llfe chasln' yer
Lwln broLhers away from Lhe foresL"
1he rock cakes were shapeless lumps wlLh ralslns LhaL almosL broke Lhelr LeeLh buL Parry and
8on preLended Lo be en[oylng Lhem as Lhey Lold Pagrld all abouL Lhelr flrsL lessons lang resLed
hls head on Parry's knee and drooled all over hls robes
Parry and 8on were dellghLed Lo hear Pagrld call lllch LhaL old glL"
An' as fer LhaL caL Mrs norrls l'd llke Ler lnLroduce her Lo lang someLlme u'yeh know every
Llme l go up Ler Lhe school she follows me everywhere? Can'L geL rld of her lllch puLs her
up Lo lL"
Parry Lold Pagrld abouL Snape's lesson Pagrld llke 8on Lold Parry noL Lo worry abouL lL LhaL
Snape llked hardly any of Lhe sLudenLs
8uL he seemed Lo really haLe me"
8ubblsh!" sald Pagrld Why should he?"
?eL Parry couldn'L help Lhlnklng LhaL Pagrld dldn'L qulLe meeL hls eyes when he sald LhaL
Pow's yer broLher Charlle?" Pagrld asked 8on l llked hlm a loL greaL wlLh anlmals"
Parry wondered lf Pagrld had changed Lhe sub[ecL on purpose Whlle 8on Lold Pagrld all abouL
Charlle's work wlLh dragons Parry plcked up a plece of paper LhaL was lylng on Lhe Lable under
Lhe Lea cozy lL was a cuLLlng from Lhe ually ropheL
C8lnCC11S 88LAkln LA1LS1
lnvesLlgaLlons conLlnue lnLo Lhe breakln aL CrlngoLLs on 31 !uly wldely belleved Lo be Lhe
work of uark wlzards or wlLches unknown CrlngoLLs gobllns Loday lnslsLed LhaL noLhlng had
been Laken 1he vaulL LhaL was searched had ln facL been empLled Lhe same day
8uL we're noL Lelllng you whaL was ln Lhere so keep your noses ouL lf you know whaL's good
for you" sald a CrlngoLLs spokesgoblln Lhls afLernoon
Parry remembered 8on Lelllng hlm on Lhe Lraln LhaL someone had Lrled Lo rob CrlngoLLs buL
8on hadn'L menLloned Lhe daLe
Pagrld!" sald Parry LhaL CrlngoLLs breakln happened on my blrLhday! lL mlghL've been
happenlng whlle we were Lhere!"
1here was no doubL abouL lL Pagrld deflnlLely dldn'L meeL Parry's eyes Lhls Llme Pe grunLed
and offered hlm anoLher rock cake Parry read Lhe sLory agaln 1he vaulL LhaL was searched
had ln facL been empLled earller LhaL same day Pagrld had empLled vaulL seven hundred and
LhlrLeen lf you could call lL empLylng Laklng ouL LhaL grubby llLLle package Pad LhaL been
whaL Lhe Lhleves were looklng for?
As Parry and 8on walked back Lo Lhe casLle for dlnner Lhelr pockeLs welghed down wlLh rock
cakes Lhey'd been Loo pollLe Lo refuse Parry LhoughL LhaL none of Lhe lessons he'd had so far
had glven hlm as much Lo Lhlnk abouL as Lea wlLh Pagrld Pad Pagrld collecLed LhaL package
[usL ln Llme? Where was lL now? And dld Pagrld know someLhlng abouL Snape LhaL he dldn'L
wanL Lo Lell Parry?
CPA1L8 nlnL
1he MldnlghL uuel
Parry had never belleved he would meeL a boy he haLed more Lhan uudley buL LhaL was
before he meL uraco Malfoy SLlll flrsLyear Cryfflndors only had oLlons wlLh Lhe SlyLherlns
so Lhey dldn'L have Lo puL up wlLh Malfoy much Cr aL leasL Lhey dldn'L unLll Lhey spoLLed a
noLlce plnned up ln Lhe Cryfflndor common room LhaL made Lhem all groan llylng lessons
would be sLarLlng on 1hursday and Cryfflndor and SlyLherln would be learnlng LogeLher
1yplcal" sald Parry darkly !usL whaL l always wanLed 1o make a fool of myself on a
broomsLlck ln fronL of Malfoy"
Pe had been looklng forward Lo learnlng Lo fly more Lhan anyLhlng else
?ou don'L know LhaL you'll make a fool of yourself" sald 8on reasonably Anyway l know
Malfoy's always golng on abouL how good he ls aL CulddlLch buL l beL LhaL's all Lalk"
Malfoy cerLalnly dld Lalk abouL flylng a loL Pe complalned loudly abouL flrsL years never
geLLlng on Lhe house CulddlLch Leams and Lold long boasLful sLorles LhaL always seemed Lo
end wlLh hlm narrowly escaplng Muggles ln hellcopLers Pe wasn'L Lhe only one Lhough Lhe
way Seamus llnnlgan Lold lL he'd spenL mosL of hls chlldhood zoomlng around Lhe counLryslde
on hls broomsLlck Lven 8on would Lell anyone who'd llsLen abouL Lhe Llme he'd almosL hlL a
hang gllder on Charlle's old broom Lveryone from wlzardlng famllles Lalked abouL CulddlLch
consLanLly 8on had already had a blg argumenL wlLh uean 1homas who shared Lhelr
dormlLory abouL soccer 8on couldn'L see whaL was exclLlng abouL a game wlLh only one ball
where no one was allowed Lo fly Parry had caughL 8on proddlng uean's posLer of WesL Pam
soccer Leam Lrylng Lo make Lhe players move
nevllle had never been on a broomsLlck ln hls llfe because hls grandmoLher had never leL hlm
near one rlvaLely Parry felL she'd had good reason because nevllle managed Lo have an
exLraordlnary number of accldenLs even wlLh boLh feeL on Lhe ground
Permlone Cranger was almosL as nervous abouL flylng as nevllle was 1hls was someLhlng you
couldn'L learn by hearL ouL of a book noL LhaL she hadn'L Lrled AL breakfasL on 1hursday she
bored Lhem all sLupld wlLh flylng Llps she'd goLLen ouL of a llbrary book called CulddlLch
1hrough Lhe Ages nevllle was hanglng on Lo her every word desperaLe for anyLhlng LhaL
mlghL help hlm hang on Lo hls broomsLlck laLer buL everybody else was very pleased when
Permlone's lecLure was lnLerrupLed by Lhe arrlval of Lhe mall
Parry hadn'L had a slngle leLLer slnce Pagrld's noLe someLhlng LhaL Malfoy had been qulck Lo
noLlce of course Malfoy's eagle owl was always brlnglng hlm packages of sweeLs from home
whlch he opened gloaLlngly aL Lhe SlyLherln Lable
A barn owl broughL nevllle a small package from hls grandmoLher Pe opened lL exclLedly and
showed Lhem a glass ball Lhe slze of a large marble whlch seemed Lo be full of whlLe smoke
lL's a 8emembrall!" he explalned Cran knows l forgeL Lhlngs Lhls Lells you lf Lhere's
someLhlng you've forgoLLen Lo do Look you hold lL LlghL llke Lhls and lf lL Lurns red oh" Pls
face fell because Lhe 8emembrall had suddenly glowed scarleL you've forgoLLen
someLhlng"
nevllle was Lrylng Lo remember whaL he'd forgoLLen when uraco Malfoy who was passlng Lhe
Cryfflndor Lable snaLched Lhe 8emembrall ouL of hls hand
Parry and 8on [umped Lo Lhelr feeL 1hey were half hoplng for a reason Lo flghL Malfoy buL
rofessor McConagall who could spoL Lrouble qulcker Lhan any Leacher ln Lhe school was
Lhere ln a flash
WhaL's golng on?"
Malfoy's goL my 8emembrall rofessor"
Scowllng Malfoy qulckly dropped Lhe 8emembrall back on Lhe Lable
!usL looklng" he sald and he sloped away wlLh Crabbe and Coyle behlnd hlm
AL LhreeLhlrLy LhaL afLernoon Parry 8on and Lhe oLher Cryfflndors hurrled down Lhe fronL
sLeps onLo Lhe grounds for Lhelr flrsL flylng lesson lL was a clear breezy day and Lhe grass
rlppled under Lhelr feeL as Lhey marched down Lhe sloplng lawns Loward a smooLh flaL lawn
on Lhe opposlLe slde of Lhe grounds Lo Lhe forbldden foresL whose Lrees were swaylng darkly
ln Lhe dlsLance
1he SlyLherlns were already Lhere and so were LwenLy broomsLlcks lylng ln neaL llnes on Lhe
ground Parry had heard lred and Ceorge Weasley complaln abouL Lhe school brooms saylng
LhaL some of Lhem sLarLed Lo vlbraLe lf you flew Loo hlgh or always flew sllghLly Lo Lhe lefL
1helr Leacher Madam Pooch arrlved She had shorL gray halr and yellow eyes llke a hawk
Well whaL are you all walLlng for?" she barked Lveryone sLand by a broomsLlck Come on
hurry up"
Parry glanced down aL hls broom lL was old and some of Lhe Lwlgs sLuck ouL aL odd angles
SLlck ouL your rlghL hand over your broom" called Madam Pooch aL Lhe fronL and say 'up!'"
u" everyone shouLed
Parry's broom [umped lnLo hls hand aL once buL lL was one of Lhe few LhaL dld Permlone
Cranger's had slmply rolled over on Lhe ground and nevllle's hadn'L moved aL all erhaps
brooms llke horses could Lell when you were afrald LhoughL Parry Lhere was a quaver ln
nevllle's volce LhaL sald only Loo clearly LhaL he wanLed Lo keep hls feeL on Lhe ground
Madam Pooch Lhen showed Lhem how Lo mounL Lhelr brooms wlLhouL slldlng off Lhe end and
walked up and down Lhe rows correcLlng Lhelr grlps Parry and 8on were dellghLed when she
Lold Malfoy he'd been dolng lL wrong for years
now when l blow my whlsLle you klck off from Lhe ground hard" sald Madam Pooch keep
your brooms sLeady rlse a few feeL and Lhen come sLralghL back down by leanlng forward
sllghLly Cn my whlsLle Lhree Lwo "
8uL nevllle nervous and [umpy and frlghLened of belng lefL on Lhe ground pushed off hard
before Lhe whlsLle had Louched Madam Pooch's llps
Come back boy!" she shouLed buL nevllle was rlslng sLralghL up llke a cork shoL ouL of a
boLLle Lwelve feeL LwenLy feeL Parry saw hls scared whlLe face look down aL Lhe ground
falllng away saw hlm gasp sllp sldeways off Lhe broom and
WPAM a Lhud and a nasLy crack and nevllle lay facedown on Lhe grass ln a heap Pls
broomsLlck was sLlll rlslng hlgher and hlgher and sLarLed Lo drlfL lazlly Loward Lhe forbldden
foresL and ouL of slghL
Madam Pooch was bendlng over nevllle her face as whlLe as hls
8roken wrlsL" Parry heard her muLLer Come on boy lL's all rlghL up you geL"
She Lurned Lo Lhe resL of Lhe class
none of you ls Lo move whlle l Lake Lhls boy Lo Lhe hosplLal wlng! ?ou leave Lhose brooms
where Lhey are or you'll be ouL of PogwarLs before you can say 'CulddlLch' Come on dear"
nevllle hls face LearsLreaked cluLchlng hls wrlsL hobbled off wlLh Madam Pooch who had
her arm around hlm
no sooner were Lhey ouL of earshoL Lhan Malfoy bursL lnLo laughLer
uld you see hls face Lhe greaL lump?"
1he oLher SlyLherlns [olned ln
ShuL up Malfoy" snapped arvaLl aLll
Coh sLlcklng up for LongboLLom?" sald ansy arklnson a hardfaced SlyLherln glrl never
LhoughL you'd llke faL llLLle crybables arvaLl"
Look!" sald Malfoy darLlng forward and snaLchlng someLhlng ouL of Lhe grass lL's LhaL sLupld
Lhlng LongboLLom's gran senL hlm"
1he 8emembrall gllLLered ln Lhe sun as he held lL up
Clve LhaL here Malfoy" sald Parry quleLly Lveryone sLopped Lalklng Lo waLch
Malfoy smlled nasLlly
l Lhlnk l'll leave lL somewhere for LongboLLom Lo flnd how abouL up a Lree?"
Clve lL here!" Parry yelled buL Malfoy had leapL onLo hls broomsLlck and Laken off Pe hadn'L
been lylng he could fly well Poverlng level wlLh Lhe LopmosL branches of an oak he called
Come and geL lL oLLer!"
Parry grabbed hls broom
no!" shouLed Permlone Cranger Madam Pooch Lold us noL Lo move you'll geL us all lnLo
Lrouble"
Parry lgnored her 8lood was poundlng ln hls ears Pe mounLed Lhe broom and klcked hard
agalnsL Lhe ground and up up he soared alr rushed Lhrough hls halr and hls robes whlpped
ouL behlnd hlm and ln a rush of flerce [oy he reallzed he'd found someLhlng he could do
wlLhouL belng LaughL Lhls was easy Lhls was wonderful Pe pulled hls broomsLlck up a llLLle
Lo Lake lL even hlgher and heard screams and gasps of glrls back on Lhe ground and an
admlrlng whoop from 8on
Pe Lurned hls broomsLlck sharply Lo face Malfoy ln mldalr Malfoy looked sLunned
Clve lL here" Parry called or l'll knock you off LhaL broom!"
Ch yeah?" sald Malfoy Lrylng Lo sneer buL looklng worrled
Parry knew somehow whaL Lo do Pe leaned forward and grasped Lhe broom LlghLly ln boLh
hands and lL shoL Loward Malfoy llke a [avelln Malfoy only [usL goL ouL of Lhe way ln Llme
Parry made a sharp abouLface and held Lhe broom sLeady A few people below were clapplng
no Crabbe and Coyle up here Lo save your neck Malfoy" Parry called
1he same LhoughL seemed Lo have sLruck Malfoy
CaLch lL lf you can Lhen!" he shouLed and he Lhrew Lhe glass ball hlgh lnLo Lhe alr and
sLreaked back Loward Lhe ground
Parry saw as Lhough ln slow moLlon Lhe ball rlse up ln Lhe alr and Lhen sLarL Lo fall Pe leaned
forward and polnLed hls broom handle down nexL second he was gaLherlng speed ln a sLeep
dlve raclng Lhe ball wlnd whlsLled ln hls ears mlngled wlLh Lhe screams of people waLchlng
he sLreLched ouL hls hand a fooL from Lhe ground he caughL lL [usL ln Llme Lo pull hls
broom sLralghL and he Loppled genLly onLo Lhe grass wlLh Lhe 8emembrall cluLched safely ln
hls flsL
PA88? C11L8!"
Pls hearL sank fasLer Lhan he'd [usL dlved rofessor McConagall was runnlng Loward Lhem Pe
goL Lo hls feeL Lrembllng
never ln all my Llme aL PogwarLs "
rofessor McConagall was almosL speechless wlLh shock and her glasses flashed furlously
how dare you mlghL have broken your neck "
lL wasn'L hls faulL rofessor "
8e quleL Mlss aLll "
8uL Malfoy "
1haL's enough Mr Weasley oLLer follow me now"
Parry caughL slghL of Malfoy Crabbe and Coyle's LrlumphanL faces as he lefL walklng numbly
ln rofessor McConagall's wake as she sLrode Loward Lhe casLle Pe was golng Lo be expelled
he [usL knew lL Pe wanLed Lo say someLhlng Lo defend hlmself buL Lhere seemed Lo be
someLhlng wrong wlLh hls volce rofessor McConagall was sweeplng along wlLhouL even
looklng aL hlm he had Lo [og Lo keep up now he'd done lL Pe hadn'L even lasLed Lwo weeks
Pe'd be packlng hls bags ln Len mlnuLes WhaL would Lhe uursleys say when he Lurned up on
Lhe doorsLep?
up Lhe fronL sLeps up Lhe marble sLalrcase lnslde and sLlll rofessor McConagall dldn'L say a
word Lo hlm She wrenched open doors and marched along corrldors wlLh Parry LroLLlng
mlserably behlnd her Maybe she was Laklng hlm Lo uumbledore Pe LhoughL of Pagrld
expelled buL allowed Lo sLay on as gamekeeper erhaps he could be Pagrld's asslsLanL Pls
sLomach LwlsLed as he lmaglned lL waLchlng 8on and Lhe oLhers becomlng wlzards whlle he
sLumped around Lhe grounds carrylng Pagrld's bag
rofessor McConagall sLopped ouLslde a classroom She opened Lhe door and poked her head
lnslde
Lxcuse me rofessor lllLwlck could l borrow Wood for a momenL?"
Wood? LhoughL Parry bewlldered was Wood a cane she was golng Lo use on hlm?
8uL Wood Lurned ouL Lo be a person a burly flfLhyear boy who came ouL of lllLwlck's class
looklng confused
lollow me you Lwo" sald rofessor McConagall and Lhey marched on up Lhe corrldor Wood
looklng curlously aL Parry
ln here"
rofessor McConagall polnLed Lhem lnLo a classroom LhaL was empLy excepL for eeves who
was busy wrlLlng rude words on Lhe blackboard
CuL eeves!" she barked eeves Lhrew Lhe chalk lnLo a bln whlch clanged loudly and he
swooped ouL curslng rofessor McConagall slammed Lhe door behlnd hlm and Lurned Lo face
Lhe Lwo boys
oLLer Lhls ls Cllver Wood Wood l've found you a Seeker"
Wood's expresslon changed from puzzlemenL Lo dellghL
Are you serlous rofessor?"
AbsoluLely" sald rofessor McConagall crlsply 1he boy's a naLural l've never seen anyLhlng
llke lL Was LhaL your flrsL Llme on a broomsLlck oLLer?"
Parry nodded sllenLly Pe dldn'L have a clue whaL was golng on buL he dldn'L seem Lo be belng
expelled and some of Lhe feellng sLarLed comlng back Lo hls legs
Pe caughL LhaL Lhlng ln hls hand afLer a flfLyfooL dlve" rofessor McConagall Lold Wood
uldn'L even scraLch hlmself Charlle Weasley couldn'L have done lL"
Wood was now looklng as Lhough all hls dreams had come Lrue aL once
Lver seen a game of CulddlLch oLLer?" he asked exclLedly
Wood's capLaln of Lhe Cryfflndor Leam" rofessor McConagall explalned
Pe's [usL Lhe bulld for a Seeker Loo" sald Wood now walklng around Parry and sLarlng aL
hlm LlghL speedy we'll have Lo geL hlm a decenL broom rofessor a nlmbus 1wo
1housand or a Cleansweep Seven l'd say"
l shall speak Lo rofessor uumbledore and see lf we can'L bend Lhe flrsLyear rule Peaven
knows we need a beLLer Leam Lhan lasL year llaLLened ln LhaL lasL maLch by SlyLherln l
couldn'L look Severus Snape ln Lhe face for weeks"
rofessor McConagall peered sLernly over her glasses aL Parry
l wanL Lo hear you're Lralnlng hard oLLer or l may change my mlnd abouL punlshlng you"
1hen she suddenly smlled
?our faLher would have been proud" she sald Pe was an excellenL CulddlLch player
hlmself"
?ou're [oklng"
lL was dlnnerLlme Parry had [usL flnlshed Lelllng 8on whaL had happened when he'd lefL Lhe
grounds wlLh rofessor McConagall 8on had a plece of sLeak and kldney ple halfway Lo hls
mouLh buL he'd forgoLLen all abouL lL
Seeker?" he sald 8uL flrsL years never you musL be Lhe youngesL house player ln abouL
"
a cenLury" sald Parry shovellng ple lnLo hls mouLh Pe felL parLlcularly hungry afLer Lhe
exclLemenL of Lhe afLernoon Wood Lold me"
8on was so amazed so lmpressed he [usL saL and gaped aL Parry
l sLarL Lralnlng nexL week" sald Parry Cnly don'L Lell anyone Wood wanLs Lo keep lL a
secreL"
lred and Ceorge Weasley now came lnLo Lhe hall spoLLed Parry and hurrled over
Well done" sald Ceorge ln a low volce Wood Lold us We're on Lhe Leam Loo 8eaLers"
l Lell you we're golng Lo wln LhaL CulddlLch cup for sure Lhls year" sald lred We haven'L
won slnce Charlle lefL buL Lhls year's Leam ls golng Lo be brllllanL ?ou musL be good Parry
Wood was almosL sklpplng when he Lold us"
Anyway we've goL Lo go Lee !ordan reckons he's found a new secreL passageway ouL of Lhe
school"
8eL lL's LhaL one behlnd Lhe sLaLue of Cregory Lhe Smarmy LhaL we found ln our flrsL week
See you"
lred and Ceorge had hardly dlsappeared when someone far less welcome Lurned up Malfoy
flanked by Crabbe and Coyle
Pavlng a lasL meal oLLer? When are you geLLlng Lhe Lraln back Lo Lhe Muggles?"
?ou're a loL braver now LhaL you're back on Lhe ground and you've goL your llLLle frlends wlLh
you" sald Parry coolly 1here was of course noLhlng aL all llLLle abouL Crabbe and Coyle buL as
Lhe Plgh 1able was full of Leachers nelLher of Lhem could do more Lhan crack Lhelr knuckles
and scowl
l'd Lake you on anyLlme on my own" sald Malfoy 1onlghL lf you wanL Wlzard's duel Wands
only no conLacL WhaL's Lhe maLLer? never heard of a wlzard's duel before l suppose?"
Cf course he has" sald 8on wheellng around l'm hls second who's yours?"
Malfoy looked aL Crabbe and Coyle slzlng Lhem up
Crabbe" he sald MldnlghL all rlghL? We'll meeL you ln Lhe Lrophy room LhaL's always
unlocked"
When Malfoy had gone 8on and Parry looked aL each oLher
WhaL ls a wlzard's duel?" sald Parry And whaL do you mean you're my second?"
Well a second's Lhere Lo Lake over lf you dle" sald 8on casually geLLlng sLarLed aL lasL on hls
cold ple CaLchlng Lhe look on Parry's face he added qulckly 8uL people only dle ln proper
duels you know wlLh real wlzards 1he mosL you and Malfoy'll be able Lo do ls send sparks aL
each oLher nelLher of you knows enough maglc Lo do any real damage l beL he expecLed you
Lo refuse anyway"
And whaL lf l wave my wand and noLhlng happens?"
1hrow lL away and punch hlm on Lhe nose" 8on suggesLed
Lxcuse me"
1hey boLh looked up lL was Permlone Cranger
Can'L a person eaL ln peace ln Lhls place?" sald 8on
Permlone lgnored hlm and spoke Lo Parry
l couldn'L help overhearlng whaL you and Malfoy were saylng "
8eL you could" 8on muLLered
and you musLn'L go wanderlng around Lhe school aL nlghL Lhlnk of Lhe polnLs you'll lose
Cryfflndor lf you're caughL and you're bound Lo be lL's really very selflsh of you"
And lL's really none of your buslness" sald Parry
Coodbye" sald 8on
All Lhe same lL wasn'L whaL you'd call Lhe perfecL end Lo Lhe day Parry LhoughL as he lay
awake much laLer llsLenlng Lo uean and Seamus falllng asleep (nevllle wasn'L back from Lhe
hosplLal wlng) 8on had spenL all evenlng glvlng hlm advlce such as lf he Lrles Lo curse you
you'd beLLer dodge lL because l can'L remember how Lo block Lhem" 1here was a very good
chance Lhey were golng Lo geL caughL by lllch or Mrs norrls and Parry felL he was pushlng hls
luck breaklng anoLher school rule Loday Cn Lhe oLher hand Malfoy's sneerlng face kepL
loomlng up ouL of Lhe darkness Lhls was hls blg chance Lo beaL Malfoy faceLoface Pe
couldn'L mlss lL
PalfpasL eleven" 8on muLLered aL lasL we'd beLLer go"
1hey pulled on Lhelr baLhrobes plcked up Lhelr wands and crepL across Lhe Lower room down
Lhe splral sLalrcase and lnLo Lhe Cryfflndor common room A few embers were sLlll glowlng ln
Lhe flreplace Lurnlng all Lhe armchalrs lnLo hunched black shadows 1hey had almosL reached
Lhe porLralL hole when a volce spoke from Lhe chalr nearesL Lhem l can'L belleve you're golng
Lo do Lhls Parry"
A lamp fllckered on lL was Permlone Cranger wearlng a plnk baLhrobe and a frown
?ou!" sald 8on furlously Co back Lo bed!"
l almosL Lold your broLher" Permlone snapped ercy he's a prefecL he'd puL a sLop Lo
Lhls"
Parry couldn'L belleve anyone could be so lnLerferlng
Come on" he sald Lo 8on Pe pushed open Lhe porLralL of Lhe laL Lady and cllmbed Lhrough
Lhe hole
Permlone wasn'L golng Lo glve up LhaL easlly She followed 8on Lhrough Lhe porLralL hole
hlsslng aL Lhem llke an angry goose
uon'L you care abouL Cryfflndor do you only care abouL yourselves l don'L wanL SlyLherln Lo
wln Lhe house cup and you'll lose all Lhe polnLs l goL from rofessor McConagall for knowlng
abouL SwlLchlng Spells"
Co away"
All rlghL buL l warned you you [usL remember whaL l sald when you're on Lhe Lraln home
Lomorrow you're so "
8uL whaL Lhey were Lhey dldn'L flnd ouL Permlone had Lurned Lo Lhe porLralL of Lhe laL Lady
Lo geL back lnslde and found herself faclng an empLy palnLlng 1he laL Lady had gone on a
nlghLLlme vlslL and Permlone was locked ouL of Cryfflndor Lower
now whaL am l golng Lo do?" she asked shrllly
1haL's your problem" sald 8on We've goL Lo go we're golng Lo be laLe"
1hey hadn'L even reached Lhe end of Lhe corrldor when Permlone caughL up wlLh Lhem
l'm comlng wlLh you" she sald
?ou are noL"
u'you Lhlnk l'm golng Lo sLand ouL here and walL for lllch Lo caLch me? lf he flnds all Lhree of
us l'll Lell hlm Lhe LruLh LhaL l was Lrylng Lo sLop you and you can back me up"
?ou've goL some nerve " sald 8on loudly
ShuL up boLh of you!" sald Parry sharply l heard someLhlng"
lL was a sorL of snuffllng
Mrs norrls?" breaLhed 8on squlnLlng Lhrough Lhe dark
lL wasn'L Mrs norrls lL was nevllle Pe was curled up on Lhe floor fasL asleep buL [erked
suddenly awake as Lhey crepL nearer
1hank goodness you found me! l've been ouL here for hours l couldn'L remember Lhe new
password Lo geL ln Lo bed"
keep your volce down nevllle 1he password's 'lg snouL' buL lL won'L help you now Lhe laL
Lady's gone off somewhere"
Pow's your arm?" sald Parry
llne" sald nevllle showlng Lhem Madam omfrey mended lL ln abouL a mlnuLe"
Cood well look nevllle we've goL Lo be somewhere we'll see you laLer "
uon'L leave me!" sald nevllle scrambllng Lo hls feeL l don'L wanL Lo sLay here alone Lhe
8loody 8aron's been pasL Lwlce already"
8on looked aL hls waLch and Lhen glared furlously aL Permlone and nevllle
lf elLher of you geL us caughL l'll never resL unLll l've learned LhaL Curse of Lhe 8ogles Culrrell
Lold us abouL and used lL on you"
Permlone opened her mouLh perhaps Lo Lell 8on exacLly how Lo use Lhe Curse of Lhe 8ogles
buL Parry hlssed aL her Lo be quleL and beckoned Lhem all forward
1hey fllLLed along corrldors sLrlped wlLh bars of moonllghL from Lhe hlgh wlndows AL every
Lurn Parry expecLed Lo run lnLo lllch or Mrs norrls buL Lhey were lucky 1hey sped up a
sLalrcase Lo Lhe Lhlrd floor and LlpLoed Loward Lhe Lrophy room
Malfoy and Crabbe weren'L Lhere yeL 1he crysLal Lrophy cases gllmmered where Lhe
moonllghL caughL Lhem Cups shlelds plaLes and sLaLues wlnked sllver and gold ln Lhe
darkness 1hey edged along Lhe walls keeplng Lhelr eyes on Lhe doors aL elLher end of Lhe
room Parry Look ouL hls wand ln case Malfoy leapL ln and sLarLed aL once 1he mlnuLes crepL
by
Pe's laLe maybe he's chlckened ouL" 8on whlspered
1hen a nolse ln Lhe nexL room made Lhem [ump Parry had only [usL ralsed hls wand when Lhey
heard someone speak and lL wasn'L Malfoy
Snlff around my sweeL Lhey mlghL be lurklng ln a corner"
lL was lllch speaklng Lo Mrs norrls PorrorsLruck Parry waved madly aL Lhe oLher Lhree Lo
follow hlm as qulckly as posslble Lhey scurrled sllenLly Loward Lhe door away from lllch's
volce nevllle's robes had barely whlpped round Lhe corner when Lhey heard lllch enLer Lhe
Lrophy room
1hey're ln here somewhere" Lhey heard hlm muLLer probably hldlng"
1hls way!" Parry mouLhed Lo Lhe oLhers and peLrlfled Lhey began Lo creep down a long
gallery full of sulLs of armor 1hey could hear lllch geLLlng nearer nevllle suddenly leL ouL a
frlghLened squeak and broke lnLo a run he Lrlpped grabbed 8on around Lhe walsL and Lhe palr
of Lhem Loppled rlghL lnLo a sulL of armor
1he clanglng and crashlng were enough Lo wake Lhe whole casLle
8un!" Parry yelled and Lhe four of Lhem sprlnLed down Lhe gallery noL looklng back Lo see
wheLher lllch was followlng Lhey swung around Lhe doorposL and galloped down one
corrldor Lhen anoLher Parry ln Lhe lead wlLhouL any ldea where Lhey were or where Lhey
were golng Lhey rlpped Lhrough a LapesLry and found Lhemselves ln a hldden passageway
hurLled along lL and came ouL near Lhelr Charms classroom whlch Lhey knew was mlles from
Lhe Lrophy room
l Lhlnk we've losL hlm" Parry panLed leanlng agalnsL Lhe cold wall and wlplng hls forehead
nevllle was benL double wheezlng and spluLLerlng
l Lold you" Permlone gasped cluLchlng aL Lhe sLlLch ln her chesL l Lold you"
We've goL Lo geL back Lo Cryfflndor Lower" sald 8on qulckly as posslble"
Malfoy Lrlcked you" Permlone sald Lo Parry ?ou reallze LhaL don'L you? Pe was never golng
Lo meeL you lllch knew someone was golng Lo be ln Lhe Lrophy room Malfoy musL have
Llpped hlm off"
Parry LhoughL she was probably rlghL buL he wasn'L golng Lo Lell her LhaL
LeL's go"
lL wasn'L golng Lo be LhaL slmple 1hey hadn'L gone more Lhan a dozen paces when a doorknob
raLLled and someLhlng came shooLlng ouL of a classroom ln fronL of Lhem
lL was eeves Pe caughL slghL of Lhem and gave a squeal of dellghL
ShuL up eeves please you'll geL us Lhrown ouL"
eeves cackled
Wanderlng around aL mldnlghL lckle llrsLles? 1uL LuL LuL naughLy naughLy you'll geL
caughLy"
noL lf you don'L glve us away eeves please"
Should Lell lllch l should" sald eeves ln a salnLly volce buL hls eyes gllLLered wlckedly lL's
for your own good you know"
CeL ouL of Lhe way" snapped 8on Laklng a swlpe aL eeves Lhls was a blg mlsLake
S1uuLn1S Cu1 Cl 8Lu!" eeves bellowed S1uuLn1S Cu1 Cl 8Lu uCWn 1PL CPA8MS
CC88luC8!"
uucklng under eeves Lhey ran for Lhelr llves rlghL Lo Lhe end of Lhe corrldor where Lhey
slammed lnLo a door and lL was locked
1hls ls lL!" 8on moaned as Lhey pushed helplessly aL Lhe door We're done for! 1hls ls Lhe
end!"
1hey could hear fooLsLeps lllch runnlng as fasL as he could Loward eeves's shouLs
Ch move over" Permlone snarled She grabbed Parry's wand Lapped Lhe lock and
whlspered Alohomora!"
1he lock cllcked and Lhe door swung open Lhey plled Lhrough lL shuL lL qulckly and pressed
Lhelr ears agalnsL lL llsLenlng
Whlch way dld Lhey go eeves?" lllch was saylng Culck Lell me"
Say 'please'"
uon'L mess wlLh me eeves now where dld Lhey go?"
Shan'L say noLhlng lf you don'L say please" sald eeves ln hls annoylng slngsong volce
All rlghL please"
nC1PlnC! Pa haaa! 1old you l wouldn'L say noLhlng lf you dldn'L say please! Pa ha!
Paaaaaa!" And Lhey heard Lhe sound of eeves whooshlng away and lllch curslng ln rage
Pe Lhlnks Lhls door ls locked" Parry whlspered l Lhlnk we'll be okay geL off nevllle!" lor
nevllle had been Lugglng on Lhe sleeve of Parry's baLhrobe for Lhe lasL mlnuLe WhaL?"
Parry Lurned around and saw qulLe clearly whaL lor a momenL he was sure he'd walked
lnLo a nlghLmare Lhls was Loo much on Lop of everyLhlng LhaL had happened so far
1hey weren'L ln a room as he had supposed 1hey were ln a corrldor 1he forbldden corrldor
on Lhe Lhlrd floor And now Lhey knew why lL was forbldden
1hey were looklng sLralghL lnLo Lhe eyes of a monsLrous dog a dog LhaL fllled Lhe whole space
beLween celllng and floor lL had Lhree heads 1hree palrs of rolllng mad eyes Lhree noses
LwlLchlng and qulverlng ln Lhelr dlrecLlon Lhree droollng mouLhs sallva hanglng ln sllppery
ropes from yellowlsh fangs
lL was sLandlng qulLe sLlll all slx eyes sLarlng aL Lhem and Parry knew LhaL Lhe only reason Lhey
weren'L already dead was LhaL Lhelr sudden appearance had Laken lL by surprlse buL lL was
qulckly geLLlng over LhaL Lhere was no mlsLaklng whaL Lhose Lhunderous growls meanL
Parry groped for Lhe doorknob beLween lllch and deaLh he'd Lake lllch
1hey fell backward Parry slammed Lhe door shuL and Lhey ran Lhey almosL flew back
down Lhe corrldor lllch musL have hurrled off Lo look for Lhem somewhere else because Lhey
dldn'L see hlm anywhere buL Lhey hardly cared all Lhey wanLed Lo do was puL as much
space as posslble beLween Lhem and LhaL monsLer 1hey dldn'L sLop runnlng unLll Lhey reached
Lhe porLralL of Lhe laL Lady on Lhe sevenLh floor
Where on earLh have you all been?" she asked looklng aL Lhelr baLhrobes hanglng off Lhelr
shoulders and Lhelr flushed sweaLy faces
never mlnd LhaL plg snouL plg snouL" panLed Parry and Lhe porLralL swung forward 1hey
scrambled lnLo Lhe common room and collapsed Lrembllng lnLo armchalrs
lL was a whlle before any of Lhem sald anyLhlng nevllle lndeed looked as lf he'd never speak
agaln
WhaL do Lhey Lhlnk Lhey're dolng keeplng a Lhlng llke LhaL locked up ln a school?" sald 8on
flnally lf any dog needs exerclse LhaL one does"
Permlone had goL boLh her breaLh and her bad Lemper back agaln ?ou don'L use your eyes
any of you do you?" she snapped uldn'L you see whaL lL was sLandlng on?"
1he floor?" Parry suggesLed l wasn'L looklng aL lLs feeL l was Loo busy wlLh lLs heads"
no noL Lhe floor lL was sLandlng on a Lrapdoor lL's obvlously guardlng someLhlng"
She sLood up glarlng aL Lhem
l hope you're pleased wlLh yourselves We could all have been kllled or worse expelled
now lf you don'L mlnd l'm golng Lo bed"
8on sLared afLer her hls mouLh open
no we don'L mlnd" he sald ?ou'd Lhlnk we dragged her along wouldn'L you"
8uL Permlone had glven Parry someLhlng else Lo Lhlnk abouL as he cllmbed back lnLo bed 1he
dog was guardlng someLhlng WhaL had Pagrld sald? CrlngoLLs was Lhe safesL place ln Lhe
world for someLhlng you wanLed Lo hlde excepL perhaps PogwarLs
lL looked as Lhough Parry had found ouL where Lhe grubby llLLle package from vaulL seven
hundred and LhlrLeen was
CPA1L8 1Ln
Palloween
Malfoy couldn'L belleve hls eyes when he saw LhaL Parry and 8on were sLlll aL PogwarLs Lhe
nexL day looklng Llred buL perfecLly cheerful lndeed by Lhe nexL mornlng Parry and 8on
LhoughL LhaL meeLlng Lhe Lhreeheaded dog had been an excellenL advenLure and Lhey were
qulLe keen Lo have anoLher one ln Lhe meanLlme Parry fllled 8on ln abouL Lhe package LhaL
seemed Lo have been moved from CrlngoLLs Lo PogwarLs and Lhey spenL a loL of Llme
wonderlng whaL could posslbly need such heavy proLecLlon
lL's elLher really valuable or really dangerous" sald 8on
Cr boLh" sald Parry
8uL as all Lhey knew for sure abouL Lhe mysLerlous ob[ecL was LhaL lL was abouL Lwo lnches
long Lhey dldn'L have much chance of guesslng whaL lL was wlLhouL furLher clues
nelLher nevllle nor Permlone showed Lhe sllghLesL lnLeresL ln whaL lay underneaLh Lhe dog
and Lhe Lrapdoor All nevllle cared abouL was never golng near Lhe dog agaln
Permlone was now refuslng Lo speak Lo Parry and 8on buL she was such a bossy knowlLall
LhaL Lhey saw Lhls as an added bonus All Lhey really wanLed now was a way of geLLlng back aL
Malfoy and Lo Lhelr greaL dellghL [usL such a Lhlng arrlved ln Lhe mall abouL a week laLer
As Lhe owls flooded lnLo Lhe CreaL Pall as usual everyone's aLLenLlon was caughL aL once by a
long Lhln package carrled by slx large screech owls Parry was [usL as lnLeresLed as everyone
else Lo see whaL was ln Lhls large parcel and was amazed when Lhe owls soared down and
dropped lL rlghL ln fronL of hlm knocklng hls bacon Lo Lhe floor 1hey had hardly fluLLered ouL
of Lhe way when anoLher owl dropped a leLLer on Lop of Lhe parcel
Parry rlpped open Lhe leLLer flrsL whlch was lucky because lL sald
uC nC1 CLn 1PL A8CLL A1 1PL 1A8LL
lL conLalns your new nlmbus 1wo 1housand buL l don'L wanL everybody knowlng you've goL a
broomsLlck or Lhey'll all wanL one Cllver Wood wlll meeL you LonlghL on Lhe CulddlLch fleld aL
seven o'clock for your flrsL Lralnlng sesslon
rofessor McConagall
Parry had dlfflculLy hldlng hls glee as he handed Lhe noLe Lo 8on Lo read
A nlmbus 1wo 1housand!" 8on moaned envlously l've never even Louched one"
1hey lefL Lhe hall qulckly wanLlng Lo unwrap Lhe broomsLlck ln prlvaLe before Lhelr flrsL class
buL halfway across Lhe enLrance hall Lhey found Lhe way upsLalrs barred by Crabbe and Coyle
Malfoy selzed Lhe package from Parry and felL lL
1haL's a broomsLlck" he sald Lhrowlng lL back Lo Parry wlLh a mlxLure of [ealousy and splLe
on hls face ?ou'll be ln for lL Lhls Llme oLLer flrsL years aren'L allowed Lhem"
8on couldn'L reslsL lL
lL's noL any old broomsLlck" he sald lL's a nlmbus 1wo 1housand WhaL dld you say you've
goL aL home Malfoy a ComeL 1wo SlxLy?" 8on grlnned aL Parry ComeLs look flashy buL
Lhey're noL ln Lhe same league as Lhe nlmbus"
WhaL would you know abouL lL Weasley you couldn'L afford half Lhe handle" Malfoy
snapped back l suppose you and your broLhers have Lo save up Lwlg by Lwlg"
8efore 8on could answer rofessor lllLwlck appeared aL Malfoy's elbow
noL argulng l hope boys?" he squeaked
oLLer's been senL a broomsLlck rofessor" sald Malfoy qulckly
?es yes LhaL's rlghL" sald rofessor lllLwlck beamlng aL Parry rofessor McConagall Lold
me all abouL Lhe speclal clrcumsLances oLLer And whaL model ls lL?"
A nlmbus 1wo 1housand lL ls" sald Parry flghLlng noL Lo laugh aL Lhe look of horror on
Malfoy's face And lL's really Lhanks Lo Malfoy here LhaL l've goL lL" he added
Parry and 8on headed upsLalrs smoLherlng Lhelr laughLer aL Malfoy's obvlous rage and
confuslon
Well lL's Lrue" Parry chorLled as Lhey reached Lhe Lop of Lhe marble sLalrcase lf he hadn'L
sLolen nevllle's 8emembrall l wouldn'L be on Lhe Leam"
So l suppose you Lhlnk LhaL's a reward for breaklng rules?" came an angry volce from [usL
behlnd Lhem Permlone was sLomplng up Lhe sLalrs looklng dlsapprovlngly aL Lhe package ln
Parry's hand
l LhoughL you weren'L speaklng Lo us?" sald Parry
?es don'L sLop now" sald 8on lL's dolng us so much good"
Permlone marched away wlLh her nose ln Lhe alr
Parry had a loL of Lrouble keeplng hls mlnd on hls lessons LhaL day lL kepL wanderlng up Lo Lhe
dormlLory where hls new broomsLlck was lylng under hls bed or sLraylng off Lo Lhe CulddlLch
fleld where he'd be learnlng Lo play LhaL nlghL Pe bolLed hls dlnner LhaL evenlng wlLhouL
noLlclng whaL he was eaLlng and Lhen rushed upsLalrs wlLh 8on Lo unwrap Lhe nlmbus 1wo
1housand aL lasL
Wow" 8on slghed as Lhe broomsLlck rolled onLo Parry's bedspread
Lven Parry who knew noLhlng abouL Lhe dlfferenL brooms LhoughL lL looked wonderful Sleek
and shlny wlLh a mahogany handle lL had a long Lall of neaL sLralghL Lwlgs and nlmbus 1wo
1housand wrlLLen ln gold near Lhe Lop
As seven o'clock drew nearer Parry lefL Lhe casLle and seL off ln Lhe dusk Loward Lhe CulddlLch
fleld Peld never been lnslde Lhe sLadlum before Pundreds of seaLs were ralsed ln sLands
around Lhe fleld so LhaL Lhe specLaLors were hlgh enough Lo see whaL was golng on AL elLher
end of Lhe fleld were Lhree golden poles wlLh hoops on Lhe end 1hey remlnded Parry of Lhe
llLLle plasLlc sLlcks Muggle chlldren blew bubbles Lhrough excepL LhaL Lhey were flfLy feeL hlgh
1oo eager Lo fly agaln Lo walL for Wood Parry mounLed hls broomsLlck and klcked off from Lhe
ground WhaL a feellng he swooped ln and ouL of Lhe goal posLs and Lhen sped up and down
Lhe fleld 1he nlmbus 1wo 1housand Lurned wherever he wanLed aL hls llghLesL Louch
Pey oLLer come down!"
Cllver Wood had arrlved Pe was carrylng a large wooden craLe under hls arm Parry landed
nexL Lo hlm
very nlce" sald Wood hls eyes gllnLlng l see whaL McConagall meanL you really are a
naLural l'm [usL golng Lo Leach you Lhe rules Lhls evenlng Lhen you'll be [olnlng Leam pracLlce
Lhree Llmes a week"
Pe opened Lhe craLe lnslde were four dlfferenLslzed balls
8lghL" sald Wood now CulddlLch ls easy enough Lo undersLand even lf lL's noL Loo easy Lo
play 1here are seven players on each slde 1hree of Lhem are called Chasers"
1hree Chasers" Parry repeaLed as Wood Look ouL a brlghL red ball abouL Lhe slze of a soccer
ball
1hls ball's called Lhe Cuaffle" sald Wood 1he Chasers Lhrow Lhe Cuaffle Lo each oLher and
Lry and geL lL Lhrough one of Lhe hoops Lo score a goal 1en polnLs every Llme Lhe Cuaffle goes
Lhrough one of Lhe hoops lollow me?"
1he Chasers Lhrow Lhe Cuaffle and puL lL Lhrough Lhe hoops Lo score" Parry reclLed So
LhaL's sorL of llke baskeLball on broomsLlcks wlLh slx hoops lsn'L lL?"
WhaL's baskeLball?" sald Wood curlously
never mlnd" sald Parry qulckly
now Lhere's anoLher player on each slde who's called Lhe keeper l'm keeper for
Cryfflndor l have Lo fly around our hoops and sLop Lhe oLher Leam from scorlng"
1hree Chasers one keeper" sald Parry who was deLermlned Lo remember lL all And Lhey
play wlLh Lhe Cuaffle Ckay goL LhaL So whaL are Lhey for?" Pe polnLed aL Lhe Lhree balls lefL
lnslde Lhe box
l'll show you now" sald Wood 1ake Lhls"
Pe handed Parry a small club a blL llke a shorL baseball baL
l'm golng Lo show you whaL Lhe 8ludgers do" Wood sald 1hese Lwo are Lhe 8ludgers"
Pe showed Parry Lwo ldenLlcal balls [eL black and sllghLly smaller Lhan Lhe red Cuaffle Parry
noLlced LhaL Lhey seemed Lo be sLralnlng Lo escape Lhe sLraps holdlng Lhem lnslde Lhe box
SLand back" Wood warned Parry Pe benL down and freed one of Lhe 8ludgers
AL once Lhe black ball rose hlgh ln Lhe alr and Lhen pelLed sLralghL aL Parry's face Parry swung
aL lL wlLh Lhe baL Lo sLop lL from breaklng hls nose and senL lL zlgzagglng away lnLo Lhe alr lL
zoomed around Lhelr heads and Lhen shoL aL Wood who dlved on Lop of lL and managed Lo pln
lL Lo Lhe ground
See?" Wood panLed forclng Lhe sLruggllng 8ludger back lnLo Lhe craLe and sLrapplng lL down
safely 1he 8ludgers rockeL around Lrylng Lo knock players off Lhelr brooms 1haL's why you
have Lwo 8eaLers on each Leam Lhe Weasley Lwlns are ours lL's Lhelr [ob Lo proLecL Lhelr
slde from Lhe 8ludgers and Lry and knock Lhem Loward Lhe oLher Leam So Lhlnk you've goL
all LhaL?"
1hree Chasers Lry and score wlLh Lhe Cuaffle Lhe keeper guards Lhe goal posLs Lhe 8eaLers
keep Lhe 8ludgers away from Lhelr Leam" Parry reeled off
very good" sald Wood
Lr have Lhe 8ludgers ever kllled anyone?" Parry asked hoplng he sounded offhand
never aL PogwarLs We've had a couple of broken [aws buL noLhlng worse Lhan LhaL now Lhe
lasL member of Lhe Leam ls Lhe Seeker 1haL's you And you don'L have Lo worry abouL Lhe
Cuaffle or Lhe 8ludgers "
unless Lhey crack my head open"
uon'L worry Lhe Weasleys are more Lhan a maLch for Lhe 8ludgers l mean Lhey're llke a
palr of human 8ludgers Lhemselves"
Wood reached lnLo Lhe craLe and Look ouL Lhe fourLh and lasL ball Compared wlLh Lhe Cuaffle
and Lhe 8ludgers lL was Llny abouL Lhe slze of a large walnuL lL was brlghL gold and had llLLle
fluLLerlng sllver wlngs
1hls" sald Wood ls Lhe Colden SnlLch and lL's Lhe mosL lmporLanL ball of Lhe loL lL's very
hard Lo caLch because lL's so fasL and dlfflculL Lo see lL's Lhe Seeker's [ob Lo caLch lL ?ou've goL
Lo weave ln and ouL of Lhe Chasers 8eaLers 8ludgers and Cuaffle Lo geL lL before Lhe oLher
Leam's Seeker because whlchever Seeker caLches Lhe SnlLch wlns hls Leam an exLra hundred
and flfLy polnLs so Lhey nearly always wln 1haL's why Seekers geL fouled so much A game of
CulddlLch only ends when Lhe SnlLch ls caughL so lL can go on for ages l Lhlnk Lhe record ls
Lhree monLhs Lhey had Lo keep brlnglng on subsLlLuLes so Lhe players could geL some sleep
Well LhaL's lL any quesLlons?"
Parry shook hls head Pe undersLood whaL he had Lo do all rlghL lL was dolng lL LhaL was golng
Lo be Lhe problem
We won'L pracLlce wlLh Lhe SnlLch yeL" sald Wood carefully shuLLlng lL back lnslde Lhe craLe
lL's Loo dark we mlghL lose lL LeL's Lry you ouL wlLh a few of Lhese"
Pe pulled a bag of ordlnary golf balls ouL of hls pockeL and a few mlnuLes laLer he and Parry
were up ln Lhe alr Wood Lhrowlng Lhe golf balls as hard as he could ln every dlrecLlon for
Parry Lo caLch
Parry dldn'L mlss a slngle one and Wood was dellghLed AfLer half an hour nlghL had really
fallen and Lhey couldn'L carry on
1haL CulddlLch Cup'll have our name on lL Lhls year" sald Wood happlly as Lhey Lrudged back
up Lo Lhe casLle l wouldn'L be surprlsed lf you Lurn ouL beLLer Lhan Charlle Weasley and he
could have played for Lngland lf he hadn'L gone off chaslng dragons"
erhaps lL was because he was now so busy whaL wlLh CulddlLch pracLlce Lhree evenlngs a
week on Lop of all hls homework buL Parry could hardly belleve lL when he reallzed LhaL he'd
already been aL PogwarLs Lwo monLhs 1he casLle felL more llke home Lhan rlveL urlve ever
had Pls lessons Loo were becomlng more and more lnLeresLlng now LhaL Lhey had masLered
Lhe baslcs
Cn Palloween mornlng Lhey woke Lo Lhe dellclous smell of baklng pumpkln wafLlng Lhrough
Lhe corrldors Lven beLLer rofessor lllLwlck announced ln Charms LhaL he LhoughL Lhey were
ready Lo sLarL maklng ob[ecLs fly someLhlng Lhey had all been dylng Lo Lry slnce Lhey'd seen
hlm make nevllle's Load zoom around Lhe classroom rofessor lllLwlck puL Lhe class lnLo palrs
Lo pracLlce Parry's parLner was Seamus llnnlgan (whlch was a rellef because nevllle had been
Lrylng Lo caLch hls eye) 8on however was Lo be worklng wlLh Permlone Cranger lL was hard
Lo Lell wheLher 8on or Permlone was angrler abouL Lhls She hadn'L spoken Lo elLher of Lhem
slnce Lhe day Parry's broomsLlck had arrlved
now don'L forgeL LhaL nlce wrlsL movemenL we've been pracLlclng!" squeaked rofessor
lllLwlck perched on Lop of hls plle of books as usual Swlsh and fllck remember swlsh and
fllck And saylng Lhe maglc words properly ls very lmporLanL Loo never forgeL Wlzard
8arufflo who sald 's' lnsLead of 'f' and found hlmself on Lhe floor wlLh a buffalo on hls chesL"
lL was very dlfflculL Parry and Seamus swlshed and fllcked buL Lhe feaLher Lhey were
supposed Lo be sendlng skyward [usL lay on Lhe deskLop Seamus goL so lmpaLlenL LhaL he
prodded lL wlLh hls wand and seL flre Lo lL Parry had Lo puL lL ouL wlLh hls haL
8on aL Lhe nexL Lable wasn'L havlng much more luck
Wlngardlum Levlosa!" he shouLed wavlng hls long arms llke a wlndmlll
?ou're saylng lL wrong" Parry heard Permlone snap lL's Wlnggardlum Levlosa make Lhe
'gar' nlce and long"
?ou do lL Lhen lf you're so clever" 8on snarled
Permlone rolled up Lhe sleeves of her gown fllcked her wand and sald Wlngardlum
Levlosa!"
1helr feaLher rose off Lhe desk and hovered abouL four feeL above Lhelr heads
Ch well done!" crled rofessor lllLwlck clapplng Lveryone see here Mlss Cranger's done
lL!"
8on was ln a very bad mood by Lhe end of Lhe class
lL's no wonder no one can sLand her" he sald Lo Parry as Lhey pushed Lhelr way lnLo Lhe
crowded corrldor she's a nlghLmare honesLly"
Someone knocked lnLo Parry as Lhey hurrled pasL hlm lL was Permlone Parry caughL a
gllmpse of her face and was sLarLled Lo see LhaL she was ln Lears
l Lhlnk she heard you"
So?" sald 8on buL he looked a blL uncomforLable She musL've noLlced she's goL no frlends"
Permlone dldn'L Lurn up for Lhe nexL class and wasn'L seen all afLernoon Cn Lhelr way down Lo
Lhe CreaL Pall for Lhe Palloween feasL Parry and 8on overheard arvaLl aLll Lelllng her frlend
Lavender LhaL Permlone was crylng ln Lhe glrls' baLhroom and wanLed Lo be lefL alone 8on
looked sLlll more awkward aL Lhls buL a momenL laLer Lhey had enLered Lhe CreaL Pall where
Lhe Palloween decoraLlons puL Permlone ouL of Lhelr mlnds
A Lhousand llve baLs fluLLered from Lhe walls and celllng whlle a Lhousand more swooped over
Lhe Lables ln low black clouds maklng Lhe candles ln Lhe pumpklns sLuLLer 1he feasL appeared
suddenly on Lhe golden plaLes as lL had aL Lhe sLarLofLerm banqueL
Parry was [usL helplng hlmself Lo a baked poLaLo when rofessor Culrrell came sprlnLlng lnLo
Lhe hall hls Lurban askew and Lerror on hls face Lveryone sLared as he reached rofessor
uumbledore's chalr slumped agalnsL Lhe Lable and gasped 1roll ln Lhe dungeons
LhoughL you oughL Lo know"
Pe Lhen sank Lo Lhe floor ln a dead falnL
1here was an uproar lL Look several purple flrecrackers explodlng from Lhe end of rofessor
uumbledore's wand Lo brlng sllence
refecLs" he rumbled lead your Pouses back Lo Lhe dormlLorles lmmedlaLely!"
ercy was ln hls elemenL
lollow me! SLlck LogeLher flrsL years! no need Lo fear Lhe Lroll lf you follow my orders! SLay
close behlnd me now Make way flrsL years comlng Lhrough! Lxcuse me l'm a prefecL!"
Pow could a Lroll geL ln?" Parry asked as Lhey cllmbed Lhe sLalrs
uon'L ask me Lhey're supposed Lo be really sLupld" sald 8on Maybe eeves leL lL ln for a
Palloween [oke"
1hey passed dlfferenL groups of people hurrylng ln dlfferenL dlrecLlons As Lhey [osLled Lhelr
way Lhrough a crowd of confused Pufflepuffs Parry suddenly grabbed 8on's arm
l've [usL LhoughL Permlone"
WhaL abouL her?"
She doesn'L know abouL Lhe Lroll"
8on blL hls llp
Ch all rlghL" he snapped 8uL ercy'd beLLer noL see us"
uucklng down Lhey [olned Lhe Pufflepuffs golng Lhe oLher way sllpped down a deserLed slde
corrldor and hurrled off Loward Lhe glrls' baLhroom 1hey had [usL Lurned Lhe corner when
Lhey heard qulck fooLsLeps behlnd Lhem
ercy!" hlssed 8on pulllng Parry behlnd a large sLone grlffln
eerlng around lL however Lhey saw noL ercy buL Snape Pe crossed Lhe corrldor and
dlsappeared from vlew
WhaL's he dolng?" Parry whlspered Why lsn'L he down ln Lhe dungeons wlLh Lhe resL of Lhe
Leachers?"
Search me"
CuleLly as posslble Lhey crepL along Lhe nexL corrldor afLer Snape's fadlng fooLsLeps
Pe's headlng for Lhe Lhlrd floor" Parry sald buL 8on held up hls hand
Can you smell someLhlng?"
Parry snlffed and a foul sLench reached hls nosLrlls a mlxLure of old socks and Lhe klnd of
publlc LolleL no one seems Lo clean
And Lhen Lhey heard lL a low grunLlng and Lhe shuffllng fooLfalls of glganLlc feeL 8on
polnLed aL Lhe end of a passage Lo Lhe lefL someLhlng huge was movlng Loward Lhem 1hey
shrank lnLo Lhe shadows and waLched as lL emerged lnLo a paLch of moonllghL
lL was a horrlble slghL 1welve feeL Lall lLs skln was a dull granlLe gray lLs greaL lumpy body
llke a boulder wlLh lLs small bald head perched on Lop llke a coconuL lL had shorL legs Lhlck as
Lree Lrunks wlLh flaL horny feeL 1he smell comlng from lL was lncredlble lL was holdlng a huge
wooden club whlch dragged along Lhe floor because lLs arms were so long
1he Lroll sLopped nexL Lo a doorway and peered lnslde lL waggled lLs long ears maklng up lLs
Llny mlnd Lhen slouched slowly lnLo Lhe room
1he keys ln Lhe lock" Parry muLLered We could lock lL ln"
Cood ldea" sald 8on nervously
1hey edged Loward Lhe open door mouLhs dry praylng Lhe Lroll wasn'L abouL Lo come ouL of
lL WlLh one greaL leap Parry managed Lo grab Lhe key slam Lhe door and lock lL
?es!"
llushed wlLh Lhelr vlcLory Lhey sLarLed Lo run back up Lhe passage buL as Lhey reached Lhe
corner Lhey heard someLhlng LhaL made Lhelr hearLs sLop a hlgh peLrlfled scream and lL
was comlng from Lhe chamber Lhey'd [usL chalned up
Ch no" sald 8on pale as Lhe 8loody 8aron
lL's Lhe glrls' baLhroom!" Parry gasped
Permlone!" Lhey sald LogeLher
lL was Lhe lasL Lhlng Lhey wanLed Lo do buL whaL cholce dld Lhey have? Wheellng around Lhey
sprlnLed back Lo Lhe door and Lurned Lhe key fumbllng ln Lhelr panlc Parry pulled Lhe door
open and Lhey ran lnslde
Permlone Cranger was shrlnklng agalnsL Lhe wall opposlLe looklng as lf she was abouL Lo falnL
1he Lroll was advanclng on her knocklng Lhe slnks off Lhe walls as lL wenL
Confuse lL!" Parry sald desperaLely Lo 8on and selzlng a Lap he Lhrew lL as hard as he could
agalnsL Lhe wall
1he Lroll sLopped a few feeL from Permlone lL lumbered around bllnklng sLupldly Lo see whaL
had made Lhe nolse lLs mean llLLle eyes saw Parry lL heslLaLed Lhen made for hlm lnsLead
llfLlng lLs club as lL wenL
Cy peabraln!" yelled 8on from Lhe oLher slde of Lhe chamber and he Lhrew a meLal plpe aL
lL 1he Lroll dldn'L even seem Lo noLlce Lhe plpe hlLLlng lLs shoulder buL lL heard Lhe yell and
paused agaln Lurnlng lLs ugly snouL Loward 8on lnsLead glvlng Parry Llme Lo run around lL
Come on run run!" Parry yelled aL Permlone Lrylng Lo pull her Loward Lhe door buL she
couldn'L move she was sLlll flaL agalnsL Lhe wall her mouLh open wlLh Lerror
1he shouLlng and Lhe echoes seemed Lo be drlvlng Lhe Lroll berserk lL roared agaln and sLarLed
Loward 8on who was nearesL and had no way Lo escape
Parry Lhen dld someLhlng LhaL was boLh very brave and very sLupld Pe Look a greaL runnlng
[ump and managed Lo fasLen hls arms around Lhe Lroll's neck from behlnd 1he Lroll couldn'L
feel Parry hanglng Lhere buL even a Lroll wlll noLlce lf you sLlck a long blL of wood up lLs nose
and Parry's wand had sLlll been ln hls hand when he'd [umped lL had gone sLralghL up one of
Lhe Lroll's nosLrlls
Powllng wlLh paln Lhe Lroll LwlsLed and flalled lLs club wlLh Parry cllnglng on for dear llfe any
second Lhe Lroll was golng Lo rlp hlm off or caLch hlm a Lerrlble blow wlLh Lhe club
Permlone had sunk Lo Lhe floor ln frlghL 8on pulled ouL hls own wand noL knowlng whaL he
was golng Lo do he heard hlmself cry Lhe flrsL spell LhaL came lnLo hls head Wlngardlum
Levlosa!"
1he club flew suddenly ouL of Lhe Lroll's hand rose hlgh hlgh up lnLo Lhe alr Lurned slowly
over and dropped wlLh a slckenlng crack onLo lLs owner's head 1he Lroll swayed on Lhe
spoL and Lhen fell flaL on lLs face wlLh a Lhud LhaL made Lhe whole room Lremble
Parry goL Lo hls feeL Pe was shaklng and ouL of breaLh 8on was sLandlng Lhere wlLh hls wand
sLlll ralsed sLarlng aL whaL he had done
lL was Permlone who spoke flrsL
ls lL dead?"
l don'L Lhlnk so" sald Parry l Lhlnk lL's [usL been knocked ouL"
Pe benL down and pulled hls wand ouL of Lhe Lroll's nose lL was covered ln whaL looked llke
lumpy gray glue
urgh Lroll boogers"
Pe wlped lL on Lhe Lroll's Lrousers
A sudden slammlng and loud fooLsLeps made Lhe Lhree of Lhem look up 1hey hadn'L reallzed
whaL a rackeL Lhey had been maklng buL of course someone downsLalrs musL have heard Lhe
crashes and Lhe Lroll's roars A momenL laLer rofessor McConagall had come bursLlng lnLo
Lhe room closely followed by Snape wlLh Culrrell brlnglng up Lhe rear Culrrell Look one look
aL Lhe Lroll leL ouL a falnL whlmper and saL qulckly down on a LolleL cluLchlng hls hearL
Snape benL over Lhe Lroll rofessor McConagall was looklng aL 8on and Parry Parry had
never seen her look so angry Per llps were whlLe Popes of wlnnlng flfLy polnLs for Cryfflndor
faded qulckly from Parry's mlnd
WhaL on earLh were you Lhlnklng of?" sald rofessor McConagall wlLh cold fury ln her volce
Parry looked aL 8on who was sLlll sLandlng wlLh hls wand ln Lhe alr ?ou're lucky you weren'L
kllled Why aren'L you ln your dormlLory?"
Snape gave Parry a swlfL plerclng look Parry looked aL Lhe floor Pe wlshed 8on would puL hls
wand down
1hen a small volce came ouL of Lhe shadows
lease rofessor McConagall Lhey were looklng for me"
Mlss Cranger!"
Permlone had managed Lo geL Lo her feeL aL lasL
l wenL looklng for Lhe Lroll because l l LhoughL l could deal wlLh lL on my own you know
because l've read all abouL Lhem"
8on dropped hls wand Permlone Cranger Lelllng a downrlghL lle Lo a Leacher?
lf Lhey hadn'L found me l'd be dead now Parry sLuck hls wand up lLs nose and 8on knocked lL
ouL wlLh lLs own club 1hey dldn'L have Llme Lo come and feLch anyone lL was abouL Lo flnlsh
me off when Lhey arrlved"
Parry and 8on Lrled Lo look as Lhough Lhls sLory wasn'L new Lo Lhem
Well ln LhaL case" sald rofessor McConagall sLarlng aL Lhe Lhree of Lhem Mlss
Cranger you foollsh glrl how could you Lhlnk of Lackllng a mounLaln Lroll on your own?"
Permlone hung her head Parry was speechless Permlone was Lhe lasL person Lo do anyLhlng
agalnsL Lhe rules and here she was preLendlng she had Lo geL Lhem ouL of Lrouble lL was as lf
Snape had sLarLed handlng ouL sweeLs
Mlss Cranger flve polnLs wlll be Laken from Cryfflndor for Lhls" sald rofessor McConagall
l'm very dlsappolnLed ln you lf you're noL hurL aL all you'd beLLer geL off Lo Cryfflndor Lower
SLudenLs are flnlshlng Lhe feasL ln Lhelr houses"
Permlone lefL
rofessor McConagall Lurned Lo Parry and 8on
Well l sLlll say you were lucky buL noL many flrsL years could have Laken on a fullgrown
mounLaln Lroll ?ou each wln Cryfflndor flve polnLs rofessor uumbledore wlll be lnformed of
Lhls ?ou may go"
1hey hurrled ouL of Lhe chamber and dldn'L speak aL all unLll Lhey had cllmbed Lwo floors up lL
was a rellef Lo be away from Lhe smell of Lhe Lroll qulLe aparL from anyLhlng else
We should have goLLen more Lhan Len polnLs" 8on grumbled
llve you mean once she's Laken off Permlone's"
Cood of her Lo geL us ouL of Lrouble llke LhaL" 8on admlLLed Mlnd you we dld save her"
She mlghL noL have needed savlng lf we hadn'L locked Lhe Lhlng ln wlLh her" Parry remlnded
hlm
1hey had reached Lhe porLralL of Lhe laL Lady
lg snouL" Lhey sald and enLered
1he common room was packed and nolsy Lveryone was eaLlng Lhe food LhaL had been senL
up Permlone however sLood alone by Lhe door walLlng for Lhem 1here was a very
embarrassed pause 1hen none of Lhem looklng aL each oLher Lhey all sald 1hanks" and
hurrled off Lo geL plaLes
8uL from LhaL momenL on Permlone Cranger became Lhelr frlend 1here are some Lhlngs you
can'L share wlLhouL endlng up llklng each oLher and knocklng ouL a LwelvefooL mounLaln Lroll
ls one of Lhem
CPA1L8 LLLvLn
CulddlLch
As Lhey enLered november Lhe weaLher Lurned very cold 1he mounLalns around Lhe school
became lcy gray and Lhe lake llke chllled sLeel Lvery mornlng Lhe ground was covered ln frosL
Pagrld could be seen from Lhe upsLalrs wlndows defrosLlng broomsLlcks on Lhe CulddlLch fleld
bundled up ln a long moleskln overcoaL rabblL fur gloves and enormous beaverskln booLs
1he CulddlLch season had begun Cn SaLurday Parry would be playlng ln hls flrsL maLch afLer
weeks of Lralnlng Cryfflndor versus SlyLherln lf Cryfflndor won Lhey would move up lnLo
second place ln Lhe house champlonshlp
Pardly anyone had seen Parry play because Wood had declded LhaL as Lhelr secreL weapon
Parry should be kepL well secreL 8uL Lhe news LhaL he was playlng Seeker had leaked ouL
somehow and Parry dldn'L know whlch was worse people Lelllng hlm he'd be brllllanL or
people Lelllng hlm Lhey'd be runnlng around underneaLh hlm holdlng a maLLress
lL was really lucky LhaL Parry now had Permlone as a frlend Pe dldn'L know how he'd have
goLLen Lhrough all hls homework wlLhouL her whaL wlLh all Lhe lasLmlnuLe CulddlLch pracLlce
Wood was maklng Lhem do She had also lenL hlm CulddlLch 1hrough Lhe Ages whlch Lurned
ouL Lo be a very lnLeresLlng read
Parry learned LhaL Lhere were seven hundred ways of commlLLlng a CulddlLch foul and LhaL all
of Lhem had happened durlng a World Cup maLch ln 1473 LhaL Seekers were usually Lhe
smallesL and fasLesL players and LhaL mosL serlous CulddlLch accldenLs seemed Lo happen Lo
Lhem LhaL alLhough people rarely dled playlng CulddlLch referees had been known Lo vanlsh
and Lurn up monLhs laLer ln Lhe Sahara ueserL
Permlone had become a blL more relaxed abouL breaklng rules slnce Parry and 8on had saved
her from Lhe mounLaln Lroll and she was much nlcer for lL 1he day before Parry's flrsL
CulddlLch maLch Lhe Lhree of Lhem were ouL ln Lhe freezlng courLyard durlng break and she
had con[ured Lhem up a brlghL blue flre LhaL could be carrled around ln a [am [ar 1hey were
sLandlng wlLh Lhelr backs Lo lL geLLlng warm when Snape crossed Lhe yard Parry noLlced aL
once LhaL Snape was llmplng Parry 8on and Permlone moved closer LogeLher Lo block Lhe
flre from vlew Lhey were sure lL wouldn'L be allowed unforLunaLely someLhlng abouL Lhelr
gullLy faces caughL Snape's eye Pe llmped over Pe hadn'L seen Lhe flre buL he seemed Lo be
looklng for a reason Lo Lell Lhem off anyway
WhaL's LhaL you've goL Lhere oLLer?"
lL was CulddlLch 1hrough Lhe Ages Parry showed hlm
Llbrary books are noL Lo be Laken ouLslde Lhe school" sald Snape Clve lL Lo me llve polnLs
from Cryfflndor"
Pe's [usL made LhaL rule up" Parry muLLered angrlly as Snape llmped away Wonder whaL's
wrong wlLh hls leg?"
uunno buL l hope lL's really hurLlng hlm" sald 8on blLLerly
1he Cryfflndor common room was very nolsy LhaL evenlng Parry 8on and Permlone saL
LogeLher nexL Lo a wlndow Permlone was checklng Parry and 8on's Charms homework for
Lhem She would never leL Lhem copy (Pow wlll you learn?") buL by asklng her Lo read lL
Lhrough Lhey goL Lhe rlghL answers anyway
Parry felL resLless Pe wanLed CulddlLch 1hrough Lhe Ages back Lo Lake hls mlnd off hls nerves
abouL Lomorrow Why should he be afrald of Snape? CeLLlng up he Lold 8on and Permlone he
was golng Lo ask Snape lf he could have lL
8eLLer you Lhan me" Lhey sald LogeLher buL Parry had an ldea LhaL Snape wouldn'L refuse lf
Lhere were oLher Leachers llsLenlng
Pe made hls way down Lo Lhe sLaffroom and knocked 1here was no answer Pe knocked
agaln noLhlng
erhaps Snape had lefL Lhe book ln Lhere? lL was worLh a Lry Pe pushed Lhe door a[ar and
peered lnslde and a horrlble scene meL hls eyes
Snape and lllch were lnslde alone Snape was holdlng hls robes above hls knees Cne of hls
legs was bloody and mangled lllch was handlng Snape bandages
8lasLed Lhlng" Snape was saylng Pow are you supposed Lo keep your eyes on all Lhree
heads aL once?"
Parry Lrled Lo shuL Lhe door quleLly buL
C11L8!"
Snape's face was LwlsLed wlLh fury as he dropped hls robes qulckly Lo hlde hls leg Parry
gulped
l [usL wondered lf l could have my book back"
CL1 Cu1! Cu1! "
Parry lefL before Snape could Lake any more polnLs from Cryfflndor Pe sprlnLed back
upsLalrs
uld you geL lL?" 8on asked as Parry [olned Lhem WhaL's Lhe maLLer?"
ln a low whlsper Parry Lold Lhem whaL he'd seen
?ou know whaL Lhls means?" he flnlshed breaLhlessly Pe Lrled Lo geL pasL LhaL Lhreeheaded
dog aL Palloween! 1haL's where he was golng when we saw hlm he's afLer whaLever lL's
guardlng! And l'd beL my broomsLlck he leL LhaL Lroll ln Lo make a dlverslon!"
Permlone's eyes were wlde
no he wouldn'L" she sald l know he's noL very nlce buL he wouldn'L Lry and sLeal
someLhlng uumbledore was keeplng safe"
PonesLly Permlone you Lhlnk all Leachers are salnLs or someLhlng" snapped 8on l'm wlLh
Parry l wouldn'L puL anyLhlng pasL Snape 8uL whaL's he afLer? WhaL's LhaL dog guardlng?"
Parry wenL Lo bed wlLh hls head buzzlng wlLh Lhe same quesLlon nevllle was snorlng loudly
buL Parry couldn'L sleep Pe Lrled Lo empLy hls mlnd he needed Lo sleep he had Lo he had
hls flrsL CulddlLch maLch ln a few hours buL Lhe expresslon on Snape's face when Parry had
seen hls leg wasn'L easy Lo forgeL
1he nexL mornlng dawned very brlghL and cold 1he CreaL Pall was full of Lhe dellclous smell of
frled sausages and Lhe cheerful chaLLer of everyone looklng forward Lo a good CulddlLch
maLch
?ou've goL Lo eaL some breakfasL"
l don'L wanL anyLhlng"
!usL a blL of LoasL" wheedled Permlone
l'm noL hungry"
Parry felL Lerrlble ln an hour's Llme he'd be walklng onLo Lhe fleld
Parry you need your sLrengLh" sald Seamus llnnlgan Seekers are always Lhe ones who geL
clobbered by Lhe oLher Leam"
1hanks Seamus" sald Parry waLchlng Seamus plle keLchup on hls sausages
8y eleven o'clock Lhe whole school seemed Lo be ouL ln Lhe sLands around Lhe CulddlLch plLch
Many sLudenLs had blnoculars 1he seaLs mlghL be ralsed hlgh ln Lhe alr buL lL was sLlll dlfflculL
Lo see whaL was golng on someLlmes
8on and Permlone [olned nevllle Seamus and uean Lhe WesL Pam fan up ln Lhe Lop row As a
surprlse for Parry Lhey had palnLed a large banner on one of Lhe sheeLs Scabbers had rulned
lL sald oLLer for resldenL and uean who was good aL drawlng had done a large Cryfflndor
llon underneaLh 1hen Permlone had performed a Lrlcky llLLle charm so LhaL Lhe palnL flashed
dlfferenL colors
Meanwhlle ln Lhe locker room Parry and Lhe resL of Lhe Leam were changlng lnLo Lhelr scarleL
CulddlLch robes (SlyLherln would be playlng ln green)
Wood cleared hls LhroaL for sllence
Ckay men" he sald
And women" sald Chaser Angellna !ohnson
And women" Wood agreed 1hls ls lL"
1he blg one" sald lred Weasley
1he one we've all been walLlng for" sald Ceorge
We know Cllver's speech by hearL" lred Lold Parry we were on Lhe Leam lasL year"
ShuL up you Lwo" sald Wood 1hls ls Lhe besL Leam Cryfflndor's had ln years We're golng Lo
wln l know lL"
Pe glared aL Lhem all as lf Lo say Cr else"
8lghL lL's Llme Cood luck all of you"
Parry followed lred and Ceorge ouL of Lhe locker room and hoplng hls knees weren'L golng Lo
glve way walked onLo Lhe fleld Lo loud cheers
Madam Pooch was refereelng She sLood ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe fleld walLlng for Lhe Lwo Leams
her broom ln her hand
now l wanL a nlce falr game all of you" she sald once Lhey were all gaLhered around her
Parry noLlced LhaL she seemed Lo be speaklng parLlcularly Lo Lhe SlyLherln CapLaln Marcus
lllnL a slxLh year Parry LhoughL lllnL looked as lf he had some Lroll blood ln hlm CuL of Lhe
corner of hls eye he saw Lhe fluLLerlng banner hlgh above flashlng oLLer for resldenL over
Lhe crowd Pls hearL sklpped Pe felL braver
MounL your brooms please"
Parry clambered onLo hls nlmbus 1wo 1housand
Madam Pooch gave a loud blasL on her sllver whlsLle
llfLeen brooms rose up hlgh hlgh lnLo Lhe alr 1hey were off
And Lhe Cuaffle ls Laken lmmedlaLely by Angellna !ohnson of Cryfflndor whaL an excellenL
Chaser LhaL glrl ls and raLher aLLracLlve Loo "
!C8uAn!"
Sorry rofessor"
1he Weasley Lwlns' frlend Lee !ordan was dolng Lhe commenLary for Lhe maLch closely
waLched by rofessor McConagall
And she's really belLlng along up Lhere a neaL pass Lo Allcla SplnneL a good flnd of Cllver
Wood's lasL year only a reserve back Lo !ohnson and no Lhe SlyLherlns have Laken Lhe
Cuaffle SlyLherln CapLaln Marcus lllnL galns Lhe Cuaffle and off he goes lllnL flylng llke an
eagle up Lhere he's golng Lo sc no sLopped by an excellenL move by Cryfflndor keeper
Wood and Lhe Cryfflndors Lake Lhe Cuaffle LhaL's Chaser kaLle 8ell of Cryfflndor Lhere nlce
dlve around lllnL off up Lhe fleld and CuCP LhaL musL have hurL hlL ln Lhe back of Lhe
head by a 8ludger Cuaffle Laken by Lhe SlyLherlns LhaL's Adrlan ucey speedlng off
Loward Lhe goal posLs buL he's blocked by a second 8ludger senL hls way by lred or Ceorge
Weasley can'L Lell whlch nlce play by Lhe Cryfflndor 8eaLer anyway and !ohnson back ln
possesslon of Lhe Cuaffle a clear fleld ahead and off she goes she's really flylng dodges a
speedlng 8ludger Lhe goal posLs are ahead come on now Angellna keeper 8leLchley
dlves mlsses C8?lllnuC8S SCC8L!"
Cryfflndor cheers fllled Lhe cold alr wlLh howls and moans from Lhe SlyLherlns
8udge up Lhere move along"
Pagrld!"
8on and Permlone squeezed LogeLher Lo glve Pagrld enough space Lo [oln Lhem
8ln waLchln' from me huL" sald Pagrld paLLlng a large palr of blnoculars around hls neck
8uL lL lsn'L Lhe same as beln' ln Lhe crowd no slgn of Lhe SnlLch yeL eh?"
nope" sald 8on Parry hasn'L had much Lo do yeL"
kepL ouLLa Lrouble Lhough LhaL's someLhln'" sald Pagrld ralslng hls blnoculars and peerlng
skyward aL Lhe speck LhaL was Parry
Way up above Lhem Parry was glldlng over Lhe game squlnLlng abouL for some slgn of Lhe
SnlLch 1hls was parL of hls and Wood's game plan
keep ouL of Lhe way unLll you caLch slghL of Lhe SnlLch" Wood had sald We don'L wanL you
aLLacked before you have Lo be"
When Angellna had scored Parry had done a couple of loopLheloops Lo leL off hls feellngs
now he was back Lo sLarlng around for Lhe SnlLch Cnce he caughL slghL of a flash of gold buL lL
was [usL a reflecLlon from one of Lhe Weasleys' wrlsLwaLches and once a 8ludger declded Lo
come pelLlng hls way more llke a cannonball Lhan anyLhlng buL Parry dodged lL and lred
Weasley came chaslng afLer lL
All rlghL Lhere Parry?" he had Llme Lo yell as he beaL Lhe 8ludger furlously Loward Marcus
lllnL
SlyLherln ln possesslon" Lee !ordan was saylng Chaser ucey ducks Lwo 8ludgers Lwo
Weasleys and Chaser 8ell and speeds Loward Lhe walL a momenL was LhaL Lhe SnlLch?"
A murmur ran Lhrough Lhe crowd as Adrlan ucey dropped Lhe Cuaffle Loo busy looklng over
hls shoulder aL Lhe flash of gold LhaL had passed hls lefL ear
Parry saw lL ln a greaL rush of exclLemenL he dlved downward afLer Lhe sLreak of gold
SlyLherln Seeker 1erence Plggs had seen lL Loo neck and neck Lhey hurLled Loward Lhe SnlLch
all Lhe Chasers seemed Lo have forgoLLen whaL Lhey were supposed Lo be dolng as Lhey
hung ln mldalr Lo waLch
Parry was fasLer Lhan Plggs he could see Lhe llLLle round ball wlngs fluLLerlng darLlng up
ahead he puL on an exLra spurL of speed
WPAM! A roar of rage echoed from Lhe Cryfflndors below Marcus lllnL had blocked Parry
on purpose and Parry's broom spun off course Parry holdlng on for dear llfe
loul!" screamed Lhe Cryfflndors
Madam Pooch spoke angrlly Lo lllnL and Lhen ordered a free shoL aL Lhe goal posLs for
Cryfflndor 8uL ln all Lhe confuslon of course Lhe Colden SnlLch had dlsappeared from slghL
agaln
uown ln Lhe sLands uean 1homas was yelllng Send hlm off ref! 8ed card!"
WhaL are you Lalklng abouL uean?" sald 8on
8ed card!" sald uean furlously ln soccer you geL shown Lhe red card and you're ouL of Lhe
game!"
8uL Lhls lsn'L soccer uean" 8on remlnded hlm
Pagrld however was on uean's slde
1hey oughLa change Lhe rules lllnL coulda knocked Parry ouLLa Lhe alr"
Lee !ordan was flndlng lL dlfflculL noL Lo Lake sldes
So afLer LhaL obvlous and dlsgusLlng blL of cheaLlng "
!ordan!" growled rofessor McConagall
l mean afLer LhaL open and revolLlng foul"
!ordan l'm warnlng you"
All rlghL all rlghL lllnL nearly kllls Lhe Cryfflndor Seeker whlch could happen Lo anyone l'm
sure so a penalLy Lo Cryfflndor Laken by Splnner who puLs lL away no Lrouble and we
conLlnue play Cryfflndor sLlll ln possesslon"
lL was as Parry dodged anoLher 8ludger whlch wenL splnnlng dangerously pasL hls head LhaL
lL happened Pls broom gave a sudden frlghLenlng lurch lor a spllL second he LhoughL he was
golng Lo fall Pe grlpped Lhe broom LlghLly wlLh boLh hls hands and knees Pe'd never felL
anyLhlng llke LhaL
lL happened agaln lL was as Lhough Lhe broom was Lrylng Lo buck hlm off 8uL nlmbus 1wo
1housands dld noL suddenly declde Lo buck Lhelr rlders off Parry Lrled Lo Lurn back Loward Lhe
Cryfflndor goalposLs he had half a mlnd Lo ask Wood Lo call LlmeouL and Lhen he
reallzed LhaL hls broom was compleLely ouL of hls conLrol Pe couldn'L Lurn lL Pe couldn'L
dlrecL lL aL all lL was zlgzagglng Lhrough Lhe alr and every now and Lhen maklng vlolenL
swlshlng movemenLs LhaL almosL unseaLed hlm
Lee was sLlll commenLaLlng
SlyLherln ln possesslon lllnL wlLh Lhe Cuaffle passes SplnneL passes 8ell hlL hard ln
Lhe face by a 8ludger hope lL broke hls nose only [oklng rofessor SlyLherlns score A
no"
1he SlyLherlns were cheerlng no one seemed Lo have noLlced LhaL Parry's broom was
behavlng sLrangely lL was carrylng hlm slowly hlgher away from Lhe game [erklng and
LwlLchlng as lL wenL
uunno whaL Parry Lhlnks he's dolng" Pagrld mumbled Pe sLared Lhrough hls blnoculars lf l
dldn' know beLLer l'd say he'd losL conLrol of hls broom buL he can'L have"
Suddenly people were polnLlng up aL Parry all over Lhe sLands Pls broom had sLarLed Lo roll
over and over wlLh hlm only [usL managlng Lo hold on 1hen Lhe whole crowd gasped Parry's
broom had glven a wlld [erk and Parry swung off lL Pe was now dangllng from lL holdlng on
wlLh only one hand
uld someLhlng happen Lo lL when lllnL blocked hlm?" Seamus whlspered
Can'L have" Pagrld sald hls volce shaklng Can'L noLhlng lnLerfere wlLh a broomsLlck excepL
powerful uark maglc no kld could do LhaL Lo a nlmbus 1wo 1housand"
AL Lhese words Permlone selzed Pagrld's blnoculars buL lnsLead of looklng up aL Parry she
sLarLed looklng franLlcally aL Lhe crowd
WhaL are you dolng?" moaned 8on grayfaced
l knew lL" Permlone gasped Snape look"
8on grabbed Lhe blnoculars Snape was ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe sLands opposlLe Lhem Pe had hls
eyes flxed on Parry and was muLLerlng nonsLop under hls breaLh
Pe's dolng someLhlng [lnxlng Lhe broom" sald Permlone
WhaL should we do?"
Leave lL Lo me"
8efore 8on could say anoLher word Permlone had dlsappeared 8on Lurned Lhe blnoculars
back on Parry Pls broom was vlbraLlng so hard lL was almosL lmposslble for hlm Lo hang on
much longer 1he whole crowd was on lLs feeL waLchlng Lerrlfled as Lhe Weasleys flew up Lo
Lry and pull Parry safely onLo one of Lhelr brooms buL lL was no good every Llme Lhey goL
near hlm Lhe broom would [ump hlgher sLlll 1hey dropped lower and clrcled beneaLh hlm
obvlously hoplng Lo caLch hlm lf he fell Marcus lllnL selzed Lhe Cuaffle and scored flve Llmes
wlLhouL anyone noLlclng
Come on Permlone" 8on muLLered desperaLely
Permlone had foughL her way across Lo Lhe sLand where Snape sLood and was now raclng
along Lhe row behlnd hlm she dldn'L even sLop Lo say sorry as she knocked rofessor Culrrell
headflrsL lnLo Lhe row ln fronL 8eachlng Snape she crouched down pulled ouL her wand and
whlspered a few wellchosen words 8rlghL blue flames shoL from her wand onLo Lhe hem of
Snape's robes
lL Look perhaps LhlrLy seconds for Snape Lo reallze LhaL he was on flre A sudden yelp Lold her
she had done her [ob Scooplng Lhe flre off hlm lnLo a llLLle [ar ln her pockeL she scrambled
back along Lhe row Snape would never know whaL had happened
lL was enough up ln Lhe alr Parry was suddenly able Lo clamber back on Lo hls broom
nevllle you can look!" 8on sald nevllle had been sobblng lnLo Pagrld's [ackeL for Lhe lasL flve
mlnuLes
Parry was speedlng Loward Lhe ground when Lhe crowd saw hlm clap hls hand Lo hls mouLh as
Lhough he was abouL Lo be slck he hlL Lhe fleld on all fours coughed and someLhlng
gold fell lnLo hls hand
l've goL Lhe SnlLch!" he shouLed wavlng lL above hls head and Lhe game ended ln compleLe
confuslon
Pe dldn'L caLch lL he nearly swallowed lL" lllnL was sLlll howllng LwenLy mlnuLes laLer buL lL
made no dlfference Parry hadn'L broken any rules and Lee !ordan was sLlll happlly shouLlng
Lhe resulLs Cryfflndor had won by one hundred and sevenLy polnLs Lo slxLy Parry heard
none of Lhls Lhough Pe was belng made a cup of sLrong Lea back ln Pagrld's huL wlLh 8on and
Permlone
lL was Snape" 8on was explalnlng Permlone and l saw hlm Pe was curslng your broomsLlck
muLLerlng he wouldn'L Lake hls eyes off you"
8ubblsh" sald Pagrld who hadn'L heard a word of whaL had gone on nexL Lo hlm ln Lhe
sLands Why would Snape do someLhln' llke LhaL?"
Parry 8on and Permlone looked aL one anoLher wonderlng whaL Lo Lell hlm Parry declded
on Lhe LruLh
l found ouL someLhlng abouL hlm" he Lold Pagrld Pe Lrled Lo geL pasL LhaL Lhreeheaded
dog on Palloween lL blL hlm We Lhlnk he was Lrylng Lo sLeal whaLever lL's guardlng"
Pagrld dropped Lhe LeapoL
Pow do you know abouL lluffy?" he sald
lluffy?"
?eah he's mlne boughL hlm off a Creek chapple l meL ln Lhe pub las' year l lenL hlm Lo
uumbledore Lo guard Lhe "
?es?" sald Parry eagerly
now don'L ask me anymore" sald Pagrld gruffly 1haL's Lop secreL LhaL ls"
8uL Snape's Lrylng Lo sLeal lL"
8ubblsh" sald Pagrld agaln Snape's a PogwarLs Leacher he'd do noLhln' of Lhe sorL"
So why dld he [usL Lry and klll Parry?" crled Permlone
1he afLernoon's evenLs cerLalnly seemed Lo have changed her mlnd abouL Snape
l know a [lnx when l see one Pagrld l've read all abouL Lhem! ?ou've goL Lo keep eye conLacL
and Snape wasn'L bllnklng aL all l saw hlm!"
l'm Lellln' yeh yer wrong!" sald Pagrld hoLly l don' know why Parry's broom acLed llke LhaL
buL Snape wouldn' Lry an' klll a sLudenL! now llsLen Lo me all Lhree of yeh yer meddlln' ln
Lhlngs LhaL don' concern yeh lL's dangerous ?ou forgeL LhaL dog an' you forgeL whaL lL's
guardln' LhaL's beLween rofessor uumbledore an' nlcolas llamel "
Aha!" sald Parry so Lhere's someone called nlcolas llamel lnvolved ls Lhere?"
Pagrld looked furlous wlLh hlmself
CPA1L8 1WLLvL
1he Mlrror of Lrlsed
ChrlsLmas was comlng Cne mornlng ln mlduecember PogwarLs woke Lo flnd lLself covered ln
several feeL of snow 1he lake froze solld and Lhe Weasley Lwlns were punlshed for bewlLchlng
several snowballs so LhaL Lhey followed Culrrell around bounclng off Lhe back of hls Lurban
1he few owls LhaL managed Lo baLLle Lhelr way Lhrough Lhe sLormy sky Lo dellver mall had Lo
be nursed back Lo healLh by Pagrld before Lhey could fly off agaln
no one could walL for Lhe holldays Lo sLarL Whlle Lhe Cryfflndor common room and Lhe CreaL
Pall had roarlng flres Lhe drafLy corrldors had become lcy and a blLLer wlnd raLLled Lhe
wlndows ln Lhe classrooms WorsL of all were rofessor Snape's classes down ln Lhe dungeons
where Lhelr breaLh rose ln a mlsL before Lhem and Lhey kepL as close as posslble Lo Lhelr hoL
cauldrons
l do feel so sorry" sald uraco Malfoy one oLlons class for all Lhose people who have Lo
sLay aL PogwarLs for ChrlsLmas because Lhey're noL wanLed aL home"
Pe was looklng over aL Parry as he spoke Crabbe and Coyle chuckled Parry who was
measurlng ouL powdered splne of llonflsh lgnored Lhem Malfoy had been even more
unpleasanL Lhan usual slnce Lhe CulddlLch maLch ulsgusLed LhaL Lhe SlyLherlns had losL he
had Lrled Lo geL everyone laughlng aL how a wldemouLhed Lree frog would be replaclng Parry
as Seeker nexL 1hen he'd reallzed LhaL nobody found Lhls funny because Lhey were all so
lmpressed aL Lhe way Parry had managed Lo sLay on hls bucklng broomsLlck So Malfoy [ealous
and angry had gone back Lo LaunLlng Parry abouL havlng no proper famlly
lL was Lrue LhaL Parry wasn'L golng back Lo rlveL urlve for ChrlsLmas rofessor McConagall
had come around Lhe week before maklng a llsL of sLudenLs who would be sLaylng for Lhe
holldays and Parry had slgned up aL once Pe dldn'L feel sorry for hlmself aL all Lhls would
probably be Lhe besL ChrlsLmas he'd ever had 8on and hls broLhers were sLaylng Loo because
Mr and Mrs Weasley were golng Lo 8omanla Lo vlslL Charlle
When Lhey lefL Lhe dungeons aL Lhe end of oLlons Lhey found a large flr Lree blocklng Lhe
corrldor ahead 1wo enormous feeL sLlcklng ouL aL Lhe boLLom and a loud pufflng sound Lold
Lhem LhaL Pagrld was behlnd lL
Pl Pagrld wanL any help?" 8on asked sLlcklng hls head Lhrough Lhe branches
nah l'm all rlghL Lhanks 8on"
Would you mlnd movlng ouL of Lhe way?" came Malfoy's cold drawl from behlnd Lhem Are
you Lrylng Lo earn some exLra money Weasley? Poplng Lo be gamekeeper yourself when you
leave PogwarLs l suppose LhaL huL of Pagrld's musL seem llke a palace compared Lo whaL
your famlly's used Lo"
8on dlved aL Malfoy [usL as Snape came up Lhe sLalrs
WLASLL?!"
8on leL go of Lhe fronL of Malfoy's robes
Pe was provoked rofessor Snape" sald Pagrld sLlcklng hls huge halry face ouL from behlnd
Lhe Lree Malfoy was lnsulLln' hls famlly"
8e LhaL as lL may flghLlng ls agalnsL PogwarLs rules Pagrld" sald Snape sllklly llve polnLs
from Cryfflndor Weasley and be graLeful lL lsn'L more Move along all of you"
Malfoy Crabbe and Coyle pushed roughly pasL Lhe Lree scaLLerlng needles everywhere and
smlrklng
l'll geL hlm" sald 8on grlndlng hls LeeLh aL Malfoy's back one of Lhese days l'll geL hlm "
l haLe Lhem boLh" sald Parry Malfoy and Snape"
Come on cheer up lL's nearly ChrlsLmas" sald Pagrld 1ell yeh whaL come wlLh me an' see
Lhe CreaL Pall looks a LreaL"
So Lhe Lhree of Lhem followed Pagrld and hls Lree off Lo Lhe CreaL Pall where rofessor
McConagall and rofessor lllLwlck were busy wlLh Lhe ChrlsLmas decoraLlons
Ah Pagrld Lhe lasL Lree puL lL ln Lhe far corner would you?"
1he hall looked specLacular lesLoons of holly and mlsLleLoe hung all around Lhe walls and no
less Lhan Lwelve Lowerlng ChrlsLmas Lrees sLood around Lhe room some sparkllng wlLh Llny
lclcles some gllLLerlng wlLh hundreds of candles
Pow many days you goL lefL unLll yer holldays?" Pagrld asked
!usL one" sald Permlone And LhaL remlnds me Parry 8on we've goL half an hour before
lunch we should be ln Lhe llbrary"
Ch yeah you're rlghL" sald 8on Learlng hls eyes away from rofessor lllLwlck who had
golden bubbles blossomlng ouL of hls wand and was Lralllng Lhem over Lhe branches of Lhe
new Lree
1he llbrary?" sald Pagrld followlng Lhem ouL of Lhe hall !usL before Lhe holldays? 8lL keen
aren'L yeh?"
Ch we're noL worklng" Parry Lold hlm brlghLly Lver slnce you menLloned nlcolas llamel
we've been Lrylng Lo flnd ouL who he ls"
?ou whaL?" Pagrld looked shocked LlsLen here l've Lold yeh drop lL lL's noLhln' Lo you
whaL LhaL dog's guardln'"
We [usL wanL Lo know who nlcolas llamel ls LhaL's all" sald Permlone
unless you'd llke Lo Lell us and save us Lhe Lrouble?" Parry added We musL've been Lhrough
hundreds of books already and we can'L flnd hlm anywhere [usL glve us a hlnL l know l've
read hls name somewhere"
l'm sayln' noLhln' sald Pagrld flaLly
!usL have Lo flnd ouL for ourselves Lhen" sald 8on and Lhey lefL Pagrld looklng dlsgrunLled
and hurrled off Lo Lhe llbrary
1hey had lndeed been searchlng books for llamel's name ever slnce Pagrld had leL lL sllp
because how else were Lhey golng Lo flnd ouL whaL Snape was Lrylng Lo sLeal? 1he Lrouble was
lL was very hard Lo know where Lo begln noL knowlng whaL llamel mlghL have done Lo geL
hlmself lnLo a book Pe wasn'L ln CreaL Wlzards of Lhe 1wenLleLh CenLury or noLable Maglcal
names of Cur 1lme he was mlsslng Loo from lmporLanL Modern Maglcal ulscoverles and A
SLudy of 8ecenL uevelopmenLs ln Wlzardry And Lhen of course Lhere was Lhe sheer slze of
Lhe llbrary Lens of Lhousands of books Lhousands of shelves hundreds of narrow rows
Permlone Look ouL a llsL of sub[ecLs and LlLles she had declded Lo search whlle 8on sLrode off
down a row of books and sLarLed pulllng Lhem off Lhe shelves aL random Parry wandered over
Lo Lhe 8esLrlcLed SecLlon Pe had been wonderlng for a whlle lf llamel wasn'L somewhere ln
Lhere unforLunaLely you needed a speclally slgned noLe from one of Lhe Leachers Lo look ln
any of Lhe resLrlcLed books and he knew he'd never geL one 1hese were Lhe books conLalnlng
powerful uark Maglc never LaughL aL PogwarLs and only read by older sLudenLs sLudylng
advanced uefense AgalnsL Lhe uark ArLs
WhaL are you looklng for boy?"
noLhlng" sald Parry
Madam lnce Lhe llbrarlan brandlshed a feaLher dusLer aL hlm
?ou'd beLLer geL ouL Lhen Co on ouL!"
Wlshlng he'd been a blL qulcker aL Lhlnklng up some sLory Parry lefL Lhe llbrary Pe 8on and
Permlone had already agreed Lhey'd beLLer noL ask Madam lnce where Lhey could flnd
llamel 1hey were sure she'd be able Lo Lell Lhem buL Lhey couldn'L rlsk Snape hearlng whaL
Lhey were up Lo
Parry walLed ouLslde ln Lhe corrldor Lo see lf Lhe oLher Lwo had found anyLhlng buL he wasn'L
very hopeful 1hey had been looklng for Lwo weeks afLer A buL as Lhey only had odd momenLs
beLween lessons lL wasn'L surprlslng Lhey'd found noLhlng WhaL Lhey really needed was a nlce
long search wlLhouL Madam lnce breaLhlng down Lhelr necks
llve mlnuLes laLer 8on and Permlone [olned hlm shaklng Lhelr heads 1hey wenL off Lo lunch
?ou wlll keep looklng whlle l'm away won'L you?" sald Permlone And send me an owl lf you
flnd anyLhlng"
And you could ask your parenLs lf Lhey know who llamel ls" sald 8on lL'd be safe Lo ask
Lhem"
very safe as Lhey're boLh denLlsLs" sald Permlone
Cnce Lhe holldays had sLarLed 8on and Parry were havlng Loo good a Llme Lo Lhlnk much
abouL llamel 1hey had Lhe dormlLory Lo Lhemselves and Lhe common room was far empLler
Lhan usual so Lhey were able Lo geL Lhe good armchalrs by Lhe flre 1hey saL by Lhe hour eaLlng
anyLhlng Lhey could spear on a LoasLlng fork bread Lngllsh mufflns marshmallows and
ploLLlng ways of geLLlng Malfoy expelled whlch were fun Lo Lalk abouL even lf Lhey wouldn'L
work
8on also sLarLed Leachlng Parry wlzard chess 1hls was exacLly llke Muggle chess excepL LhaL
Lhe flgures were allve whlch made lL a loL llke dlrecLlng Lroops ln baLLle 8on's seL was very old
and baLLered Llke everyLhlng else he owned lL had once belonged Lo someone else ln hls
famlly ln Lhls case hls grandfaLher Powever old chessmen weren'L a drawback aL all 8on
knew Lhem so well he never had Lrouble geLLlng Lhem Lo do whaL he wanLed
Parry played wlLh chessmen Seamus llnnlgan had lenL hlm and Lhey dldn'L LrusL hlm aL all Pe
wasn'L a very good player yeL and Lhey kepL shouLlng dlfferenL blLs of advlce aL hlm whlch was
confuslng uon'L send me Lhere can'L you see hls knlghL? Send hlm we can afford Lo lose
hlm"
Cn ChrlsLmas Lve Parry wenL Lo bed looklng forward Lo Lhe nexL day for Lhe food and Lhe fun
buL noL expecLlng any presenLs aL all When he woke early ln Lhe mornlng however Lhe flrsL
Lhlng he saw was a small plle of packages aL Lhe fooL of hls bed
Merry ChrlsLmas" sald 8on sleeplly as Parry scrambled ouL of bed and pulled on hls
baLhrobe
?ou Loo" sald Parry Wlll you look aL Lhls? l've goL some presenLs!"
WhaL dld you expecL Lurnlps?" sald 8on Lurnlng Lo hls own plle whlch was a loL blgger Lhan
Parry's
Parry plcked up Lhe Lop parcel lL was wrapped ln Lhlck brown paper and scrawled across lL
was 1o Parry from Pagrld lnslde was a roughly cuL wooden fluLe Pagrld had obvlously
whlLLled lL hlmself Parry blew lL lL sounded a blL llke an owl
A second very small parcel conLalned a noLe
We recelved your message and enclose your ChrlsLmas presenL lrom uncle vernon and AunL
eLunla 1aped Lo Lhe noLe was a flfLypence plece
1haL's frlendly" sald Parry
8on was fasclnaLed by Lhe flfLy pence
Welrd!" he sald 'WhaL a shape! 1hls ls money?"
?ou can keep lL" sald Parry laughlng aL how pleased 8on was Pagrld and my aunL and uncle
so who senL Lhese?"
l Lhlnk l know who LhaL one's from" sald 8on Lurnlng a blL plnk and polnLlng Lo a very lumpy
parcel My mom l Lold her you dldn'L expecL any presenLs and oh no" he groaned she's
made you a Weasley sweaLer"
Parry had Lorn open Lhe parcel Lo flnd a Lhlck handknlLLed sweaLer ln emerald green and a
large box of homemade fudge
Lvery year she makes us a sweaLer" sald 8on unwrapplng hls own and mlne's always
maroon"
1haL's really nlce of her" sald Parry Lrylng Lhe fudge whlch was very LasLy
Pls nexL presenL also conLalned candy a large box of ChocolaLe lrogs from Permlone
1hls only lefL one parcel Parry plcked lL up and felL lL lL was very llghL Pe unwrapped lL
SomeLhlng fluld and sllvery gray wenL sllLherlng Lo Lhe floor where lL lay ln gleamlng folds 8on
gasped
l've heard of Lhose" he sald ln a hushed volce dropplng Lhe box of Lvery llavor 8eans he'd
goLLen from Permlone lf LhaL's whaL l Lhlnk lL ls Lhey're really rare and really valuable"
WhaL ls lL?"
Parry plcked Lhe shlnlng sllvery cloLh off Lhe floor lL was sLrange Lo Lhe Louch llke waLer
woven lnLo maLerlal
lL's an lnvlslblllLy cloak" sald 8on a look of awe on hls face l'm sure lL ls Lry lL on"
Parry Lhrew Lhe cloak around hls shoulders and 8on gave a yell
lL ls! Look down!"
Parry looked down aL hls feeL buL Lhey were gone Pe dashed Lo Lhe mlrror Sure enough hls
reflecLlon looked back aL hlm [usL hls head suspended ln mldalr hls body compleLely lnvlslble
Pe pulled Lhe cloak over hls head and hls reflecLlon vanlshed compleLely
1here's a noLe!" sald 8on suddenly A noLe fell ouL of lL!"
Parry pulled off Lhe cloak and selzed Lhe leLLer WrlLLen ln narrow loopy wrlLlng he had never
seen before were Lhe followlng words
?our faLher lefL Lhls ln my possesslon before he dled
lL ls Llme lL was reLurned Lo you
use lL well
A very Merry ChrlsLmas Lo you
1here was no slgnaLure Parry sLared aL Lhe noLe 8on was admlrlng Lhe cloak
l'd glve anyLhlng for one of Lhese" he sald AnyLhlng WhaL's Lhe maLLer?"
noLhlng" sald Parry Pe felL very sLrange Who had senL Lhe cloak? Pad lL really once
belonged Lo hls faLher?
8efore he could say or Lhlnk anyLhlng else Lhe dormlLory door was flung open and lred and
Ceorge Weasley bounded ln Parry sLuffed Lhe cloak qulckly ouL of slghL Pe dldn'L feel llke
sharlng lL wlLh anyone else yeL
Merry ChrlsLmas!"
Pey look Parry's goL a Weasley sweaLer Loo!"
lred and Ceorge were wearlng blue sweaLers one wlLh a large yellow l on lL Lhe oLher a C
Parry's ls beLLer Lhan ours Lhough" sald lred holdlng up Parry's sweaLer She obvlously
makes more of an efforL lf you're noL famlly"
Why aren'L you wearlng yours 8on?" Ceorge demanded Come on geL lL on Lhey're lovely
and warm"
l haLe maroon" 8on moaned halfhearLedly as he pulled lL over hls head
?ou haven'L goL a leLLer on yours" Ceorge observed l suppose she Lhlnks you don'L forgeL
your name 8uL we're noL sLupld we know we're called Cred and lorge"
WhaL's all Lhls nolse?"
ercy Weasley sLuck hls head Lhrough Lhe door looklng dlsapprovlng Pe had clearly goLLen
halfway Lhrough unwrapplng hls presenLs as he Loo carrled a lumpy sweaLer over hls arm
whlch lred selzed
for prefecL! CeL lL on ercy come on we're all wearlng ours even Parry goL one"
l don'L wanL " sald ercy Lhlckly as Lhe Lwlns forced Lhe sweaLer over hls head
knocklng hls glasses askew
And you're noL slLLlng wlLh Lhe prefecLs Loday elLher" sald Ceorge ChrlsLmas ls a Llme for
famlly"
1hey frogmarched ercy from Lhe room hls arms plnned Lo hls slde by hls sweaLer
Parry had never ln all hls llfe had such a ChrlsLmas dlnner A hundred faL roasL Lurkeys
mounLalns of roasL and bolled poLaLoes plaLLers of chlpolaLas Lureens of buLLered peas sllver
boaLs of Lhlck rlch gravy and cranberry sauce and sLacks of wlzard crackers every few feeL
along Lhe Lable 1hese fanLasLlc parLy favors were noLhlng llke Lhe feeble Muggle ones Lhe
uursleys usually boughL wlLh Lhelr llLLle plasLlc Loys and Lhelr fllmsy paper haLs lnslde Parry
pulled a wlzard cracker wlLh lred and lL dldn'L [usL bang lL wenL off wlLh a blasL llke a cannon
and engulfed Lhem all ln a cloud of blue smoke whlle from Lhe lnslde exploded a rear admlral's
haL and several llve whlLe mlce up aL Lhe Plgh 1able uumbledore had swapped hls polnLed
wlzard's haL for a flowered bonneL and was chuckllng merrlly aL a [oke rofessor lllLwlck had
[usL read hlm
llamlng ChrlsLmas puddlngs followed Lhe Lurkey ercy nearly broke hls LeeLh on a sllver slckle
embedded ln hls sllce Parry waLched Pagrld geLLlng redder and redder ln Lhe face as he called
for more wlne flnally klsslng rofessor McConagall on Lhe cheek who Lo Parry's amazemenL
glggled and blushed her Lop haL lopslded
When Parry flnally lefL Lhe Lable he was laden down wlLh a sLack of Lhlngs ouL of Lhe crackers
lncludlng a pack of nonexplodable lumlnous balloons a Crow?ourCwnWarLs klL and hls
own new wlzard chess seL 1he whlLe mlce had dlsappeared and Parry had a nasLy feellng Lhey
were golng Lo end up as Mrs norrls's ChrlsLmas dlnner
Parry and Lhe Weasleys spenL a happy afLernoon havlng a furlous snowball flghL on Lhe
grounds 1hen cold weL and gasplng for breaLh Lhey reLurned Lo Lhe flre ln Lhe Cryfflndor
common room where Parry broke ln hls new chess seL by loslng specLacularly Lo 8on Pe
suspecLed he wouldn'L have losL so badly lf ercy hadn'L Lrled Lo help hlm so much
AfLer a meal of Lurkey sandwlches crumpeLs Lrlfle and ChrlsLmas cake everyone felL Loo full
and sleepy Lo do much before bed excepL slL and waLch ercy chase lred and Ceorge all over
Cryfflndor Lower because Lhey'd sLolen hls prefecL badge
lL had been Parry's besL ChrlsLmas day ever ?eL someLhlng had been nagglng aL Lhe back of hls
mlnd all day noL unLll he cllmbed lnLo bed was he free Lo Lhlnk abouL lL Lhe lnvlslblllLy cloak
and whoever had senL lL
8on full of Lurkey and cake and wlLh noLhlng mysLerlous Lo boLher hlm fell asleep almosL as
soon as he'd drawn Lhe curLalns of hls fourposLer Parry leaned over Lhe slde of hls own bed
and pulled Lhe cloak ouL from under lL
Pls faLher's Lhls had been hls faLher's Pe leL Lhe maLerlal flow over hls hands smooLher Lhan
sllk llghL as alr use lL well Lhe noLe had sald
Pe had Lo Lry lL now Pe sllpped ouL of bed and wrapped Lhe cloak around hlmself Looklng
down aL hls legs he saw only moonllghL and shadows lL was a very funny feellng
use lL well
Suddenly Parry felL wldeawake 1he whole of PogwarLs was open Lo hlm ln Lhls cloak
LxclLemenL flooded Lhrough hlm as he sLood Lhere ln Lhe dark and sllence Pe could go
anywhere ln Lhls anywhere and lllch would never know
8on grunLed ln hls sleep Should Parry wake hlm? SomeLhlng held hlm back hls faLher's
cloak he felL LhaL Lhls Llme Lhe flrsL Llme he wanLed Lo use lL alone
Pe crepL ouL of Lhe dormlLory down Lhe sLalrs across Lhe common room and cllmbed Lhrough
Lhe porLralL hole
Who's Lhere?" squawked Lhe laL Lady Parry sald noLhlng Pe walked qulckly down Lhe
corrldor
Where should he go? Pe sLopped hls hearL raclng and LhoughL And Lhen lL came Lo hlm 1he
8esLrlcLed SecLlon ln Lhe llbrary Pe'd be able Lo read as long as he llked as long as lL Look Lo
flnd ouL who llamel was Pe seL off drawlng Lhe lnvlslblllLy cloak LlghL around hlm as he
walked
1he llbrary was plLchblack and very eerle Parry llL a lamp Lo see hls way along Lhe rows of
books 1he lamp looked as lf lL was floaLlng along ln mldalr and even Lhough Parry could feel
hls arm supporLlng lL Lhe slghL gave hlm Lhe creeps
1he 8esLrlcLed SecLlon was rlghL aL Lhe back of Lhe llbrary SLepplng carefully over Lhe rope
LhaL separaLed Lhese books from Lhe resL of Lhe llbrary he held up hls lamp Lo read Lhe LlLles
1hey dldn'L Lell hlm much 1helr peellng faded gold leLLers spelled words ln languages Parry
couldn'L undersLand Some had no LlLle aL all Cne book had a dark sLaln on lL LhaL looked
horrlbly llke blood 1he halrs on Lhe back of Parry's neck prlckled Maybe he was lmaglnlng lL
maybe noL buL he LhoughL a falnL whlsperlng was comlng from Lhe books as Lhough Lhey
knew someone was Lhere who shouldn'L be
Pe had Lo sLarL somewhere SeLLlng Lhe lamp down carefully on Lhe floor he looked along Lhe
boLLom shelf for an lnLeresLlng looklng book A large black and sllver volume caughL hls eye Pe
pulled lL ouL wlLh dlfflculLy because lL was very heavy and balanclng lL on hls knee leL lL fall
open
A plerclng bloodcurdllng shrlek spllL Lhe sllence Lhe book was screamlng! Parry snapped lL
shuL buL Lhe shrlek wenL on and on one hlgh unbroken earspllLLlng noLe Pe sLumbled
backward and knocked over hls lamp whlch wenL ouL aL once anlcklng he heard fooLsLeps
comlng down Lhe corrldor ouLslde sLufflng Lhe shrleklng book back on Lhe shelf he ran for
lL Pe passed lllch ln Lhe doorway lllch's pale wlld eyes looked sLralghL Lhrough hlm and
Parry sllpped under lllch's ouLsLreLched arm and sLreaked off up Lhe corrldor Lhe book's
shrleks sLlll rlnglng ln hls ears
Pe came Lo a sudden halL ln fronL of a Lall sulL of armor Pe had been so busy geLLlng away
from Lhe llbrary he hadn'L pald aLLenLlon Lo where he was golng erhaps because lL was dark
he dldn'L recognlze where he was aL all 1here was a sulL of armor near Lhe klLchens he knew
buL he musL be flve floors above Lhere
?ou asked me Lo come dlrecLly Lo you rofessor lf anyone was wanderlng around aL nlghL
and somebody's been ln Lhe llbrary 8esLrlcLed SecLlon"
Parry felL Lhe blood draln ouL of hls face Wherever he was lllch musL know a shorLcuL
because hls sofL greasy volce was geLLlng nearer and Lo hls horror lL was Snape who replled
1he 8esLrlcLed SecLlon? Well Lhey can'L be far we'll caLch Lhem"
Parry sLood rooLed Lo Lhe spoL as lllch and Snape came around Lhe corner ahead 1hey
couldn'L see hlm of course buL lL was a narrow corrldor and lf Lhey came much nearer Lhey'd
knock rlghL lnLo hlm Lhe cloak dldn'L sLop hlm from belng solld
Pe backed away as quleLly as he could A door sLood a[ar Lo hls lefL lL was hls only hope Pe
squeezed Lhrough lL holdlng hls breaLh Lrylng noL Lo move lL and Lo hls rellef he managed Lo
geL lnslde Lhe room wlLhouL Lhelr noLlclng anyLhlng 1hey walked sLralghL pasL and Parry
leaned agalnsL Lhe wall breaLhlng deeply llsLenlng Lo Lhelr fooLsLeps dylng away 1haL had
been close very close lL was a few seconds before he noLlced anyLhlng abouL Lhe room he had
hldden ln
lL looked llke an unused classroom 1he dark shapes of desks and chalrs were plled agalnsL Lhe
walls and Lhere was an upLurned wasLepaper baskeL buL propped agalnsL Lhe wall faclng hlm
was someLhlng LhaL dldn'L look as lf lL belonged Lhere someLhlng LhaL looked as lf someone
had [usL puL lL Lhere Lo keep lL ouL of Lhe way
lL was a magnlflcenL mlrror as hlgh as Lhe celllng wlLh an ornaLe gold frame sLandlng on Lwo
clawed feeL 1here was an lnscrlpLlon carved around Lhe Lop Lrlsed sLra ehru oyL ube cafru oyL
on wohsl Pls panlc fadlng now LhaL Lhere was no sound of lllch and Snape Parry moved
nearer Lo Lhe mlrror wanLlng Lo look aL hlmself buL see no reflecLlon agaln Pe sLepped ln
fronL of lL
Pe had Lo clap hls hands Lo hls mouLh Lo sLop hlmself from screamlng Pe whlrled around Pls
hearL was poundlng far more furlously Lhan when Lhe book had screamed for he had seen
noL only hlmself ln Lhe mlrror buL a whole crowd of people sLandlng rlghL behlnd hlm
8uL Lhe room was empLy 8reaLhlng very fasL he Lurned slowly back Lo Lhe mlrror
1here he was reflecLed ln lL whlLe and scaredlooklng and Lhere reflecLed behlnd hlm were
aL leasL Len oLhers Parry looked over hls shoulder buL sLlll no one was Lhere Cr were Lhey
all lnvlslble Loo? Was he ln facL ln a room full of lnvlslble people and Lhls mlrror's Lrlck was
LhaL lL reflecLed Lhem lnvlslble or noL?
Pe looked ln Lhe mlrror agaln A woman sLandlng rlghL behlnd hls reflecLlon was smlllng aL hlm
and wavlng Pe reached ouL a hand and felL Lhe alr behlnd hlm lf she was really Lhere he'd
Louch her Lhelr reflecLlons were so close LogeLher buL he felL only alr she and Lhe oLhers
exlsLed only ln Lhe mlrror
She was a very preLLy woman She had dark red halr and her eyes her eyes are [usL llke mlne
Parry LhoughL edglng a llLLle closer Lo Lhe glass 8rlghL green exacLly Lhe same shape buL
Lhen he noLlced LhaL she was crylng smlllng buL crylng aL Lhe same Llme 1he Lall Lhln black
halred man sLandlng nexL Lo her puL hls arm around her Pe wore glasses and hls halr was very
unLldy lL sLuck up aL Lhe back [usL as Parry's dld
Parry was so close Lo Lhe mlrror now LhaL hls nose was nearly Louchlng LhaL of hls reflecLlon
Mom?" he whlspered uad?"
1hey [usL looked aL hlm smlllng And slowly Parry looked lnLo Lhe faces of Lhe oLher people ln
Lhe mlrror and saw oLher palrs of green eyes llke hls oLher noses llke hls even a llLLle old man
who looked as Lhough he had Parry's knobbly knees Parry was looklng aL hls famlly for Lhe
flrsL Llme ln hls llfe
1he oLLers smlled and waved aL Parry and he sLared hungrlly back aL Lhem hls hands pressed
flaL agalnsL Lhe glass as Lhough he was hoplng Lo fall rlghL Lhrough lL and reach Lhem Pe had a
powerful klnd of ache lnslde hlm half [oy half Lerrlble sadness
Pow long he sLood Lhere he dldn'L know 1he reflecLlons dld noL fade and he looked and
looked unLll a dlsLanL nolse broughL hlm back Lo hls senses Pe couldn'L sLay here he had Lo
flnd hls way back Lo bed Pe Lore hls eyes away from hls moLher's face whlspered l'll come
back" and hurrled from Lhe room
?ou could have woken me up" sald 8on crossly
?ou can come LonlghL l'm golng back l wanL Lo show you Lhe mlrror"
l'd llke Lo see your mom and dad" 8on sald eagerly
And l wanL Lo see all your famlly all Lhe Weasleys you'll be able Lo show me your oLher
broLhers and everyone"
?ou can see Lhem any old Llme" sald 8on !usL come round my house Lhls summer Anyway
maybe lL only shows dead people Shame abouL noL flndlng llamel Lhough Pave some bacon
or someLhlng why aren'L you eaLlng anyLhlng?"
Parry couldn'L eaL Pe had seen hls parenLs and would be seelng Lhem agaln LonlghL Pe had
almosL forgoLLen abouL llamel lL dldn'L seem very lmporLanL anymore Who cared whaL Lhe
Lhree headed dog was guardlng? WhaL dld lL maLLer lf Snape sLole lL really?
Are you all rlghL?" sald 8on ?ou look odd"
WhaL Parry feared mosL was LhaL he mlghL noL be able Lo flnd Lhe mlrror room agaln WlLh
8on covered ln Lhe cloak Loo Lhey had Lo walk much more slowly Lhe nexL nlghL 1hey Lrled
reLraclng Parry's rouLe from Lhe llbrary wanderlng around Lhe dark passageways for nearly an
hour
l'm freezlng" sald 8on LeL's forgeL lL and go back"
no!" Parry hlssed l know lL's here somewhere"
1hey passed Lhe ghosL of a Lall wlLch glldlng ln Lhe opposlLe dlrecLlon buL saw no one else [usL
as 8on sLarLed moanlng LhaL hls feeL were dead wlLh cold Parry spoLLed Lhe sulL of armor
lL's here [usL here yes!"
1hey pushed Lhe door open Parry dropped Lhe cloak from around hls shoulders and ran Lo Lhe
mlrror
1here Lhey were Pls moLher and faLher beamed aL Lhe slghL of hlm
See?" Parry whlspered
l can'L see anyLhlng"
Look! Look aL Lhem all Lhere are loads of Lhem"
l can only see you"
Look ln lL properly go on sLand where l am"
Parry sLepped aslde buL wlLh 8on ln fronL of Lhe mlrror he couldn'L see hls famlly anymore
[usL 8on ln hls palsley pa[amas
8on Lhough was sLarlng Lransflxed aL hls lmage
Look aL me!" he sald
Can you see all your famlly sLandlng around you?"
no l'm alone buL l'm dlfferenL l look older and l'm head boy!"
WhaL?"
l am l'm wearlng Lhe badge llke 8lll used Lo and l'm holdlng Lhe house cup and Lhe
CulddlLch cup l'm CulddlLch capLaln Loo"
8on Lore hls eyes away from Lhls splendld slghL Lo look exclLedly aL Parry
uo you Lhlnk Lhls mlrror shows Lhe fuLure?"
Pow can lL? All my famlly are dead leL me have anoLher look "
?ou had lL Lo yourself all lasL nlghL glve me a blL more Llme"
?ou're only holdlng Lhe CulddlLch cup whaL's lnLeresLlng abouL LhaL? l wanL Lo see my
parenLs"
uon'L push me "
A sudden nolse ouLslde ln Lhe corrldor puL an end Lo Lhelr dlscusslon 1hey hadn'L reallzed how
loudly Lhey had been Lalklng
Culck!"
8on Lhrew Lhe cloak back over Lhem as Lhe lumlnous eyes of Mrs norrls came round Lhe door
8on and Parry sLood qulLe sLlll boLh Lhlnklng Lhe same Lhlng dld Lhe cloak work on caLs?
AfLer whaL seemed an age she Lurned and lefL
1hls lsn'L safe she mlghL have gone for lllch l beL she heard us Come on"
And 8on pulled Parry ouL of Lhe room
1he snow sLlll hadn'L melLed Lhe nexL mornlng
WanL Lo play chess Parry?" sald 8on
no"
Why don'L we go down and vlslL Pagrld?"
no you go"
l know whaL you're Lhlnklng abouL Parry LhaL mlrror uon'L go back LonlghL"
Why noL?"
l dunno l've [usL goL a bad feellng abouL lL and anyway you've had Loo many close shaves
already lllch Snape and Mrs norrls are wanderlng around So whaL lf Lhey can'L see you?
WhaL lf Lhey walk lnLo you? WhaL lf you knock someLhlng over?"
?ou sound llke Permlone"
l'm serlous Parry don'L go"
8uL Parry only had one LhoughL ln hls head whlch was Lo geL back ln fronL of Lhe mlrror and
8on wasn'L golng Lo sLop hlm
1haL Lhlrd nlghL he found hls way more qulckly Lhan before Pe was walklng so fasL he knew he
was maklng more nolse Lhan was wlse buL he dldn'L meeL anyone
And Lhere were hls moLher and faLher smlllng aL hlm agaln and one of hls grandfaLhers
noddlng happlly Parry sank down Lo slL on Lhe floor ln fronL of Lhe mlrror 1here was noLhlng
Lo sLop hlm from sLaylng here all nlghL wlLh hls famlly noLhlng aL all
LxcepL
So back agaln Parry?"
Parry felL as Lhough hls lnsldes had Lurned Lo lce Pe looked behlnd hlm SlLLlng on one of Lhe
desks by Lhe wall was none oLher Lhan Albus uumbledore Parry musL have walked sLralghL
pasL hlm so desperaLe Lo geL Lo Lhe mlrror he hadn'L noLlced hlm
l l dldn'L see you slr"
SLrange how nearslghLed belng lnvlslble can make you" sald uumbledore and Parry was
relleved Lo see LhaL he was smlllng
So" sald uumbledore sllpplng off Lhe desk Lo slL on Lhe floor wlLh Parry you llke hundreds
before you have dlscovered Lhe dellghLs of Lhe Mlrror of Lrlsed"
l dldn'L know lL was called LhaL Slr"
8uL l expecL you've reallzed by now whaL lL does?"
lL well lL shows me my famlly "
And lL showed your frlend 8on hlmself as head boy"
Pow dld you know ?"
l don'L need a cloak Lo become lnvlslble" sald uumbledore genLly now can you Lhlnk whaL
Lhe Mlrror of Lrlsed shows us all?"
Parry shook hls head
LeL me explaln 1he happlesL man on earLh would be able Lo use Lhe Mlrror of Lrlsed llke a
normal mlrror LhaL ls he would look lnLo lL and see hlmself exacLly as he ls uoes LhaL help?"
Parry LhoughL 1hen he sald slowly lL shows us whaL we wanL whaLever we wanL"
?es and no" sald uumbledore quleLly lL shows us noLhlng more or less Lhan Lhe deepesL
mosL desperaLe deslre of our hearLs ?ou who have never known your famlly see Lhem
sLandlng around you 8onald Weasley who has always been overshadowed by hls broLhers
sees hlmself sLandlng alone Lhe besL of all of Lhem Powever Lhls mlrror wlll glve us nelLher
knowledge or LruLh Men have wasLed away before lL enLranced by whaL Lhey have seen or
been drlven mad noL knowlng lf whaL lL shows ls real or even posslble
1he Mlrror wlll be moved Lo a new home Lomorrow Parry and l ask you noL Lo go looklng for
lL agaln lf you ever do run across lL you wlll now be prepared lL does noL do Lo dwell on
dreams and forgeL Lo llve remember LhaL now why don'L you puL LhaL admlrable cloak back
on and geL off Lo bed?"
Parry sLood up
Slr rofessor uumbledore? Can l ask you someLhlng?"
Cbvlously you've [usL done so" uumbledore smlled ?ou may ask me one more Lhlng
however"
WhaL do you see when you look ln Lhe mlrror?"
l? l see myself holdlng a palr of Lhlck woolen socks"
Parry sLared
Cne can never have enough socks" sald uumbledore AnoLher ChrlsLmas has come and gone
and l dldn'L geL a slngle palr eople wlll lnslsL on glvlng me books"
lL was only when he was back ln bed LhaL lL sLruck Parry LhaL uumbledore mlghL noL have been
qulLe LruLhful 8uL Lhen he LhoughL as he shoved Scabbers off hls plllow lL had been qulLe a
personal quesLlon
CPA1L8 1Pl81LLn
nlcholas llamel
uumbledore had convlnced Parry noL Lo go looklng for Lhe Mlrror of Lrlsed agaln and for Lhe
resL of Lhe ChrlsLmas holldays Lhe lnvlslblllLy cloak sLayed folded aL Lhe boLLom of hls Lrunk
Parry wlshed he could forgeL whaL he'd seen ln Lhe mlrror as easlly buL he couldn'L Pe sLarLed
havlng nlghLmares Cver and over agaln he dreamed abouL hls parenLs dlsappearlng ln a flash
of green llghL whlle a hlgh volce cackled wlLh laughLer
?ou see uumbledore was rlghL LhaL mlrror could drlve you mad" sald 8on when Parry Lold
hlm abouL Lhese dreams
Permlone who came back Lhe day before Lerm sLarLed Look a dlfferenL vlew of Lhlngs She
was Lorn beLween horror aL Lhe ldea of Parry belng ouL of bed roamlng Lhe school Lhree
nlghLs ln a row (lf lllch had caughL you!") and dlsappolnLmenL LhaL he hadn'L aL leasL found
ouL who nlcolas llamel was
1hey had almosL glven up hope of ever flndlng llamel ln a llbrary book even Lhough Parry was
sLlll sure he'd read Lhe name somewhere Cnce Lerm had sLarLed Lhey were back Lo sklmmlng
Lhrough books for Len mlnuLes durlng Lhelr breaks Parry had even less Llme Lhan Lhe oLher
Lwo because CulddlLch pracLlce had sLarLed agaln
Wood was worklng Lhe Leam harder Lhan ever Lven Lhe endless raln LhaL had replaced Lhe
snow couldn'L dampen hls splrlLs 1he Weasleys complalned LhaL Wood was becomlng a
fanaLlc buL Parry was on Wood's slde lf Lhey won Lhelr nexL maLch agalnsL Pufflepuff Lhey
would overLake SlyLherln ln Lhe house champlonshlp for Lhe flrsL Llme ln seven years CulLe
aparL from wanLlng Lo wln Parry found LhaL he had fewer nlghLmares when he was Llred ouL
afLer Lralnlng
1hen durlng one parLlcularly weL and muddy pracLlce sesslon Wood gave Lhe Leam a blL of
bad news Pe'd [usL goLLen very angry wlLh Lhe Weasleys who kepL dlvebomblng each oLher
and preLendlng Lo fall off Lhelr brooms
Wlll you sLop messlng around!" he yelled 1haL's exacLly Lhe sorL of Lhlng LhaL'll lose us Lhe
maLch! Snape's refereelng Lhls Llme and he'll be looklng for any excuse Lo knock polnLs off
Cryfflndor!"
Ceorge Weasley really dld fall off hls broom aL Lhese words
Snape's refereelng?" he spluLLered Lhrough a mouLhful of mud When's he ever refereed a
CulddlLch maLch? Pe's noL golng Lo be falr lf we mlghL overLake SlyLherln"
1he resL of Lhe Leam landed nexL Lo Ceorge Lo complaln Loo
lL's noL my faulL" sald Wood We've [usL goL Lo make sure we play a clean game so Snape
hasn'L goL an excuse Lo plck on us"
Whlch was all very well LhoughL Parry buL he had anoLher reason for noL wanLlng Snape near
hlm whlle he was playlng CulddlLch
1he resL of Lhe Leam hung back Lo Lalk Lo one anoLher as usual aL Lhe end of pracLlce buL Parry
headed sLralghL back Lo Lhe Cryfflndor common room where he found 8on and Permlone
playlng chess Chess was Lhe only Lhlng Permlone ever losL aL someLhlng Parry and 8on
LhoughL was very good for her
uon'L Lalk Lo me for a momenL" sald 8on when Parry saL down nexL Lo hlm l need Lo
concen" Pe caughL slghL of Parry's face
WhaL's Lhe maLLer wlLh you? ?ou look Lerrlble"
Speaklng quleLly so LhaL no one else would hear Parry Lold Lhe oLher Lwo abouL Snape's
sudden slnlsLer deslre Lo be a CulddlLch referee
uon'L play" sald Permlone aL once
Say you're lll" sald 8on
reLend Lo break your leg" Permlone suggesLed
8eally break your leg" sald 8on
l can'L" sald Parry 1here lsn'L a reserve Seeker lf l back ouL Cryfflndor can'L play aL all"
AL LhaL momenL nevllle Loppled lnLo Lhe common room Pow he had managed Lo cllmb
Lhrough Lhe porLralL hole was anyone's guess because hls legs had been sLuck LogeLher wlLh
whaL Lhey recognlzed aL once as Lhe LegLocker Curse Pe musL have had Lo bunny hop all Lhe
way up Lo Cryfflndor Lower
Lveryone fell over laughlng excepL Permlone who leapL up and performed Lhe counLercurse
nevllle's legs sprang aparL and he goL Lo hls feeL Lrembllng WhaL happened?" Permlone
asked hlm leadlng hlm over Lo slL wlLh Parry and 8on
Malfoy" sald nevllle shaklly l meL hlm ouLslde Lhe llbrary Pe sald he'd been looklng for
someone Lo pracLlce LhaL on"
Co Lo rofessor McConagall!" Permlone urged nevllle 8eporL hlm!"
nevllle shook hls head
l don'L wanL more Lrouble" he mumbled
?ou've goL Lo sLand up Lo hlm nevllle!" sald 8on Pe's used Lo walklng all over people buL
LhaL's no reason Lo lle down ln fronL of hlm and make lL easler"
1here's no need Lo Lell me l'm noL brave enough Lo be ln Cryfflndor Malfoy's already done
LhaL" nevllle choked ouL
Parry felL ln Lhe pockeL of hls robes and pulled ouL a ChocolaLe lrog Lhe very lasL one from Lhe
box Permlone had glven hlm for ChrlsLmas Pe gave lL Lo nevllle who looked as Lhough he
mlghL cry
?ou're worLh Lwelve of Malfoy" Parry sald 1he SorLlng PaL chose you for Cryfflndor dldn'L
lL? And where's Malfoy? ln sLlnklng SlyLherln"
nevllle's llps LwlLched ln a weak smlle as he unwrapped Lhe frog
1hanks Parry l Lhlnk l'll go Lo bed u'you wanL Lhe card you collecL Lhem don'L you?"
As nevllle walked away Parry looked aL Lhe lamous Wlzard card
uumbledore agaln" he sald Pe was Lhe flrsL one l ever "
Pe gasped Pe sLared aL Lhe back of Lhe card 1hen he looked up aL 8on and Permlone
l've found hlm!" he whlspered l've found llamel! l Lold you l'd read Lhe name somewhere
before l read lL on Lhe Lraln comlng here llsLen Lo Lhls 'uumbledore ls parLlcularly famous
for hls defeaL of Lhe dark wlzard Crlndelwald ln 1943 for Lhe dlscovery of Lhe Lwelve uses of
dragon's blood and hls work on alchemy wlLh hls parLner nlcolas llamel'!"
Permlone [umped Lo her feeL She hadn'L looked so exclLed slnce Lhey'd goLLen back Lhe marks
for Lhelr very flrsL plece of homework
SLay Lhere!" she sald and she sprlnLed up Lhe sLalrs Lo Lhe glrls' dormlLorles Parry and 8on
barely had Llme Lo exchange mysLlfled looks before she was dashlng back an enormous old
book ln her arms
l never LhoughL Lo look ln here!" she whlspered exclLedly l goL Lhls ouL of Lhe llbrary weeks
ago for a blL of llghL readlng"
LlghL?" sald 8on buL Permlone Lold hlm Lo be quleL unLll she'd looked someLhlng up and
sLarLed fllcklng franLlcally Lhrough Lhe pages muLLerlng Lo herself
AL lasL she found whaL she was looklng for
l knew lL! l knew lL!"
Are we allowed Lo speak yeL?" sald 8on grumplly Permlone lgnored hlm
nlcolas llamel" she whlspered dramaLlcally ls Lhe only known maker of Lhe Sorcerer's
SLone!"
1hls dldn'L have qulLe Lhe effecL she'd expecLed
1he whaL?" sald Parry and 8on
Ch honesLly don'L you Lwo read? Look read LhaL Lhere"
She pushed Lhe book Loward Lhem and Parry and 8on read
1he anclenL sLudy of alchemy ls concerned wlLh maklng Lhe Sorcerer's SLone a legendary
subsLance wlLh asLonlshlng powers 1he sLone wlll Lransform any meLal lnLo pure gold lL also
produces Lhe Lllxlr of Llfe whlch wlll make Lhe drlnker lmmorLal
1here have been many reporLs of Lhe Sorcerer's SLone over Lhe cenLurles buL Lhe only SLone
currenLly ln exlsLence belongs Lo Mr nlcolas llamel Lhe noLed alchemlsL and opera lover Mr
llamel who celebraLed hls slx hundred and slxLyflfLh blrLhday lasL year en[oys a quleL llfe ln
uevon wlLh hls wlfe erenelle (slx hundred and flfLyelghL)
See?" sald Permlone when Parry and 8on had flnlshed 1he dog musL be guardlng llamel's
Sorcerer's SLone! l beL he asked uumbledore Lo keep lL safe for hlm because Lhey're frlends
and he knew someone was afLer lL LhaL's why he wanLed Lhe SLone moved ouL of CrlngoLLs!"
A sLone LhaL makes gold and sLops you from ever dylng!" sald Parry no wonder Snape's
afLer lL! Anyone would wanL lL"
And no wonder we couldn'L flnd llamel ln LhaL SLudy of 8ecenL uevelopmenLs ln Wlzardry"
sald 8on Pe's noL exacLly recenL lf he's slx hundred and slxLyflve ls he?"
1he nexL mornlng ln uefense AgalnsL Lhe uark ArLs whlle copylng down dlfferenL ways of
LreaLlng werewolf blLes Parry and 8on were sLlll dlscusslng whaL Lhey'd do wlLh a Sorcerer's
SLone lf Lhey had one lL wasn'L unLll 8on sald he'd buy hls own CulddlLch Leam LhaL Parry
remembered abouL Snape and Lhe comlng maLch
l'm golng Lo play" he Lold 8on and Permlone lf l don'L all Lhe SlyLherlns wlll Lhlnk l'm [usL
Loo scared Lo face Snape l'll show Lhem lL'll really wlpe Lhe smlles off Lhelr faces lf we wln"
!usL as long as we're noL wlplng you off Lhe fleld" sald Permlone
As Lhe maLch drew nearer however Parry became more and more nervous whaLever he Lold
8on and Permlone 1he resL of Lhe Leam wasn'L Loo calm elLher 1he ldea of overLaklng
SlyLherln ln Lhe house champlonshlp was wonderful no one had done lL for seven years buL
would Lhey be allowed Lo wlLh such a blased referee?
Parry dldn'L know wheLher he was lmaglnlng lL or noL buL he seemed Lo keep runnlng lnLo
Snape
wherever he wenL AL Llmes he even wondered wheLher Snape was followlng hlm Lrylng Lo
caLch hlm on hls own oLlons lessons were Lurnlng lnLo a sorL of weekly LorLure Snape was so
horrlble Lo Parry Could Snape posslbly know Lhey'd found ouL abouL Lhe Sorcerer's SLone?
Parry dldn'L see how he could yeL he someLlmes had Lhe horrlble feellng LhaL Snape could
read mlnds
Parry knew when Lhey wlshed hlm good luck ouLslde Lhe locker rooms Lhe nexL afLernoon
LhaL 8on and Permlone were wonderlng wheLher Lhey'd ever see hlm allve agaln 1hls wasn'L
whaL you'd call comforLlng Parry hardly heard a word of Wood's pep Lalk as he pulled on hls
CulddlLch robes and plcked up hls nlmbus 1wo 1housand
8on and Permlone meanwhlle had found a place ln Lhe sLands nexL Lo nevllle who couldn'L
undersLand why Lhey looked so grlm and worrled or why Lhey had boLh broughL Lhelr wands
Lo Lhe maLch LlLLle dld Parry know LhaL 8on and Permlone had been secreLly pracLlclng Lhe
LegLocker Curse 1hey'd goLLen Lhe ldea from Malfoy uslng lL on nevllle and were ready Lo
use lL on Snape lf he showed any slgn of wanLlng Lo hurL Parry
now don'L forgeL lL's LocomoLor MorLls" Permlone muLLered as 8on sllpped hls wand up hls
sleeve
l know" 8on snapped uon'L nag"
8ack ln Lhe locker room Wood had Laken Parry aslde
uon'L wanL Lo pressure you oLLer buL lf we ever need an early capLure of Lhe SnlLch lL's
now llnlsh Lhe game before Snape can favor Pufflepuff Loo much"
1he whole school's ouL Lhere!" sald lred Weasley peerlng ouL of Lhe door Lven bllmey
uumbledore's come Lo waLch!"
Parry's hearL dld a somersaulL
uumbledore?" he sald dashlng Lo Lhe door Lo make sure lred was rlghL 1here was no
mlsLaklng LhaL sllver beard
Parry could have laughed ouL loud wlLh rellef he was safe 1here was slmply no way LhaL
Snape would dare Lo Lry Lo hurL hlm lf uumbledore was waLchlng
erhaps LhaL was why Snape was looklng so angry as Lhe Leams marched onLo Lhe fleld
someLhlng LhaL 8on noLlced Loo
l've never seen Snape look so mean" he Lold Permlone Look Lhey're off Cuch!"
Someone had poked 8on ln Lhe back of Lhe head lL was Malfoy
Ch sorry Weasley dldn'L see you Lhere"
Malfoy grlnned broadly aL Crabbe and Coyle
Wonder how long oLLer's golng Lo sLay on hls broom Lhls Llme? Anyone wanL a beL? WhaL
abouL you Weasley?"
8on dldn'L answer Snape had [usL awarded Pufflepuff a penalLy because Ceorge Weasley had
hlL a 8ludger aL hlm Permlone who had all her flngers crossed ln her lap was squlnLlng flxedly
aL Parry who was clrcllng Lhe game llke a hawk looklng for Lhe SnlLch
?ou know how l Lhlnk Lhey choose people for Lhe Cryfflndor Leam?" sald Malfoy loudly a few
mlnuLes laLer as Snape awarded Pufflepuff anoLher penalLy for no reason aL all lL's people
Lhey feel sorry for See Lhere's oLLer who's goL no parenLs Lhen Lhere's Lhe Weasleys
who've goL no money you should be on Lhe Leam LongboLLom you've goL no bralns"
nevllle wenL brlghL red buL Lurned ln hls seaL Lo face Malfoy
l'm worLh Lwelve of you Malfoy" he sLammered
Malfoy Crabbe and Coyle howled wlLh laughLer buL 8on sLlll noL darlng Lo Lake hls eyes from
Lhe game sald ?ou Lell hlm nevllle"
LongboLLom lf bralns were gold you'd be poorer Lhan Weasley and LhaL's saylng someLhlng"
8on's nerves were already sLreLched Lo Lhe breaklng polnL wlLh anxleLy abouL Parry
l'm warnlng you Malfoy one more word"
8on!" sald Permlone suddenly Parry "
WhaL? Where?"
Parry had suddenly gone lnLo a specLacular dlve whlch drew gasps and cheers from Lhe
crowd Permlone sLood up her crossed flngers ln her mouLh as Parry sLreaked Loward Lhe
ground llke a bulleL
?ou're ln luck Weasley oLLer's obvlously spoLLed some money on Lhe ground!" sald Malfoy
8on snapped 8efore Malfoy knew whaL was happenlng 8on was on Lop of hlm wresLllng hlm
Lo Lhe ground nevllle heslLaLed Lhen clambered over Lhe back of hls seaL Lo help
Come on Parry!" Permlone screamed leaplng onLo her seaL Lo waLch as Parry sped sLralghL
aL Snape she dldn'L even noLlce Malfoy and 8on rolllng around under her seaL or Lhe
scuffles and yelps comlng from Lhe whlrl of flsLs LhaL was nevllle Crabbe and Coyle
up ln Lhe alr Snape Lurned on hls broomsLlck [usL ln Llme Lo see someLhlng scarleL shooL pasL
hlm mlsslng hlm by lnches Lhe nexL second Parry had pulled ouL of Lhe dlve hls arm ralsed
ln Lrlumph Lhe SnlLch clasped ln hls hand
1he sLands erupLed lL had Lo be a record no one could ever remember Lhe SnlLch belng
caughL so qulckly
8on! 8on! Where are you? 1he game's over! Parry's won! We've won! Cryfflndor ls ln Lhe
lead!" shrleked Permlone danclng up and down on her seaL and hugglng arvaLl aLll ln Lhe
row ln fronL
Parry [umped off hls broom a fooL from Lhe ground Pe couldn'L belleve lL Pe'd done lL Lhe
game was over lL had barely lasLed flve mlnuLes As Cryfflndors came spllllng onLo Lhe fleld he
saw Snape land nearby whlLefaced and LlghLllpped Lhen Parry felL a hand on hls shoulder
and looked up lnLo uumbledore's smlllng face
Well done" sald uumbledore quleLly so LhaL only Parry could hear nlce Lo see you haven'L
been broodlng abouL LhaL mlrror been keeplng busy excellenL"
Snape spaL blLLerly on Lhe ground
Parry lefL Lhe locker room alone some Llme laLer Lo Lake hls nlmbus 1wo 1housand back Lo
Lhe broomshed Pe couldn'L ever remember feellng happler Pe'd really done someLhlng Lo be
proud of now no one could say he was [usL a famous name any more 1he evenlng alr had
never smelled so sweeL Pe walked over Lhe damp grass rellvlng Lhe lasL hour ln hls head
whlch was a happy blur Cryfflndors runnlng Lo llfL hlm onLo Lhelr shoulders 8on and
Permlone ln Lhe dlsLance [umplng up and down 8on cheerlng Lhrough a heavy nosebleed
Parry had reached Lhe shed Pe leaned agalnsL Lhe wooden door and looked up aL PogwarLs
wlLh lLs wlndows glowlng red ln Lhe seLLlng sun Cryfflndor ln Lhe lead Pe'd done lL he'd
shown Snape
And speaklng of Snape
A hooded flgure came swlfLly down Lhe fronL sLeps of Lhe casLle Clearly noL wanLlng Lo be
seen lL walked as fasL as posslble Loward Lhe forbldden foresL Parry's vlcLory faded from hls
mlnd as he waLched Pe recognlzed Lhe flgure's prowllng walk Snape sneaklng lnLo Lhe foresL
whlle everyone else was aL dlnner whaL was golng on?
Parry [umped back on hls nlmbus 1wo 1housand and Look off Clldlng sllenLly over Lhe casLle
he saw Snape enLer Lhe foresL aL a run Pe followed
1he Lrees were so Lhlck he couldn'L see where Snape had gone Pe flew ln clrcles lower and
lower brushlng Lhe Lop branches of Lrees unLll he heard volces Pe gllded Loward Lhem and
landed nolselessly ln a Lowerlng beech Lree
Pe cllmbed carefully along one of Lhe branches holdlng LlghL Lo hls broomsLlck Lrylng Lo see
Lhrough Lhe leaves
8elow ln a shadowy clearlng sLood Snape buL he wasn'L alone Culrrell was Lhere Loo Parry
couldn'L make ouL Lhe look on hls face buL he was sLuLLerlng worse Lhan ever Parry sLralned
Lo caLch whaL Lhey were saylng
ddon'L know why you wanLed LLLo meeL here of all pplaces Severus"
Ch l LhoughL we'd keep Lhls prlvaLe" sald Snape hls volce lcy SLudenLs aren'L supposed Lo
know abouL Lhe Sorcerer's SLone afLer all"
Parry leaned forward Culrrell was mumbllng someLhlng Snape lnLerrupLed hlm
Pave you found ouL how Lo geL pasL LhaL beasL of Pagrld's yeL?"
8bbuL Severus l "
?ou don'L wanL me as your enemy Culrrell" sald Snape Laklng a sLep Loward hlm
ll don'L know whaL you"
?ou know perfecLly well whaL l mean"
An owl hooLed loudly and Parry nearly fell ouL of Lhe Lree Pe sLeadled hlmself ln Llme Lo hear
Snape say your llLLle blL of hocuspocus l'm walLlng"
8buL l dddon'L "
very well" Snape cuL ln We'll have anoLher llLLle chaL soon when you've had Llme Lo Lhlnk
Lhlngs over and declded where your loyalLles lle"
Pe Lhrew hls cloak over hls head and sLrode ouL of Lhe clearlng lL was almosL dark now buL
Parry could see Culrrell sLandlng qulLe sLlll as Lhough he was peLrlfled
Parry where have you been?" Permlone squeaked
We won! ?ou won! We won!" shouLed 8on Lhumplng Parry on Lhe back And l gave Malfoy
a black eye and nevllle Lrled Lo Lake on Crabbe and Coyle slnglehanded! Pe's sLlll ouL cold buL
Madam omfrey says he'll be all rlghL Lalk abouL showlng SlyLherln! Lveryone's walLlng for
you ln Lhe common room we're havlng a parLy lred and Ceorge sLole some cakes and sLuff
from Lhe klLchens"
never mlnd LhaL now" sald Parry breaLhlessly LeL's flnd an empLy room you walL 'Lll you
hear Lhls"
Pe made sure eeves wasn'L lnslde before shuLLlng Lhe door behlnd Lhem Lhen he Lold Lhem
whaL he'd seen and heard
So we were rlghL lL ls Lhe Sorcerer's SLone and Snape's Lrylng Lo force Culrrell Lo help hlm
geL
lL Pe asked lf he knew how Lo geL pasL lluffy and he sald someLhlng abouL Culrrell's 'hocus
pocus' l reckon Lhere are oLher Lhlngs guardlng Lhe sLone aparL from lluffy loads of
enchanLmenLs probably and Culrrell would have done some anLluark ArLs spell LhaL Snape
needs Lo break Lhrough "
So you mean Lhe SLone's only safe as long as Culrrell sLands up Lo Snape?" sald Permlone ln
alarm
lL'll be gone by nexL 1uesday" sald 8on
CPA1L8 lCu81LLn
norberL Lhe norweglan 8ldgeback
Culrrell however musL have been braver Lhan Lhey'd LhoughL ln Lhe weeks LhaL followed he
dld seem Lo be geLLlng paler and Lhlnner buL lL dldn'L look as Lhough he'd cracked yeL
Lvery Llme Lhey passed Lhe Lhlrdfloor corrldor Parry 8on and Permlone would press Lhelr
ears Lo Lhe door Lo check LhaL lluffy was sLlll growllng lnslde Snape was sweeplng abouL ln hls
usual bad Lemper whlch surely meanL LhaL Lhe SLone was sLlll safe Whenever Parry passed
Culrrell Lhese days he gave hlm an encouraglng sorL of smlle and 8on had sLarLed Lelllng
people off for laughlng aL Culrrell's sLuLLer
Permlone however had more on her mlnd Lhan Lhe Sorcerer's SLone She had sLarLed drawlng
up sLudy schedules and color codlng all her noLes Parry and 8on wouldn'L have mlnded buL
she kepL nagglng Lhem Lo do Lhe same
Permlone Lhe exams are ages away"
1en weeks" Permlone snapped 1haL's noL ages LhaL's llke a second Lo nlcolas llamel"
8uL we're noL slx hundred years old" 8on remlnded her Anyway whaL are you sLudylng for
you already know lL's an A"
WhaL am l sLudylng for? Are you crazy? ?ou reallze we need Lo pass Lhese exams Lo geL lnLo
Lhe second year? 1hey're very lmporLanL l should have sLarLed sLudylng a monLh ago l don'L
know whaL's goLLen lnLo me"
unforLunaLely Lhe Leachers seemed Lo be Lhlnklng along Lhe same llnes as Permlone 1hey
plled so much homework on Lhem LhaL Lhe LasLer holldays weren'L nearly as much fun as Lhe
ChrlsLmas ones lL was hard Lo relax wlLh Permlone nexL Lo you reclLlng Lhe Lwelve uses of
dragon's blood or pracLlclng wand movemenLs Moanlng and yawnlng Parry and 8on spenL
mosL of Lhelr free Llme ln Lhe llbrary wlLh her Lrylng Lo geL Lhrough all Lhelr exLra work
l'll never remember Lhls" 8on bursL ouL one afLernoon Lhrowlng down hls qulll and looklng
longlngly ouL of Lhe llbrary wlndow lL was Lhe flrsL really flne day Lhey'd had ln monLhs 1he
sky was a clear forgeLmenoL blue and Lhere was a feellng ln Lhe alr of summer comlng
Parry who was looklng up ulLLany" ln Cne 1housand Maglcal Perbs and lungl dldn'L look up
unLll he heard 8on say Pagrld! WhaL are you dolng ln Lhe llbrary?"
Pagrld shuffled lnLo vlew hldlng someLhlng behlnd hls back Pe looked very ouL of place ln hls
moleskln overcoaL
!us' lookln'" he sald ln a shlfLy volce LhaL goL Lhelr lnLeresL aL once An' whaL're you loL up
Ler?" Pe looked suddenly susplclous ?er noL sLlll lookln' fer nlcolas llamel are yeh?"
Ch we found ouL who he ls ages ago" sald 8on lmpresslvely And we know whaL LhaL dog's
guardlng lL's a Sorcerer's SL"
Shhhh!" Pagrld looked around qulckly Lo see lf anyone was llsLenlng uon' go shouLln' abouL
lL whaL's Lhe maLLer wlLh yeh?"
1here are a few Lhlngs we wanLed Lo ask you as a maLLer of facL" sald Parry abouL whaL's
guardlng Lhe SLone aparL from lluffy "
SPPPP!" sald Pagrld agaln LlsLen come an' see me laLer l'm noL promlsln' l'll Lell yeh
anyLhln' mlnd buL don' go rabblLln' abouL lL ln here sLudenLs aren' s'pposed Ler know 1hey'll
Lhlnk l've Lold yeh "
See you laLer Lhen" sald Parry
Pagrld shuffled off
WhaL was he hldlng behlnd hls back?" sald Permlone LhoughLfully
uo you Lhlnk lL had anyLhlng Lo do wlLh Lhe SLone?"
l'm golng Lo see whaL secLlon he was ln" sald 8on who'd had enough of worklng Pe came
back a mlnuLe laLer wlLh a plle of books ln hls arms and slammed Lhem down on Lhe Lable
uragons!" he whlspered Pagrld was looklng up sLuff abouL dragons! Look aL Lhese uragon
Specles of CreaL 8rlLaln and lreland lrom Lgg Lo lnferno A uragon keeper's Culde "
Pagrld's always wanLed a dragon he Lold me so Lhe flrsL Llme l ever meL hlm sald Parry
8uL lL's agalnsL our laws" sald 8on uragon breedlng was ouLlawed by Lhe Warlocks'
ConvenLlon of 1709 everyone knows LhaL lL's hard Lo sLop Muggles from noLlclng us lf we're
keeplng dragons ln Lhe back garden anyway you can'L Lame dragons lL's dangerous ?ou
should see Lhe burns Charlle's goL off wlld ones ln 8omanla"
8uL Lhere aren'L wlld dragons ln 8rlLaln?" sald Parry
Cf course Lhere are" sald 8on Common Welsh Creen and Pebrldean 8lacks 1he MlnlsLry of
Maglc has a [ob hushlng Lhem up l can Lell you Cur klnd have Lo keep puLLlng spells on
Muggles who've spoLLed Lhem Lo make Lhem forgeL"
So whaL on earLh's Pagrld up Lo?" sald Permlone
When Lhey knocked on Lhe door of Lhe gamekeeper's huL an hour laLer Lhey were surprlsed Lo
see LhaL all Lhe curLalns were closed Pagrld called Who ls lL?" before he leL Lhem ln and Lhen
shuL Lhe door qulckly behlnd Lhem
lL was sLlfllng hoL lnslde Lven Lhough lL was such a warm day Lhere was a blazlng flre ln Lhe
graLe Pagrld made Lhem Lea and offered Lhem sLoaL sandwlches whlch Lhey refused
So yeh wanLed Lo ask me someLhln'?"
?es" sald Parry 1here was no polnL beaLlng around Lhe bush We were wonderlng lf you
could Lell us whaL's guardlng Lhe Sorcerer's SLone aparL from lluffy"
Pagrld frowned aL hlm
C' course l can'L he sald number one l don' know meself number Lwo yeh know Loo
much already so l wouldn' Lell yeh lf l could 1haL SLone's here fer a good reason lL was almosL
sLolen ouLLa CrlngoLLs l s'ppose yeh've worked LhaL ouL an' all? 8eaLs me how yeh even
know abou' lluffy"
Ch come on Pagrld you mlghL noL wanL Lo Lell us buL you do know you know everyLhlng
LhaL goes on round here" sald Permlone ln a warm flaLLerlng volce Pagrld's beard LwlLched
and Lhey could Lell he was smlllng We only wondered who had done Lhe guardlng really"
Permlone wenL on We wondered who uumbledore had LrusLed enough Lo help hlm aparL
from you"
Pagrld's chesL swelled aL Lhese lasL words Parry and 8on beamed aL Permlone
Well l don' s'pose lL could hurL Ler Lell yeh LhaL leL's see he borrowed lluffy from me
Lhen some o' Lhe Leachers dld enchanLmenLs rofessor SprouL rofessor lllLwlck
rofessor McConagall " he Llcked Lhem off on hls flngers rofessor Culrrell an'
uumbledore hlmself dld someLhln' o' course Pang on l've forgoLLen someone Ch yeah
rofessor Snape"
Snape?"
?eah yer noL sLlll on abou' LhaL are yeh? Look Snape helped proLecL Lhe SLone he's noL
abouL Ler sLeal lL"
Parry knew 8on and Permlone were Lhlnklng Lhe same as he was lf Snape had been ln on
proLecLlng Lhe SLone lL musL have been easy Lo flnd ouL how Lhe oLher Leachers had guarded
lL Pe probably knew everyLhlng excepL lL seemed Culrrell's spell and how Lo geL pasL
lluffy
?ou're Lhe only one who knows how Lo geL pasL lluffy aren'L you Pagrld?" sald Parry
anxlously And you wouldn'L Lell anyone would you? noL even one of Lhe Leachers?"
noL a soul knows excepL me an' uumbledore" sald Pagrld proudly
Well LhaL's someLhlng" Parry muLLered Lo Lhe oLhers Pagrld can we have a wlndow open?
l'm bolllng"
Can'L Parry sorry" sald Pagrld Parry noLlced hlm glance aL Lhe flre Parry looked aL lL Loo
Pagrld whaL's LhaL?"
8uL he already knew whaL lL was ln Lhe very hearL of Lhe flre underneaLh Lhe keLLle was a
huge black egg
Ah" sald Pagrld flddllng nervously wlLh hls beard 1haL's er"
Where dld you geL lL Pagrld?" sald 8on crouchlng over Lhe flre Lo geL a closer look aL Lhe egg
lL musL've cosL you a forLune"
Won lL" sald Pagrld Las' nlghL l was down ln Lhe vlllage havln' a few drlnks an' goL lnLo a
game o' cards wlLh a sLranger 1hlnk he was qulLe glad Ler geL rld of lL Ler be honesL"
8uL whaL are you golng Lo do wlLh lL when lL's haLched?" sald Permlone
Well l've bln doln' some readln'" sald Pagrld pulllng a large book from under hls plllow CoL
Lhls ouLLa Lhe llbrary uragon 8reedlng for leasure and roflL lL's a blL ouLLa daLe o'
course buL lL's all ln here keep Lhe egg ln Lhe flre 'cause Lhelr moLhers breaLhe on l em see
an' when lL haLches feed lL on a buckeL o' brandy mlxed wlLh chlcken blood every half hour
An' see here how Ler recognlze dlff'renL eggs whaL l goL Lhere's a norweglan 8ldgeback
1hey're rare Lhem"
Pe looked very pleased wlLh hlmself buL Permlone dldn'L
Pagrld you llve ln a wooden house" she sald
8uL Pagrld wasn'L llsLenlng Pe was hummlng merrlly as he sLoked Lhe flre
So now Lhey had someLhlng else Lo worry abouL whaL mlghL happen Lo Pagrld lf anyone found
ouL he was hldlng an lllegal dragon ln hls huL
Wonder whaL lL's llke Lo have a peaceful llfe" 8on slghed as evenlng afLer evenlng Lhey
sLruggled Lhrough all Lhe exLra homework Lhey were geLLlng Permlone had now sLarLed
maklng sLudy schedules for Parry and 8on Loo lL was drlvlng Lhem nuLs
1hen one breakfasL Llme Pedwlg broughL Parry anoLher noLe from Pagrld Pe had wrlLLen
only Lwo words lL's haLchlng
8on wanLed Lo sklp Perbology and go sLralghL down Lo Lhe huL Permlone wouldn'L hear of lL
Permlone how many Llmes ln our llves are we golng Lo see a dragon haLchlng?"
We've goL lessons we'll geL lnLo Lrouble and LhaL's noLhlng Lo whaL Pagrld's golng Lo be ln
when someone flnds ouL whaL he's dolng"
ShuL up!" Parry whlspered
Malfoy was only a few feeL away and he had sLopped dead Lo llsLen Pow much had he heard?
Parry dldn'L llke Lhe look on Malfoy's face aL all
8on and Permlone argued all Lhe way Lo Perbology and ln Lhe end Permlone agreed Lo run
down Lo Pagrld's wlLh Lhe oLher Lwo durlng mornlng break When Lhe bell sounded from Lhe
casLle aL Lhe end of Lhelr lesson Lhe Lhree of Lhem dropped Lhelr Lrowels aL once and hurrled
Lhrough Lhe grounds Lo Lhe edge of Lhe foresL Pagrld greeLed Lhem looklng flushed and
exclLed
lL's nearly ouL" Pe ushered Lhem lnslde
1he egg was lylng on Lhe Lable 1here were deep cracks ln lL SomeLhlng was movlng lnslde a
funny cllcklng nolse was comlng from lL
1hey all drew Lhelr chalrs up Lo Lhe Lable and waLched wlLh baLed breaLh
All aL once Lhere was a scraplng nolse and Lhe egg spllL open 1he baby dragon flopped onLo
Lhe Lable lL wasn'L exacLly preLLy Parry LhoughL lL looked llke a crumpled black umbrella lLs
splny wlngs were huge compared Lo lLs sklnny [eL body lL had a long snouL wlLh wlde nosLrlls
Lhe sLubs of horns and bulglng orange eyes
lL sneezed A couple of sparks flew ouL of lLs snouL
lsn'L he beauLlful?" Pagrld murmured Pe reached ouL a hand Lo sLroke Lhe dragon's head lL
snapped aL hls flngers showlng polnLed fangs
8less hlm look he knows hls mommy!" sald Pagrld
Pagrld" sald Permlone how fasL do norweglan 8ldgebacks grow exacLly?"
Pagrld was abouL Lo answer when Lhe color suddenly dralned from hls face he leapL Lo hls
feeL and ran Lo Lhe wlndow
WhaL's Lhe maLLer?"
Someone was lookln' Lhrough Lhe gap ln Lhe curLalns lL's a kld he's runnln' back up Ler
Lhe school"
Parry bolLed Lo Lhe door and looked ouL Lven aL a dlsLance Lhere was no mlsLaklng hlm
Malfoy had seen Lhe dragon
SomeLhlng abouL Lhe smlle lurklng on Malfoy's face durlng Lhe nexL week made Parry 8on
and Permlone very nervous 1hey spenL mosL of Lhelr free Llme ln Pagrld's darkened huL
Lrylng Lo reason wlLh hlm
!usL leL hlm go" Parry urged SeL hlm free"
l can'L" sald Pagrld Pe's Loo llLLle Pe'd dle"
1hey looked aL Lhe dragon lL had grown Lhree Llmes ln lengLh ln [usL a week Smoke kepL
furllng ouL of lLs nosLrlls Pagrld hadn'L been dolng hls gamekeeplng duLles because Lhe dragon
was keeplng hlm so busy 1here were empLy brandy boLLles and chlcken feaLhers all over Lhe
floor
l've declded Lo call hlm norberL" sald Pagrld looklng aL Lhe dragon wlLh mlsLy eyes Pe
really knows me now waLch norberL! norberL! Where's Mommy?"
Pe's losL hls marbles" 8on muLLered ln Parry's ear
Pagrld" sald Parry loudly glve lL Lwo weeks and norberL's golng Lo be as long as your house
Malfoy could go Lo uumbledore aL any momenL"
Pagrld blL hls llp
l l know l can'L keep hlm forever buL l can'L [us' dump hlm l can'L"
Parry suddenly Lurned Lo 8on Charlle" he sald
?ou're loslng lL Loo" sald 8on l'm 8on remember?"
no Charlle your broLher Charlle ln 8omanla SLudylng dragons We could send norberL
Lo hlm Charlle can Lake care of hlm and Lhen puL hlm back ln Lhe wlld!"
8rllllanL!" sald 8on Pow abouL lL Pagrld?"
And ln Lhe end Pagrld agreed LhaL Lhey could send an owl Lo Charlle Lo ask hlm
1he followlng week dragged by Wednesday nlghL found Permlone and Parry slLLlng alone ln
Lhe common room long afLer everyone else had gone Lo bed 1he clock on Lhe wall had [usL
chlmed mldnlghL when Lhe porLralL hole bursL open 8on appeared ouL of nowhere as he
pulled off Parry's lnvlslblllLy cloak Pe had been down aL Pagrld's huL helplng hlm feed
norberL who was now eaLlng dead raLs by Lhe craLe
lL blL me!" he sald showlng Lhem hls hand whlch was wrapped ln a bloody handkerchlef l'm
noL golng Lo be able Lo hold a qulll for a week l Lell you LhaL dragon's Lhe mosL horrlble anlmal
l've ever meL buL Lhe way Pagrld goes on abouL lL you'd Lhlnk lL was a fluffy llLLle bunny
rabblL When lL blL me he Lold me off for frlghLenlng lL And when l lefL he was slnglng lL a
lullaby"
1here was a Lap on Lhe dark wlndow
lL's Pedwlg!" sald Parry hurrylng Lo leL her ln She'll have Charlle's answer!"
1he Lhree of Lhem puL Lhelr heads LogeLher Lo read Lhe noLe
uear 8on
Pow are you? 1hanks for Lhe leLLer l'd be glad Lo Lake Lhe norweglan 8ldgeback buL lL
won'L be easy geLLlng hlm here l Lhlnk Lhe besL Lhlng wlll be Lo send hlm over wlLh some
frlends of mlne who are comlng Lo vlslL me nexL week 1rouble ls Lhey musLn'L be seen
carrylng an lllegal dragon
Could you geL Lhe 8ldgeback up Lhe LallesL Lower aL mldnlghL on SaLurday? 1hey can meeL you
Lhere and Lake hlm away whlle lL's sLlll dark
Send me an answer as soon as posslble
Love
Charlle
1hey looked aL one anoLher
We've goL Lhe lnvlslblllLy cloak" sald Parry lL shouldn'L be Loo dlfflculL l Lhlnk Lhe cloaks
blg enough Lo cover Lwo of us and norberL"
lL was a mark of how bad Lhe lasL week had been LhaL Lhe oLher Lwo agreed wlLh hlm AnyLhlng
Lo geL rld of norberL and Malfoy
1here was a hlLch 8y Lhe nexL mornlng 8on's blLLen hand had swollen Lo Lwlce lLs usual slze
Pe dldn'L know wheLher lL was safe Lo go Lo Madam omfrey would she recognlze a dragon
blLe? 8y Lhe afLernoon Lhough he had no cholce 1he cuL had Lurned a nasLy shade of green lL
looked as lf norberL's fangs were polsonous
Parry and Permlone rushed up Lo Lhe hosplLal wlng aL Lhe end of Lhe day Lo flnd 8on ln a
Lerrlble sLaLe ln bed
lL's noL [usL my hand" he whlspered alLhough LhaL feels llke lL's abouL Lo fall off Malfoy Lold
Madam omfrey he wanLed Lo borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good
laugh aL me Pe kepL LhreaLenlng Lo Lell her whaL really blL me l've Lold her lL was a dog buL
l don'L Lhlnk she belleves me l shouldn'L have hlL hlm aL Lhe CulddlLch maLch LhaL's why
he's dolng Lhls"
Parry and Permlone Lrled Lo calm 8on down
lL'll all be over aL mldnlghL on SaLurday" sald Permlone buL Lhls dldn'L sooLhe 8on aL all Cn
Lhe conLrary he saL bolL uprlghL and broke lnLo a sweaL
MldnlghL on SaLurday!" he sald ln a hoarse volce Ch no oh no l've [usL remembered
Charlle's leLLer was ln LhaL book Malfoy Look he's golng Lo know we're geLLlng rld of norberL"
Parry and Permlone dldn'L geL a chance Lo answer Madam omfrey came over aL LhaL
momenL and made Lhem leave saylng 8on needed sleep
lL's Loo laLe Lo change Lhe plan now" Parry Lold Permlone We haven'L goL Llme Lo send
Charlle anoLher owl and Lhls could be our only chance Lo geL rld of norberL We'll have Lo rlsk
lL And we have goL Lhe lnvlslblllLy cloak Malfoy doesn'L know abouL LhaL"
1hey found lang Lhe boarhound slLLlng ouLslde wlLh a bandaged Lall when Lhey wenL Lo Lell
Pagrld who opened a wlndow Lo Lalk Lo Lhem
l won'L leL you ln" he puffed norberL's aL a Lrlcky sLage noLhln' l can'L handle"
When Lhey Lold hlm abouL Charlle's leLLer hls eyes fllled wlLh Lears alLhough LhaL mlghL have
been because norberL had [usL blLLen hlm on Lhe leg
Aargh! lL's all rlghL he only goL my booL [us' playln' he's only a baby afLer all"
1he baby banged lLs Lall on Lhe wall maklng Lhe wlndows raLLle Parry and Permlone walked
back Lo Lhe casLle feellng SaLurday couldn'L come qulckly enough
1hey would have felL sorry for Pagrld when Lhe Llme came for hlm Lo say goodbye Lo norberL
lf Lhey hadn'L been so worrled abouL whaL Lhey had Lo do lL was a very dark cloudy nlghL and
Lhey were a blL laLe arrlvlng aL Pagrld's huL because Lhey'd had Lo walL for eeves Lo geL ouL of
Lhelr way ln Lhe enLrance hall where he'd been playlng Lennls agalnsL Lhe wall Pagrld had
norberL packed and ready ln a large craLe
Pe's goL loLs o' raLs an' some brandy fer Lhe [ourney" sald Pagrld ln a muffled volce An' l've
packed hls Leddy bear ln case he geLs lonely"
lrom lnslde Lhe craLe came rlpplng nolses LhaL sounded Lo Parry as Lhough Lhe Leddy was
havlng hls head Lorn off
8yebye norberL!" Pagrld sobbed as Parry and Permlone covered Lhe craLe wlLh Lhe
lnvlslblllLy cloak and sLepped underneaLh lL Lhemselves Mommy wlll never forgeL you!"
Pow Lhey managed Lo geL Lhe craLe back up Lo Lhe casLle Lhey never knew MldnlghL Llcked
nearer as Lhey heaved norberL up Lhe marble sLalrcase ln Lhe enLrance hall and along Lhe dark
corrldors up anoLher sLalrcase Lhen anoLher even one of Parry's shorLcuLs dldn'L make Lhe
work much easler
nearly Lhere!" Parry panLed as Lhey reached Lhe corrldor beneaLh Lhe LallesL Lower
1hen a sudden movemenL ahead of Lhem made Lhem almosL drop Lhe craLe lorgeLLlng LhaL
Lhey were already lnvlslble Lhey shrank lnLo Lhe shadows sLarlng aL Lhe dark ouLllnes of Lwo
people
grappllng wlLh each oLher Len feeL away A lamp flared
rofessor McConagall ln a LarLan baLhrobe and a halr neL had Malfoy by Lhe ear
ueLenLlon!" she shouLed And LwenLy polnLs from SlyLherln! Wanderlng around ln Lhe mlddle
of Lhe nlghL how dare you "
?ou don'L undersLand rofessor Parry oLLer's comlng he's goL a dragon!"
WhaL uLLer rubblsh! Pow dare you Lell such lles! Come on l shall see rofessor Snape abouL
you Malfoy!"
1he sLeep splral sLalrcase up Lo Lhe Lop of Lhe Lower seemed Lhe easlesL Lhlng ln Lhe world
afLer LhaL noL unLll Lhey'd sLepped ouL lnLo Lhe cold nlghL alr dld Lhey Lhrow off Lhe cloak glad
Lo be able Lo breaLhe properly agaln Permlone dld a sorL of [lg
Malfoy's goL deLenLlon! l could slng!"
uon'L" Parry advlsed her
Chuckllng abouL Malfoy Lhey walLed norberL Lhrashlng abouL ln hls craLe AbouL Len mlnuLes
laLer four broomsLlcks came swooplng down ouL of Lhe darkness
Charlle's frlends were a cheery loL 1hey showed Parry and Permlone Lhe harness Lhey'd
rlgged up so Lhey could suspend norberL beLween Lhem 1hey all helped buckle norberL safely
lnLo lL and Lhen Parry and Permlone shook hands wlLh Lhe oLhers and Lhanked Lhem very
much
AL lasL norberL was golng golng gone
1hey sllpped back down Lhe splral sLalrcase Lhelr hearLs as llghL as Lhelr hands now LhaL
norberL was off Lhem no more dragon Malfoy ln deLenLlon whaL could spoll Lhelr
happlness?
1he answer Lo LhaL was walLlng aL Lhe fooL of Lhe sLalrs As Lhey sLepped lnLo Lhe corrldor
lllch's face loomed suddenly ouL of Lhe darkness
Well well well" he whlspered we are ln Lrouble"
1hey'd lefL Lhe lnvlslblllLy cloak on Lop of Lhe Lower
CPA1L8 lll1LLn
1he lorbldden loresL
1hlngs couldn'L have been worse
lllch Look Lhem down Lo rofessor McConagall's sLudy on Lhe flrsL floor where Lhey saL and
walLed wlLhouL saylng a word Lo each oLher Permlone was Lrembllng Lxcuses allbls and wlld
cover up sLorles chased each oLher around Parry's braln each more feeble Lhan Lhe lasL Pe
couldn'L see how Lhey were golng Lo geL ouL of Lrouble Lhls Llme 1hey were cornered Pow
could Lhey have been so sLupld as Lo forgeL Lhe cloak? 1here was no reason on earLh LhaL
rofessor McConagall would accepL for Lhelr belng ouL of bed and creeplng around Lhe school
ln Lhe dead of nlghL leL alone belng up Lhe LallesL asLronomy Lower whlch was ouLofbounds
excepL for classes Add norberL and Lhe lnvlslblllLy cloak and Lhey mlghL as well be packlng
Lhelr bags already
Pad Parry LhoughL LhaL Lhlngs couldn'L have been worse? Pe was wrong When rofessor
McConagall appeared she was leadlng nevllle
Parry!" nevllle bursL ouL Lhe momenL he saw Lhe oLher Lwo l was Lrylng Lo flnd you Lo warn
you l heard Malfoy saylng he was golng Lo caLch you he sald you had a drag"
Parry shook hls head vlolenLly Lo shuL nevllle up buL rofessor McConagall had seen She
looked more llkely Lo breaLhe flre Lhan norberL as she Lowered over Lhe Lhree of Lhem
l would never have belleved lL of any of you Mr lllch says you were up ln Lhe asLronomy
Lower lL's one o'clock ln Lhe mornlng Lxplaln yourselves"
lL was Lhe flrsL Llme Permlone had ever falled Lo answer a Leacher's quesLlon She was sLarlng
aL her sllppers as sLlll as a sLaLue
l Lhlnk l've goL a good ldea of whaL's been golng on" sald rofessor McConagall lL doesn'L
Lake a genlus Lo work lL ouL ?ou fed uraco Malfoy some cockandbull sLory abouL a dragon
Lrylng Lo geL hlm ouL of bed and lnLo Lrouble l've already caughL hlm l suppose you Lhlnk lL's
funny LhaL LongboLLom here heard Lhe sLory and belleved lL Loo?"
Parry caughL nevllle's eye and Lrled Lo Lell hlm wlLhouL words LhaL Lhls wasn'L Lrue because
nevllle was looklng sLunned and hurL oor blunderlng nevllle Parry knew whaL lL musL
have cosL hlm Lo Lry and flnd Lhem ln Lhe dark Lo warn Lhem
l'm dlsgusLed" sald rofessor McConagall lour sLudenLs ouL of bed ln one nlghL! l've never
heard of such a Lhlng before! ?ou Mlss Cranger l LhoughL you had more sense As for you Mr
oLLer l LhoughL Cryfflndor meanL more Lo you Lhan Lhls All Lhree of you wlll recelve
deLenLlons yes you Loo Mr LongboLLom noLhlng glves you Lhe rlghL Lo walk around school
aL nlghL especlally Lhese days lL's very dangerous and flfLy polnLs wlll be Laken from
Cryfflndor"
llfLy?" Parry gasped Lhey would lose Lhe lead Lhe lead he'd won ln Lhe lasL CulddlLch
maLch
llfLy polnLs each" sald rofessor McConagall breaLhlng heavlly Lhrough her long polnLed
nose
rofessor please "
?ou can'L "
uon'L Lell me whaL l can and can'L do oLLer now geL back Lo bed all of you l've never been
more ashamed of Cryfflndor sLudenLs"
A hundred and flfLy polnLs losL 1haL puL Cryfflndor ln lasL place ln one nlghL Lhey'd rulned
any chance Cryfflndor had had for Lhe house cup Parry felL as Lhough Lhe boLLom had
dropped ouL of hls sLomach Pow could Lhey ever make up for Lhls?
Parry dldn'L sleep all nlghL Pe could hear nevllle sobblng lnLo hls plllow for whaL seemed llke
hours Parry couldn'L Lhlnk of anyLhlng Lo say Lo comforL hlm Pe knew nevllle llke hlmself
was dreadlng Lhe dawn WhaL would happen when Lhe resL of Cryfflndor found ouL whaL
Lhey'd done?
AL flrsL Cryfflndors passlng Lhe glanL hourglasses LhaL recorded Lhe house polnLs Lhe nexL day
LhoughL Lhere'd been a mlsLake Pow could Lhey suddenly have a hundred and flfLy polnLs
fewer Lhan yesLerday? And Lhen Lhe sLory sLarLed Lo spread Parry oLLer Lhe famous Parry
oLLer Lhelr hero of Lwo CulddlLch maLches had losL Lhem all Lhose polnLs hlm and a couple
of oLher sLupld flrsL years
lrom belng one of Lhe mosL popular and admlred people aL Lhe school Parry was suddenly Lhe
mosL haLed Lven 8avenclaws and Pufflepuffs Lurned on hlm because everyone had been
longlng Lo see SlyLherln lose Lhe house cup Lverywhere Parry wenL people polnLed and dldn'L
Lrouble Lo lower Lhelr volces as Lhey lnsulLed hlm SlyLherlns on Lhe oLher hand clapped as he
walked pasL Lhem whlsLllng and cheerlng 1hanks oLLer we owe you one!"
Cnly 8on sLood by hlm
1hey'll all forgeL Lhls ln a few weeks lred and Ceorge have losL loads of polnLs ln all Lhe Llme
Lhey've been here and people sLlll llke Lhem"
1hey've never losL a hundred and flfLy polnLs ln one go Lhough have Lhey?" sald Parry
mlserably
Well no" 8on admlLLed
lL was a blL laLe Lo repalr Lhe damage buL Parry swore Lo hlmself noL Lo meddle ln Lhlngs LhaL
weren'L hls buslness from now on Pe'd had lL wlLh sneaklng around and spylng Pe felL so
ashamed of hlmself LhaL he wenL Lo Wood and offered Lo reslgn from Lhe CulddlLch Leam
8eslgn?" Wood Lhundered WhaL good'll LhaL do? Pow are we golng Lo geL any polnLs back lf
we can'L wln aL CulddlLch?"
8uL even CulddlLch had losL lLs fun 1he resL of Lhe Leam wouldn'L speak Lo Parry durlng
pracLlce and lf Lhey had Lo speak abouL hlm Lhey called hlm Lhe Seeker"
Permlone and nevllle were sufferlng Loo 1hey dldn'L have as bad a Llme as Parry because
Lhey weren'L as wellknown buL nobody would speak Lo Lhem elLher Permlone had sLopped
drawlng aLLenLlon Lo herself ln class keeplng her head down and worklng ln sllence
Parry was almosL glad LhaL Lhe exams weren'L far away All Lhe sLudylng he had Lo do kepL hls
mlnd off hls mlsery Pe 8on and Permlone kepL Lo Lhemselves worklng laLe lnLo Lhe nlghL
Lrylng Lo remember Lhe lngredlenLs ln compllcaLed poLlons learn charms and spells by hearL
memorlze Lhe daLes of maglcal dlscoverles and goblln rebelllons
1hen abouL a week before Lhe exams were due Lo sLarL Parry's new resoluLlon noL Lo
lnLerfere ln anyLhlng LhaL dldn'L concern hlm was puL Lo an unexpecLed LesL Walklng back
from Lhe llbrary on hls own one afLernoon he heard somebody whlmperlng from a classroom
up ahead As he drew closer he heard Culrrell's volce
no no noL agaln please "
lL sounded as Lhough someone was LhreaLenlng hlm Parry moved closer
All rlghL all rlghL " he heard Culrrell sob
nexL second Culrrell came hurrylng ouL of Lhe classroom sLralghLenlng hls Lurban Pe was pale
and looked as Lhough he was abouL Lo cry Pe sLrode ouL of slghL Parry dldn'L Lhlnk Culrrell
had even noLlced hlm Pe walLed unLll Culrrell's fooLsLeps had dlsappeared Lhen peered lnLo
Lhe classroom lL was empLy buL a door sLood a[ar aL Lhe oLher end Parry was halfway Loward
lL before he remembered whaL he'd promlsed hlmself abouL noL meddllng
All Lhe same he'd have gambled Lwelve Sorcerer's SLones LhaL Snape had [usL lefL Lhe room
and from whaL Parry had [usL heard Snape would be walklng wlLh a new sprlng ln hls sLep
Culrrell seemed Lo have glven ln aL lasL
Parry wenL back Lo Lhe llbrary where Permlone was LesLlng 8on on AsLronomy Parry Lold
Lhem whaL he'd heard
Snape's done lL Lhen!" sald 8on lf Culrrell's Lold hlm how Lo break hls AnLluark lorce spell
"
1here's sLlll lluffy Lhough" sald Permlone
Maybe Snape's found ouL how Lo geL pasL hlm wlLhouL asklng Pagrld" sald 8on looklng up aL
Lhe Lhousands of books surroundlng Lhem l beL Lhere's a book somewhere ln here Lelllng you
how Lo geL pasL a glanL Lhreeheaded dog So whaL do we do Parry?"
1he llghL of advenLure was klndllng agaln ln 8on's eyes buL Permlone answered before Parry
could
Co Lo uumbledore 1haL's whaL we should have done ages ago lf we Lry anyLhlng ourselves
we'll be Lhrown ouL for sure"
8uL we've goL no proof!" sald Parry Culrrell's Loo scared Lo back us up Snape's only goL Lo
say he doesn'L know how Lhe Lroll goL ln aL Palloween and LhaL he was nowhere near Lhe Lhlrd
floor who do you Lhlnk Lhey'll belleve hlm or us? lL's noL exacLly a secreL we haLe hlm
uumbledore'll Lhlnk we made lL up Lo geL hlm sacked lllch wouldn'L help us lf hls llfe
depended on lL he's Loo frlendly wlLh Snape and Lhe more sLudenLs geL Lhrown ouL Lhe
beLLer he'll Lhlnk And don'L forgeL we're noL supposed Lo know abouL Lhe SLone or lluffy
1haL'll Lake a loL of explalnlng"
Permlone looked convlnced buL 8on dldn'L
lf we [usL do a blL of poklng around "
no" sald Parry flaLly we've done enough poklng around"
Pe pulled a map of !uplLer Loward hlm and sLarLed Lo learn Lhe names of lLs moons
1he followlng mornlng noLes were dellvered Lo Parry Permlone and nevllle aL Lhe breakfasL
Lable 1hey were all Lhe same
?our deLenLlon wlll Lake place aL eleven o'clock LonlghL
MeeL Mr lllch ln Lhe enLrance hall
rofessor McConagall
Parry had forgoLLen Lhey sLlll had deLenLlons Lo do ln Lhe furor over Lhe polnLs Lhey'd losL Pe
half expecLed Permlone Lo complaln LhaL Lhls was a whole nlghL of sLudylng losL buL she dldn'L
say a word Llke Parry she felL Lhey deserved whaL Lhey'd goL
AL eleven o'clock LhaL nlghL Lhey sald goodbye Lo 8on ln Lhe common room and wenL down
Lo Lhe enLrance hall wlLh nevllle lllch was already Lhere and so was Malfoy Parry had also
forgoLLen LhaL Malfoy had goLLen a deLenLlon Loo
lollow me" sald lllch llghLlng a lamp and leadlng Lhem ouLslde
l beL you'll Lhlnk Lwlce abouL breaklng a school rule agaln won'L you eh?" he sald leerlng aL
Lhem Ch yes hard work and paln are Lhe besL Leachers lf you ask me lL's [usL a plLy Lhey
leL Lhe old punlshmenLs dle ouL hang you by your wrlsLs from Lhe celllng for a few days l've
goL Lhe chalns sLlll ln my offlce keep 'em well olled ln case Lhey're ever needed 8lghL off we
go and don'L Lhlnk of runnlng off now lL'll be worse for you lf you do"
1hey marched off across Lhe dark grounds nevllle kepL snlfflng Parry wondered whaL Lhelr
punlshmenL was golng Lo be lL musL be someLhlng really horrlble or lllch wouldn'L be
soundlng so dellghLed
1he moon was brlghL buL clouds scuddlng across lL kepL Lhrowlng Lhem lnLo darkness Ahead
Parry could see Lhe llghLed wlndows of Pagrld's huL 1hen Lhey heard a dlsLanL shouL
ls LhaL you lllch? Purry up l wanL Ler geL sLarLed"
Parry's hearL rose lf Lhey were golng Lo be worklng wlLh Pagrld lL wouldn'L be so bad Pls
rellef musL have showed ln hls face because lllch sald l suppose you Lhlnk you'll be en[oylng
yourself wlLh LhaL oaf? Well Lhlnk agaln boy lL's lnLo Lhe foresL you're golng and l'm much
mlsLaken lf you'll all come ouL ln one plece"
AL Lhls nevllle leL ouL a llLLle moan and Malfoy sLopped dead ln hls Lracks
1he foresL?" he repeaLed and he dldn'L sound qulLe as cool as usual We can'L go ln Lhere aL
nlghL Lhere's all sorLs of Lhlngs ln Lhere werewolves l heard"
nevllle cluLched Lhe sleeve of Parry's robe and made a choklng nolse
1haL's your problem lsn'L lL?" sald lllch hls volce cracklng wlLh glee Should've LhoughL of
Lhem werewolves before you goL ln Lrouble shouldn'L you?"
Pagrld came sLrldlng Loward Lhem ouL of Lhe dark lang aL hls heel Pe was carrylng hls large
crossbow and a qulver of arrows hung over hls shoulder
Abou' Llme" he sald l bln walLln' fer half an hour already All rlghL Parry Permlone?"
l shouldn'L be Loo frlendly Lo Lhem Pagrld" sald lllch coldly Lhey're here Lo be punlshed
afLer all"
1haL's why yer laLe ls lL?" sald Pagrld frownlng aL lllch 8ln lecLurln' Lhem eh? 'SnoL your
place Ler do LhaL ?eh've done yer blL l'll Lake over from here"
l'll be back aL dawn" sald lllch for whaL's lefL of Lhem" he added nasLlly and he Lurned and
sLarLed back Loward Lhe casLle hls lamp bobblng away ln Lhe darkness
Malfoy now Lurned Lo Pagrld
l'm noL golng ln LhaL foresL" he sald and Parry was pleased Lo hear Lhe noLe of panlc ln hls
volce
?eh are lf yeh wanL Ler sLay aL PogwarLs" sald Pagrld flercely ?eh've done wrong an' now
yeh've goL Ler pay fer lL"
8uL Lhls ls servanL sLuff lL's noL for sLudenLs Lo do l LhoughL we'd be copylng llnes or
someLhlng lf my faLher knew l was dolng Lhls he'd"
Lell yer LhaL's how lL ls aL PogwarLs" Pagrld growled Copyln' llnes! WhaL good's LhaL Ler
anyone? ?eh'll do summaL useful or yeh'll geL ouL lf yeh Lhlnk yer faLher'd raLher you were
expelled Lhen geL back off Ler Lhe casLle an' pack Co on"
Malfoy dldn'L move Pe looked aL Pagrld furlously buL Lhen dropped hls gaze
8lghL Lhen" sald Pagrld now llsLen carefully 'cause lL's dangerous whaL we're gonna do
LonlghL an' l don' wanL no one Lakln' rlsks lollow me over here a momenL"
Pe led Lhem Lo Lhe very edge of Lhe foresL Poldlng hls lamp up hlgh he polnLed down a
narrow wlndlng earLh Lrack LhaL dlsappeared lnLo Lhe Lhlck black Lrees A llghL breeze llfLed
Lhelr halr as Lhey looked lnLo Lhe foresL
Look Lhere" sald Pagrld see LhaL sLuff shlnln' on Lhe ground? Sllvery sLuff? 1haL's unlcorn
blood 1here's a unlcorn ln Lhere bln hurL badly by summaL 1hls ls Lhe second Llme ln a week l
found one dead lasL Wednesday We're gonna Lry an' flnd Lhe poor Lhlng We mlghL have Ler
puL lL ouL of lLs mlsery"
And whaL lf whaLever hurL Lhe unlcorn flnds us flrsL?" sald Malfoy unable Lo keep Lhe fear ouL
of hls volce
1here's noLhln' LhaL llves ln Lhe foresL LhaL'll hurL yeh lf yer wlLh me or lang" sald Pagrld
An' keep Ler Lhe paLh 8lghL now we're gonna spllL lnLer Lwo parLles an' follow Lhe Lrall ln
dlff'renL dlrecLlons 1here's blood all over Lhe place lL musL've bln sLaggerln' around slnce lasL
nlghL aL leasL"
l wanL lang" sald Malfoy qulckly looklng aL lang's long LeeLh
All rlghL buL l warn yeh he's a coward" sald Pagrld So me Parry an' Permlone'll go one
way an' uraco nevllle an' lang'll go Lhe oLher now lf any of us flnds Lhe unlcorn we'll send
up green sparks rlghL? CeL yer wands ouL an' pracLlce now LhaL's lL an' lf anyone geLs ln
Lrouble send up red sparks an' we'll all come an' flnd yeh so be careful leL's go"
1he foresL was black and sllenL A llLLle way lnLo lL Lhey reached a fork ln Lhe earLh paLh and
Parry Permlone and Pagrld Look Lhe lefL paLh whlle Malfoy nevllle and lang Look Lhe rlghL
1hey walked ln sllence Lhelr eyes on Lhe ground Lvery now and Lhen a ray of moonllghL
Lhrough Lhe branches above llL a spoL of sllverblue blood on Lhe fallen leaves
Parry saw LhaL Pagrld looked very worrled
Could a werewolf be kllllng Lhe unlcorns?" Parry asked
noL fasL enough" sald Pagrld lL's noL easy Ler caLch a unlcorn Lhey're powerful maglc
creaLures l never knew one Ler be hurL before"
1hey walked pasL a mossy Lree sLump Parry could hear runnlng waLer Lhere musL be a sLream
somewhere close by 1here were sLlll spoLs of unlcorn blood here and Lhere along Lhe wlndlng
paLh
?ou all rlghL Permlone?" Pagrld whlspered uon' worry lL can'L've gone far lf lL's Lhls badly
hurL an' Lhen we'll be able Ler CL1 8LPlnu 1PA1 18LL!"
Pagrld selzed Parry and Permlone and holsLed Lhem off Lhe paLh behlnd a Lowerlng oak Pe
pulled ouL an arrow and flLLed lL lnLo hls crossbow ralslng lL ready Lo flre 1he Lhree of Lhem
llsLened SomeLhlng was sllLherlng over dead leaves nearby lL sounded llke a cloak Lralllng
along Lhe ground Pagrld was squlnLlng up Lhe dark paLh buL afLer a few seconds Lhe sound
faded away
l knew lL" he murmured 1here's summaL ln here LhaL shouldn' be"
A werewolf?" Parry suggesLed
1haL wasn' no werewolf an' lL wasn' no unlcorn nelLher" sald Pagrld grlmly 8lghL follow
me buL careful now"
1hey walked more slowly ears sLralnlng for Lhe falnLesL sound Suddenly ln a clearlng ahead
someLhlng deflnlLely moved
Who's Lhere?" Pagrld called Show yerself l'm armed!"
And lnLo Lhe clearlng came was lL a man or a horse? 1o Lhe walsL a man wlLh red halr and
beard buL below LhaL was a horse's gleamlng chesLnuL body wlLh a long reddlsh Lall Parry
and Permlone's [aws dropped
Ch lL's you 8onan" sald Pagrld ln rellef Pow are yeh?"
Pe walked forward and shook Lhe cenLaur's hand
Cood evenlng Lo you Pagrld" sald 8onan Pe had a deep sorrowful volce Were you golng
Lo shooL me?"
Can'L be Loo careful 8onan" sald Pagrld paLLlng hls crossbow 1here's summaL bad loose ln
Lhls foresL 1hls ls Parry oLLer an' Permlone Cranger by Lhe way SLudenLs up aL Lhe school
An' Lhls ls 8onan you Lwo Pe's a cenLaur
We'd noLlced" sald Permlone falnLly
Cood evenlng" sald 8onan SLudenLs are you? And do you learn much up aL Lhe school?"
Lrm "
A blL" sald Permlone Llmldly
A blL Well LhaL's someLhlng" 8onan slghed Pe flung back hls head and sLared aL Lhe sky
Mars ls brlghL LonlghL"
?eah" sald Pagrld glanclng up Loo LlsLen l'm glad we've run lnLer yeh 8onan 'cause
Lhere's a unlcorn bln hurL you seen anyLhln'?"
8onan dldn'L answer lmmedlaLely Pe sLared unbllnklngly upward Lhen slghed agaln
Always Lhe lnnocenL are Lhe flrsL vlcLlms" he sald So lL has been for ages pasL so lL ls now"
?eah" sald Pagrld buL have yeh seen anyLhln' 8onan? AnyLhln' unusual?"
Mars ls brlghL LonlghL" 8onan repeaLed whlle Pagrld waLched hlm lmpaLlenLly unusually
brlghL"
?eah buL l was meanln' anyLhln' unusual a blL nearer home" sald Pagrld So yeh haven'L
noLlced anyLhln' sLrange?"
?eL agaln 8onan Look a whlle Lo answer AL lasL he sald 1he foresL hldes many secreLs"
A movemenL ln Lhe Lrees behlnd 8onan made Pagrld ralse hls bow agaln buL lL was only a
second cenLaur blackhalred and bodled and wllderlooklng Lhan 8onan
Pullo 8ane" sald Pagrld All rlghL?"
Cood evenlng Pagrld l hope you are well?"
Well enough Look l've [us' bln askln' 8onan you seen anyLhln' odd ln here laLely? 1here's a
unlcorn bln ln[ured would yeh know anyLhln' abouL lL?"
8ane walked over Lo sLand nexL Lo 8onan Pe looked skyward Mars ls brlghL LonlghL" he sald
slmply
We've heard" sald Pagrld grumplly Well lf elLher of you do see anyLhln' leL me know
won'L yeh? We'll be off Lhen"
Parry and Permlone followed hlm ouL of Lhe clearlng sLarlng over Lhelr shoulders aL 8onan
and 8ane unLll Lhe Lrees blocked Lhelr vlew
never" sald Pagrld lrrlLably Lry an' geL a sLralghL answer ouL of a cenLaur 8uddy sLargazers
noL lnLeresLed ln anyLhln' closer'n Lhe moon"
Are Lhere many of Lhem ln here?" asked Permlone
Ch a falr few keep Lhemselves Lo Lhemselves mosLly buL Lhey're good enough abouL
Lurnln' up lf ever l wanL a word 1hey're deep mlnd cenLaurs Lhey know Lhlngs [us' don' leL
on much"
u'you Lhlnk LhaL was a cenLaur we heard earller?" sald Parry
uld LhaL sound llke hooves Lo you? nah lf yeh ask me LhaL was whaL's bln klllln' Lhe unlcorns
never heard anyLhln' llke lL before"
1hey walked on Lhrough Lhe dense dark Lrees Parry kepL looklng nervously over hls shoulder
Pe had Lhe nasLy feellng Lhey were belng waLched Pe was very glad Lhey had Pagrld and hls
crossbow wlLh Lhem 1hey had [usL passed a bend ln Lhe paLh when Permlone grabbed
Pagrld's arm
Pagrld! Look! 8ed sparks Lhe oLhers are ln Lrouble!"
?ou Lwo walL here!" Pagrld shouLed SLay on Lhe paLh l'll come back for yeh!"
1hey heard hlm crashlng away Lhrough Lhe undergrowLh and sLood looklng aL each oLher very
scared unLll Lhey couldn'L hear anyLhlng buL Lhe rusLllng of leaves around Lhem
?ou don'L Lhlnk Lhey've been hurL do you?" whlspered Permlone
l don'L care lf Malfoy has buL lf someLhlng's goL nevllle lL's our faulL he's here ln Lhe flrsL
place"
1he mlnuLes dragged by 1helr ears seemed sharper Lhan usual Parry's seemed Lo be plcklng
up every slgh of Lhe wlnd every cracklng Lwlg WhaL was golng on? Where were Lhe oLhers?
AL lasL a greaL crunchlng nolse announced Pagrld's reLurn Malfoy nevllle and lang were
wlLh hlm Pagrld was fumlng Malfoy lL seemed had sneaked up behlnd nevllle and grabbed
hlm as a [oke nevllle had panlcked and senL up Lhe sparks
We'll be lucky Ler caLch anyLhln' now wlLh Lhe rackeL you Lwo were makln' 8lghL we're
changln' groups nevllle you sLay wlLh me an' Permlone Parry you go wlLh lang an' Lhls
ldloL l'm sorry" Pagrld added ln a whlsper Lo Parry buL he'll have a harder Llme frlghLenln'
you an' we've goLLa geL Lhls done"
So Parry seL off lnLo Lhe hearL of Lhe foresL wlLh Malfoy and lang 1hey walked for nearly half
an hour deeper and deeper lnLo Lhe foresL unLll Lhe paLh became almosL lmposslble Lo follow
because Lhe Lrees were so Lhlck Parry LhoughL Lhe blood seemed Lo be geLLlng Lhlcker 1here
were splashes on Lhe rooLs of a Lree as Lhough Lhe poor creaLure had been Lhrashlng around
ln paln close by Parry could see a clearlng ahead Lhrough Lhe Langled branches of an anclenL
oak
Look " he murmured holdlng ouL hls arm Lo sLop Malfoy
SomeLhlng brlghL whlLe was gleamlng on Lhe ground 1hey lnched closer
lL was Lhe unlcorn all rlghL and lL was dead Parry had never seen anyLhlng so beauLlful and
sad lLs long slender legs were sLuck ouL aL odd angles where lL had fallen and lLs mane was
spread pearlywhlLe on Lhe dark leaves
Parry had Laken one sLep Loward lL when a sllLherlng sound made hlm freeze where he sLood
A bush on Lhe edge of Lhe clearlng qulvered 1hen ouL of Lhe shadows a hooded flgure came
crawllng across Lhe ground llke some sLalklng beasL Parry Malfoy and lang sLood Lransflxed
1he cloaked flgure reached Lhe unlcorn lowered lLs head over Lhe wound ln Lhe anlmal's slde
and began Lo drlnk lLs blood
AAAAAAAAAA8CP!"
Malfoy leL ouL a Lerrlble scream and bolLed so dld lang 1he hooded flgure ralsed lLs head
and looked rlghL aL Parry unlcorn blood was drlbbllng down lLs fronL lL goL Lo lLs feeL and
came swlfLly Loward Parry he couldn'L move for fear
1hen a paln llke he'd never felL before plerced hls head lL was as Lhough hls scar were on flre
Palf bllnded he sLaggered backward Pe heard hooves behlnd hlm galloplng and someLhlng
[umped clean over Parry charglng aL Lhe flgure
1he paln ln Parry's head was so bad he fell Lo hls knees lL Look a mlnuLe or Lwo Lo pass When
he looked up Lhe flgure had gone A cenLaur was sLandlng over hlm noL 8onan or 8ane Lhls
one looked younger he had whlLeblond halr and a palomlno body
Are you all rlghL?" sald Lhe cenLaur pulllng Parry Lo hls feeL
?es Lhank you whaL was LhaL?"
1he cenLaur dldn'L answer Pe had asLonlshlngly blue eyes llke pale sapphlres Pe looked
carefully aL Parry hls eyes llngerlng on Lhe scar LhaL sLood ouL llvld on Parry's forehead
?ou are Lhe oLLer boy" he sald ?ou had beLLer geL back Lo Pagrld 1he foresL ls noL safe aL
Lhls Llme especlally for you Can you rlde? lL wlll be qulcker Lhls way
My name ls llrenze" he added as he lowered hlmself on Lo hls fronL legs so LhaL Parry could
clamber onLo hls back
1here was suddenly a sound of more galloplng from Lhe oLher slde of Lhe clearlng 8onan and
8ane came bursLlng Lhrough Lhe Lrees Lhelr flanks heavlng and sweaLy
llrenze!" 8ane Lhundered WhaL are you dolng? ?ou have a human on your back! Pave you
no shame? Are you a common mule?"
uo you reallze who Lhls ls?" sald llrenze 1hls ls Lhe oLLer boy 1he qulcker he leaves Lhls
foresL Lhe beLLer"
WhaL have you been Lelllng hlm?" growled 8ane 8emember llrenze we are sworn noL Lo
seL ourselves agalnsL Lhe heavens Pave we noL read whaL ls Lo come ln Lhe movemenLs of Lhe
planeLs?"
8onan pawed Lhe ground nervously l'm sure llrenze LhoughL he was acLlng for Lhe besL" he
sald ln hls gloomy volce
8ane klcked hls back legs ln anger
lor Lhe besL! WhaL ls LhaL Lo do wlLh us? CenLaurs are concerned wlLh whaL has been
foreLold! lL ls noL our buslness Lo run around llke donkeys afLer sLray humans ln our foresL!"
llrenze suddenly reared on Lo hls hlnd legs ln anger so LhaL Parry had Lo grab hls shoulders Lo
sLay on
uo you noL see LhaL unlcorn?" llrenze bellowed aL 8ane uo you noL undersLand why lL was
kllled? Cr have Lhe planeLs noL leL you ln on LhaL secreL? l seL myself agalnsL whaL ls lurklng ln
Lhls foresL 8ane yes wlLh humans alongslde me lf l musL"
And llrenze whlsked around wlLh Parry cluLchlng on as besL he could Lhey plunged off lnLo
Lhe Lrees leavlng 8onan and 8ane behlnd Lhem
Parry dldn'L have a clue whaL was golng on
Why's 8ane so angry?" he asked WhaL was LhaL Lhlng you saved me from anyway?"
llrenze slowed Lo a walk warned Parry Lo keep hls head bowed ln case of lowhanglng
branches buL dld noL answer Parry's quesLlon 1hey made Lhelr way Lhrough Lhe Lrees ln
sllence for so long LhaL Parry LhoughL llrenze dldn'L wanL Lo Lalk Lo hlm anymore 1hey were
passlng Lhrough a parLlcularly dense paLch of Lrees however when llrenze suddenly sLopped
Parry oLLer do you know whaL unlcorn blood ls used for?"
no" sald Parry sLarLled by Lhe odd quesLlon We've only used Lhe horn and Lall halr ln
oLlons"
1haL ls because lL ls a monsLrous Lhlng Lo slay a unlcorn" sald llrenze Cnly one who has
noLhlng Lo lose and everyLhlng Lo galn would commlL such a crlme 1he blood of a unlcorn wlll
keep you allve even lf you are an lnch from deaLh buL aL a Lerrlble prlce ?ou have slaln
someLhlng pure and defenseless Lo save yourself and you wlll have buL a halfllfe a cursed llfe
from Lhe momenL Lhe blood Louches your llps"
Parry sLared aL Lhe back of llrenze's head whlch was dappled sllver ln Lhe moonllghL
8uL who'd be LhaL desperaLe?" he wondered aloud lf you're golng Lo be cursed forever
deaLh's beLLer lsn'L lL?"
lL ls" llrenze agreed unless all you need ls Lo sLay allve long enough Lo drlnk someLhlng else
someLhlng LhaL wlll brlng you back Lo full sLrengLh and power someLhlng LhaL wlll mean
you can never dle Mr oLLer do you know whaL ls hldden ln Lhe school aL Lhls very momenL?"
1he Sorcerer's SLone! Cf course Lhe Lllxlr of Llfe! 8uL l don'L undersLand who "
Can you Lhlnk of nobody who has walLed many years Lo reLurn Lo power who has clung Lo
llfe awalLlng Lhelr chance?"
lL was as Lhough an lron flsL had clenched suddenly around Parry's hearL Cver Lhe rusLllng of
Lhe Lrees he seemed Lo hear once more whaL Pagrld had Lold hlm on Lhe nlghL Lhey had meL
Some say he dled Codswallop ln my oplnlon uunno lf he had enough human lefL ln hlm Lo
dle"
uo you mean" Parry croaked LhaL was vol "
Parry! Parry are you all rlghL?"
Permlone was runnlng Loward Lhem down Lhe paLh Pagrld pufflng along behlnd her
l'm flne" sald Parry hardly knowlng whaL he was saylng 1he unlcorn's dead Pagrld lL's ln
LhaL clearlng back Lhere"
1hls ls where l leave you" llrenze murmured as Pagrld hurrled off Lo examlne Lhe unlcorn
?ou are safe now"
Parry slld off hls back
Cood luck Parry oLLer" sald llrenze 1he planeLs have been read wrongly before now
even by cenLaurs l hope Lhls ls one of Lhose Llmes"
Pe Lurned and canLered back lnLo Lhe depLhs of Lhe foresL leavlng Parry shlverlng behlnd hlm
8on had fallen asleep ln Lhe dark common room walLlng for Lhem Lo reLurn Pe shouLed
someLhlng abouL CulddlLch fouls when Parry roughly shook hlm awake ln a maLLer of
seconds Lhough he was wldeeyed as Parry began Lo Lell hlm and Permlone whaL had
happened ln Lhe foresL
Parry couldn'L slL down Pe paced up and down ln fronL of Lhe flre Pe was sLlll shaklng
Snape wanLs Lhe sLone for voldemorL and voldemorL's walLlng ln Lhe foresL and all Lhls
Llme we LhoughL Snape [usL wanLed Lo geL rlch"
SLop saylng Lhe name!" sald 8on ln a Lerrlfled whlsper as lf he LhoughL voldemorL could hear
Lhem
Parry wasn'L llsLenlng
llrenze saved me buL he shouldn'L have done so 8ane was furlous he was Lalklng abouL
lnLerferlng wlLh whaL Lhe planeLs say ls golng Lo happen 1hey musL show LhaL voldemorL's
comlng back 8ane Lhlnks llrenze should have leL voldemorL klll me l suppose LhaL's wrlLLen
ln Lhe sLars as well"
Wlll you sLop saylng Lhe name!" 8on hlssed
So all l've goL Lo walL for now ls Snape Lo sLeal Lhe SLone" Parry wenL on feverlshly Lhen
voldemorL wlll be able Lo come and flnlsh me off Well l suppose 8ane'll be happy"
Permlone looked very frlghLened buL she had a word of comforL
Parry everyone says uumbledore's Lhe only one ?ouknowWho was ever afrald of wlLh
uumbledore around ?ouknowWho won'L Louch you Anyway who says Lhe cenLaurs are
rlghL? lL sounds llke forLuneLelllng Lo me and rofessor McConagall says LhaL's a very
lmpreclse branch of maglc"
1he sky had Lurned llghL before Lhey sLopped Lalklng 1hey wenL Lo bed exhausLed Lhelr
LhroaLs sore 8uL Lhe nlghL's surprlses weren'L over
When Parry pulled back hls sheeLs he found hls lnvlslblllLy cloak folded neaLly underneaLh
Lhem 1here was a noLe plnned Lo lL
!usL ln case
CPA1L8 Slx1LLn
1hrough Lhe 1rapdoor
ln years Lo come Parry would never qulLe remember how he had managed Lo geL Lhrough hls
exams when he half expecLed voldemorL Lo come bursLlng Lhrough Lhe door aL any momenL
?eL Lhe days crepL by and Lhere could be no doubL LhaL lluffy was sLlll allve and well behlnd
Lhe locked door
lL was swelLerlng hoL especlally ln Lhe large classroom where Lhey dld Lhelr wrlLLen papers
1hey had been glven speclal new qullls for Lhe exams whlch had been bewlLched wlLh an
AnLlcheaLlng spell
1hey had pracLlcal exams as well rofessor lllLwlck called Lhem one by one lnLo hls class Lo
see lf Lhey could make a plneapple Lapdance across a desk rofessor McConagall waLched
Lhem Lurn a mouse lnLo a snuffbox polnLs were glven for how preLLy Lhe snuffbox was buL
Laken away lf lL had whlskers Snape made Lhem all nervous breaLhlng down Lhelr necks whlle
Lhey Lrled Lo remember how Lo make a lorgeLfulness poLlon
Parry dld Lhe besL he could Lrylng Lo lgnore Lhe sLabblng palns ln hls forehead whlch had been
boLherlng hlm ever slnce hls Lrlp lnLo Lhe foresL nevllle LhoughL Parry had a bad case of exam
nerves because Parry couldn'L sleep buL Lhe LruLh was LhaL Parry kepL belng woken by hls old
nlghLmare excepL LhaL lL was now worse Lhan ever because Lhere was a hooded flgure
drlpplng blood ln lL
Maybe lL was because Lhey hadn'L seen whaL Parry had seen ln Lhe foresL or because Lhey
dldn'L have scars burnlng on Lhelr foreheads buL 8on and Permlone dldn'L seem as worrled
abouL Lhe SLone as Parry 1he ldea of voldemorL cerLalnly scared Lhem buL he dldn'L keep
vlslLlng Lhem ln dreams and Lhey were so busy wlLh Lhelr sLudylng Lhey dldn'L have much Llme
Lo freL abouL whaL Snape or anyone else mlghL be up Lo
1helr very lasL exam was PlsLory of Maglc Cne hour of answerlng quesLlons abouL baLLy old
wlzards who'd lnvenLed selfsLlrrlng cauldrons and Lhey'd be free free for a whole wonderful
week unLll Lhelr exam resulLs came ouL When Lhe ghosL of rofessor 8lnns Lold Lhem Lo puL
down Lhelr qullls and roll up Lhelr parchmenL Parry couldn'L help cheerlng wlLh Lhe resL
1haL was far easler Lhan l LhoughL lL would be" sald Permlone as Lhey [olned Lhe crowds
flocklng ouL onLo Lhe sunny grounds l needn'L have learned abouL Lhe 1637 Werewolf Code
of ConducL or Lhe uprlslng of Llfrlc Lhe Lager"
Permlone always llked Lo go Lhrough Lhelr exam papers afLerward buL 8on sald Lhls made hlm
feel lll so Lhey wandered down Lo Lhe lake and flopped under a Lree 1he Weasley Lwlns and
Lee !ordan were Llckllng Lhe LenLacles of a glanL squld whlch was basklng ln Lhe warm
shallows no more sLudylng" 8on slghed happlly sLreLchlng ouL on Lhe grass ?ou could look
more cheerful Parry we've goL a week before we flnd ouL how badly we've done Lhere's no
need Lo worry
yeL"
Parry was rubblng hls forehead
l wlsh l knew whaL Lhls means!" he bursL ouL angrlly My scar keeps hurLlng lL's happened
before buL never as ofLen as Lhls"
Co Lo Madam omfrey" Permlone suggesLed
l'm noL lll" sald Parry l Lhlnk lL's a warnlng lL means danger's comlng"
8on couldn'L geL worked up lL was Loo hoL
Parry relax Permlone's rlghL Lhe SLone's safe as long as uumbledore's around Anyway
we've never had any proof Snape found ouL how Lo geL pasL lluffy Pe nearly had hls leg
rlpped off once he's noL golng Lo Lry lL agaln ln a hurry And nevllle wlll play CulddlLch for
Lngland before Pagrld leLs uumbledore down"
Parry nodded buL he couldn'L shake off a lurklng feellng LhaL Lhere was someLhlng he'd
forgoLLen Lo do someLhlng lmporLanL When he Lrled Lo explaln Lhls Permlone sald 1haL's
[usL Lhe exams l woke up lasL nlghL and was halfway Lhrough my 1ransflguraLlon noLes before l
remembered we'd done LhaL one"
Parry was qulLe sure Lhe unseLLled feellng dldn'L have anyLhlng Lo do wlLh work Lhough Pe
waLched an owl fluLLer Loward Lhe school across Lhe brlghL blue sky a noLe clamped ln lLs
mouLh Pagrld was Lhe only one who ever senL hlm leLLers Pagrld would never beLray
uumbledore Pagrld would never Lell anyone how Lo geL pasL lluffy never buL
Parry suddenly [umped Lo hls feeL
Where're you golng?" sald 8on sleeplly
l've [usL LhoughL of someLhlng" sald Parry Pe had Lurned whlLe We've goL Lo go and see
Pagrld now"
Why?" panLed Permlone hurrylng Lo keep up
uon'L you Lhlnk lL's a blL odd" sald Parry scrambllng up Lhe grassy slope LhaL whaL Pagrld
wanLs more Lhan anyLhlng else ls a dragon and a sLranger Lurns up who [usL happens Lo have
an egg ln hls pockeL? Pow many people wander around wlLh dragon eggs lf lL's agalnsL wlzard
law? Lucky Lhey found Pagrld don'L you Lhlnk? Why dldn'L l see lL before?"
WhaL are you Lalklng abouL?" sald 8on buL Parry sprlnLlng across Lhe grounds Loward Lhe
foresL dldn'L answer
Pagrld was slLLlng ln an armchalr ouLslde hls house hls Lrousers and sleeves were rolled up
and
he was shelllng peas lnLo a large bowl
Pullo" he sald smlllng llnlshed yer exams? CoL Llme fer a drlnk?"
?es please" sald 8on buL Parry cuL hlm off
no we're ln a hurry Pagrld l've goL Lo ask you someLhlng ?ou know LhaL nlghL you won
norberL? WhaL dld Lhe sLranger you were playlng cards wlLh look llke?"
uunno" sald Pagrld casually he wouldn' Lake hls cloak off"
Pe saw Lhe Lhree of Lhem look sLunned and ralsed hls eyebrows
lL's noL LhaL unusual yeh geL a loL o' funny folk ln Lhe Pog's Pead LhaL's one of Lhe pub
down ln Lhe vlllage MlghLa bln a dragon dealer mlghLn' he? l never saw hls face he kepL hls
hood up"
Parry sank down nexL Lo Lhe bowl of peas WhaL dld you Lalk Lo hlm abouL Pagrld? uld you
menLlon PogwarLs aL all?"
MlghLa come up" sald Pagrld frownlng as he Lrled Lo remember ?eah he asked whaL l
dld an' l Lold hlm l was gamekeeper here Pe asked a blL abouL Lhe sorLa creaLures l Look
afLer so l Lold hlm an' l sald whaL l'd always really wanLed was a dragon an' Lhen l can'
remember Loo well 'cause he kepL buyln' me drlnks LeL's see yeah Lhen he sald he had Lhe
dragon egg an' we could play cards fer lL lf l wanLed buL he had Ler be sure l could handle lL
he dldn' wanL lL Ler go Ler any old home So l Lold hlm afLer lluffy a dragon would be easy"
And dld he dld he seem lnLeresLed ln lluffy?" Parry asked Lrylng Lo keep hls volce calm
Well yeah how many Lhreeheaded dogs d'yeh meeL even around PogwarLs? So l Lold
hlm lluffy's a plece o' cake lf yeh know how Lo calm hlm down [us' play hlm a blL o' muslc an'
he'll go sLralghL off Ler sleep "
Pagrld suddenly looked horrlfled
l shouldn'La Lold yeh LhaL!" he blurLed ouL lorgeL l sald lL! Pey where're yeh goln'?"
Parry 8on and Permlone dldn'L speak Lo each oLher aL all unLll Lhey came Lo a halL ln Lhe
enLrance hall whlch seemed very cold and gloomy afLer Lhe grounds
We've goL Lo go Lo uumbledore" sald Parry Pagrld Lold LhaL sLranger how Lo geL pasL lluffy
and lL was elLher Snape or voldemorL under LhaL cloak lL musL've been easy once he'd goL
Pagrld drunk l [usL hope uumbledore belleves us llrenze mlghL back us up lf 8ane doesn'L
sLop hlm Where's uumbledore's offlce?"
1hey looked around as lf hoplng Lo see a slgn polnLlng Lhem ln Lhe rlghL dlrecLlon 1hey had
never been Lold where uumbledore llved nor dld Lhey know anyone who had been senL Lo see
hlm
We'll [usL have Lo " Parry began buL a volce suddenly rang across Lhe hall
WhaL are you Lhree dolng lnslde?"
lL was rofessor McConagall carrylng a large plle of books
We wanL Lo see rofessor uumbledore" sald Permlone raLher bravely Parry and 8on
LhoughL
See rofessor uumbledore?" rofessor McConagall repeaLed as Lhough Lhls was a very flshy
Lhlng Lo wanL Lo do Why?"
Parry swallowed now whaL?
lL's sorL of secreL" he sald buL he wlshed aL once he hadn'L because rofessor McConagall's
nosLrlls flared
rofessor uumbledore lefL Len mlnuLes ago" she sald coldly Pe recelved an urgenL owl from
Lhe MlnlsLry of Maglc and flew off for London aL once"
Pe's gone?" sald Parry franLlcally now?"
rofessor uumbledore ls a very greaL wlzard oLLer he has many demands on hls Llme "
8uL Lhls ls lmporLanL"
SomeLhlng you have Lo say ls more lmporLanL Lhan Lhe MlnlsLry of Maglc oLLer?"
Look" sald Parry Lhrowlng cauLlon Lo Lhe wlnds rofessor lL's abouL Lhe Sorcerer's SLone
"
WhaLever rofessor McConagall had expecLed lL wasn'L LhaL 1he books she was carrylng
Lumbled ouL of her arms buL she dldn'L plck Lhem up
Pow do you know ?" she spluLLered
rofessor l Lhlnk l know LhaL Sn LhaL someone's golng Lo Lry and sLeal Lhe SLone l've
goL Lo Lalk Lo rofessor uumbledore"
She eyed hlm wlLh a mlxLure of shock and susplclon
rofessor uumbledore wlll be back Lomorrow" she sald flnally l don'L know how you found
ouL abouL Lhe SLone buL resL assured no one can posslbly sLeal lL lL's Loo well proLecLed"
8uL rofessor "
oLLer l know whaL l'm Lalklng abouL" she sald shorLly She benL down and gaLhered up Lhe
fallen books l suggesL you all go back ouLslde and en[oy Lhe sunshlne"
8uL Lhey dldn'L
lL's LonlghL" sald Parry once he was sure rofessor McConagall was ouL of earshoL Snape's
golng Lhrough Lhe Lrapdoor LonlghL Pe's found ouL everyLhlng he needs and now he's goL
uumbledore ouL of Lhe way Pe senL LhaL noLe l beL Lhe MlnlsLry of Maglc wlll geL a real shock
when uumbledore Lurns up"
8uL whaL can we "
Permlone gasped Parry and 8on wheeled round
Snape was sLandlng Lhere
Cood afLernoon" he sald smooLhly
1hey sLared aL hlm
?ou shouldn'L be lnslde on a day llke Lhls" he sald wlLh an odd LwlsLed smlle
We were " Parry began wlLhouL any ldea whaL he was golng Lo say
?ou wanL Lo be more careful" sald Snape Panglng around llke Lhls people wlll Lhlnk you're
up Lo someLhlng And Cryfflndor really can'L afford Lo lose any more polnLs can lL?"
Parry flushed 1hey Lurned Lo go ouLslde buL Snape called Lhem back
8e warned oLLer any more nlghLLlme wanderlngs and l wlll personally make sure you are
expelled Cood day Lo you"
Pe sLrode off ln Lhe dlrecLlon of Lhe sLaffroom
CuL on Lhe sLone sLeps Parry Lurned Lo Lhe oLhers
8lghL here's whaL we've goL Lo do" he whlspered urgenLly Cne of us has goL Lo keep an eye
on Snape walL ouLslde Lhe sLaff room and follow hlm lf he leaves lL Permlone you'd beLLer
do LhaL"
Why me?"
lL's obvlous" sald 8on ?ou can preLend Lo be walLlng for rofessor lllLwlck you know" Pe
puL on a hlgh volce 'Ch rofessor lllLwlck l'm so worrled l Lhlnk l goL quesLlon fourLeen b
wrong '"
Ch shuL up" sald Permlone buL she agreed Lo go and waLch ouL for Snape
And we'd beLLer sLay ouLslde Lhe Lhlrdfloor corrldor" Parry Lold 8on Come on"
8uL LhaL parL of Lhe plan dldn'L work no sooner had Lhey reached Lhe door separaLlng lluffy
from Lhe resL of Lhe school Lhan rofessor McConagall Lurned up agaln and Lhls Llme she losL
her Lemper
l suppose you Lhlnk you're harder Lo geL pasL Lhan a pack of enchanLmenLs!" she sLormed
Lnough of Lhls nonsense! lf l hear you've come anywhere near here agaln l'll Lake anoLher
flfLy polnLs from Cryfflndor! ?es Weasley from my own house!"
Parry and 8on wenL back Lo Lhe common room Parry had [usL sald AL leasL Permlone's on
Snape's Lall" when Lhe porLralL of Lhe laL Lady swung open and Permlone came ln
l'm sorry Parry!" she walled Snape came ouL and asked me whaL l was dolng so l sald l was
walLlng for lllLwlck and Snape wenL Lo geL hlm and l've only [usL goL away l don'L know
where Snape wenL"
Well LhaL's lL Lhen lsn'L lL?" Parry sald
1he oLher Lwo sLared aL hlm Pe was pale and hls eyes were gllLLerlng
l'm golng ouL of here LonlghL and l'm golng Lo Lry and geL Lo Lhe SLone flrsL"
?ou're mad!" sald 8on
?ou can'L!" sald Permlone AfLer whaL McConagall and Snape have sald? ?ou'll be expelled!"
SC WPA1" Parry shouLed uon'L you undersLand? lf Snape geLs hold of Lhe SLone
voldemorL's comlng back! Paven'L you heard whaL lL was llke when he was Lrylng Lo Lake over?
1here won'L be any PogwarLs Lo geL expelled from! Pe'll flaLLen lL or Lurn lL lnLo a school for
Lhe uark ArLs! Loslng polnLs doesn'L maLLer anymore can'L you see? u'you Lhlnk he'll leave you
and your famllles alone lf Cryfflndor wlns Lhe house cup? lf l geL caughL before l can geL Lo Lhe
SLone well l'll have Lo go back Lo Lhe uursleys and walL for voldemorL Lo flnd me Lhere lL's
only dylng a blL laLer Lhan l would have because l'm never golng over Lo Lhe uark Slde! l'm
golng Lhrough LhaL Lrapdoor LonlghL and noLhlng you Lwo say ls golng Lo sLop me! voldemorL
kllled my parenLs remember?"
Pe glared aL Lhem
?ou're rlghL Parry" sald Permlone ln a small volce
l'll use Lhe lnvlslblllLy cloak" sald Parry lL's [usL lucky l goL lL back"
8uL wlll lL cover all Lhree of us?" sald 8on
All all Lhree of us?"
Ch come off lL you don'L Lhlnk we'd leL you go alone?"
Cf course noL" sald Permlone brlskly Pow do you Lhlnk you'd geL Lo Lhe SLone wlLhouL us?
l'd beLLer go and look Lhrough my books Lhere mlghL be someLhlng useful"
8uL lf we geL caughL you Lwo wlll be expelled Loo"
noL lf l can help lL" sald Permlone grlmly lllLwlck Lold me ln secreL LhaL l goL a hundred and
Lwelve percenL on hls exam 1hey're noL Lhrowlng me ouL afLer LhaL"
AfLer dlnner Lhe Lhree of Lhem saL nervously aparL ln Lhe common room nobody boLhered
Lhem none of Lhe Cryfflndors had anyLhlng Lo say Lo Parry any more afLer all 1hls was Lhe
flrsL nlghL he hadn'L been upseL by lL Permlone was sklmmlng Lhrough all her noLes hoplng Lo
come across one of Lhe enchanLmenLs Lhey were abouL Lo Lry Lo break Parry and 8on dldn'L
Lalk much 8oLh of Lhem were Lhlnklng abouL whaL Lhey were abouL Lo do
Slowly Lhe room empLled as people drlfLed off Lo bed
8eLLer geL Lhe cloak" 8on muLLered as Lee !ordan flnally lefL sLreLchlng and yawnlng Parry
ran upsLalrs Lo Lhelr dark dormlLory Pe pulled ouL Lhe cloak and Lhen hls eyes fell on Lhe fluLe
Pagrld had glven hlm for ChrlsLmas Pe pockeLed lL Lo use on lluffy he dldn'L feel much llke
slnglng
Pe ran back down Lo Lhe common room
We'd beLLer puL Lhe cloak on here and make sure lL covers all Lhree of us lf lllch spoLs one
of our feeL wanderlng along on lLs own "
WhaL are you dolng?" sald a volce from Lhe corner of Lhe room nevllle appeared from behlnd
an armchalr cluLchlng 1revor Lhe Load who looked as Lhough he'd been maklng anoLher bld
for freedom
noLhlng nevllle noLhlng" sald Parry hurrledly puLLlng Lhe cloak behlnd hls back
nevllle sLared aL Lhelr gullLy faces
?ou're golng ouL agaln" he sald
no no no" sald Permlone no we're noL Why don'L you go Lo bed nevllle?"
Parry looked aL Lhe grandfaLher clock by Lhe door 1hey couldn'L afford Lo wasLe any more
Llme
Snape mlghL even now be playlng lluffy Lo sleep
?ou can'L go ouL" sald nevllle you'll be caughL agaln Cryfflndor wlll be ln even more
Lrouble"
?ou don'L undersLand" sald Parry Lhls ls lmporLanL"
8uL nevllle was clearly sLeellng hlmself Lo do someLhlng desperaLe
l won'L leL you do lL" he sald hurrylng Lo sLand ln fronL of Lhe porLralL hole l'll l'll flghL
you!"
nevllle 8on exploded geL away from LhaL hole and don'L be an ldloL "
uon'L you call me an ldloL!" sald nevllle l don'L Lhlnk you should be breaklng any more rules!
And you were Lhe one who Lold me Lo sLand up Lo people!"
?es buL noL Lo us" sald 8on ln exasperaLlon nevllle you don'L know whaL you're dolng"
Pe Look a sLep forward and nevllle dropped 1revor Lhe Load who leapL ouL of slghL
Co on Lhen Lry and hlL me!" sald nevllle ralslng hls flsLs l'm ready!"
Parry Lurned Lo Permlone
uo someLhlng" he sald desperaLely
Permlone sLepped forward
nevllle" she sald l'm really really sorry abouL Lhls"
She ralsed her wand
eLrlflcus 1oLalus!" she crled polnLlng lL aL nevllle
nevllle's arms snapped Lo hls sldes Pls legs sprang LogeLher Pls whole body rlgld he swayed
where he sLood and Lhen fell flaL on hls face sLlff as a board
Permlone ran Lo Lurn hlm over nevllle's [aws were [ammed LogeLher so he couldn'L speak
Cnly hls eyes were movlng looklng aL Lhem ln horror
WhaL've you done Lo hlm?" Parry whlspered
lL's Lhe full 8ody8lnd" sald Permlone mlserably Ch nevllle l'm so sorry"
We had Lo nevllle no Llme Lo explaln" sald Parry
?ou'll undersLand laLer nevllle" sald 8on as Lhey sLepped over hlm and pulled on Lhe
lnvlslblllLy cloak
8uL leavlng nevllle lylng moLlonless on Lhe floor dldn'L feel llke a very good omen ln Lhelr
nervous sLaLe every sLaLue's shadow looked llke lllch every dlsLanL breaLh of wlnd sounded
llke eeves swooplng down on Lhem AL Lhe fooL of Lhe flrsL seL of sLalrs Lhey spoLLed Mrs
norrls skulklng near Lhe Lop
Ch leL's klck her [usL Lhls once" 8on whlspered ln Parry's ear buL Parry shook hls head As
Lhey cllmbed carefully around her Mrs norrls Lurned her lampllke eyes on Lhem buL dldn'L do
anyLhlng
1hey dldn'L meeL anyone else unLll Lhey reached Lhe sLalrcase up Lo Lhe Lhlrd floor eeves was
bobblng halfway up loosenlng Lhe carpeL so LhaL people would Lrlp
Who's Lhere?" he sald suddenly as Lhey cllmbed Loward hlm Pe narrowed hls wlcked black
eyes know you're Lhere even lf l can'L see you Are you ghoulle or ghosLle or wee sLudenL
beasLle?"
Pe rose up ln Lhe alr and floaLed Lhere squlnLlng aL Lhem
Should call lllch l should lf someLhlng's acreeplng around unseen"
Parry had a sudden ldea
eeves" he sald ln a hoarse whlsper Lhe 8loody 8aron has hls own reasons for belng
lnvlslble"
eeves almosL fell ouL of Lhe alr ln shock Pe caughL hlmself ln Llme and hovered abouL a fooL
off Lhe sLalrs
So sorry your bloodlness Mr 8aron Slr" he sald greaslly My mlsLake my mlsLake l
dldn'L see you of course l dldn'L you're lnvlslble forglve old eevsle hls llLLle [oke slr"
l have buslness here eeves" croaked Parry SLay away from Lhls place LonlghL"
l wlll slr l mosL cerLalnly wlll" sald eeves rlslng up ln Lhe alr agaln Pope your buslness
goes well 8aron l'll noL boLher you"
And he scooLed off
8rllllanL Parry!" whlspered 8on
A few seconds laLer Lhey were Lhere ouLslde Lhe Lhlrdfloor corrldor and Lhe door was
already a[ar
Well Lhere you are" Parry sald quleLly Snape's already goL pasL lluffy"
Seelng Lhe open door somehow seemed Lo lmpress upon all Lhree of Lhem whaL was faclng
Lhem underneaLh Lhe cloak Parry Lurned Lo Lhe oLher Lwo
lf you wanL Lo go back l won'L blame you" he sald ?ou can Lake Lhe cloak l won'L need lL
now"
uon'L be sLupld" sald 8on
We're comlng" sald Permlone
Parry pushed Lhe door open
As Lhe door creaked low rumbllng growls meL Lhelr ears All Lhree of Lhe dog's noses snlffed
madly ln Lhelr dlrecLlon even Lhough lL couldn'L see Lhem
WhaL's LhaL aL lLs feeL?" Permlone whlspered
Looks llke a harp" sald 8on Snape musL have lefL lL Lhere"
lL musL wake up Lhe momenL you sLop playlng" sald Parry Well here goes"
Pe puL Pagrld's fluLe Lo hls llps and blew lL wasn'L really a Lune buL from Lhe flrsL noLe Lhe
beasL's eyes began Lo droop Parry hardly drew breaLh Slowly Lhe dog's growls ceased lL
LoLLered on lLs paws and fell Lo lLs knees Lhen lL slumped Lo Lhe ground fasL asleep
keep playlng" 8on warned Parry as Lhey sllpped ouL of Lhe cloak and crepL Loward Lhe
Lrapdoor 1hey could feel Lhe dog's hoL smelly breaLh as Lhey approached Lhe glanL heads l
Lhlnk we'll be able Lo pull Lhe door open" sald 8on peerlng over Lhe dog's back WanL Lo go
flrsL Permlone?"
no l don'L!"
All rlghL" 8on grlLLed hls LeeLh and sLepped carefully over Lhe dog's legs Pe benL and pulled
Lhe rlng of Lhe Lrapdoor whlch swung up and open
WhaL can you see?" Permlone sald anxlously
noLhlng [usL black Lhere's no way of cllmblng down we'll [usL have Lo drop"
Parry who was sLlll playlng Lhe fluLe waved aL 8on Lo geL hls aLLenLlon and polnLed aL hlmself
?ou wanL Lo go flrsL? Are you sure?" sald 8on l don'L know how deep Lhls Lhlng goes Clve
Lhe fluLe Lo Permlone so she can keep hlm asleep"
Parry handed Lhe fluLe over ln Lhe few seconds' sllence Lhe dog growled and LwlLched buL
Lhe
momenL Permlone began Lo play lL fell back lnLo lLs deep sleep
Parry cllmbed over lL and looked down Lhrough Lhe Lrapdoor 1here was no slgn of Lhe
boLLom
Pe lowered hlmself Lhrough Lhe hole unLll he was hanglng on by hls flngerLlps 1hen he looked
up aL 8on and sald lf anyLhlng happens Lo me don'L follow Co sLralghL Lo Lhe owlery and
send Pedwlg Lo uumbledore rlghL?"
8lghL" sald 8on
See you ln a mlnuLe l hope"
And Parry leL go Cold damp alr rushed pasL hlm as he fell down down down and
lLuM WlLh a funny muffled sorL of Lhump he landed on someLhlng sofL Pe saL up and felL
around hls eyes noL used Lo Lhe gloom lL felL as Lhough he was slLLlng on some sorL of planL
lL's okay!" he called up Lo Lhe llghL Lhe slze of a posLage sLamp whlch was Lhe open Lrapdoor
lL's a sofL landlng you can [ump!"
8on followed rlghL away Pe landed sprawled nexL Lo Parry
WhaL's Lhls sLuff?" were hls flrsL words
uunno some sorL of planL Lhlng l suppose lL's here Lo break Lhe fall Come on Permlone!"
1he dlsLanL muslc sLopped 1here was a loud bark from Lhe dog buL Permlone had already
[umped She landed on Parry's oLher slde
We musL be mlles under Lhe school" she sald
Lucky Lhls planL Lhlng's here really" sald 8on
Lucky!" shrleked Permlone Look aL you boLh!"
She leapL up and sLruggled Loward a damp wall She had Lo sLruggle because Lhe momenL she
had landed Lhe planL had sLarLed Lo LwlsL snakellke Lendrlls around her ankles As for Parry
and 8on Lhelr legs had already been bound LlghLly ln long creepers wlLhouL Lhelr noLlclng
Permlone had managed Lo free herself before Lhe planL goL a flrm grlp on her now she
waLched ln horror as Lhe Lwo boys foughL Lo pull Lhe planL off Lhem buL Lhe more Lhey
sLralned agalnsL lL Lhe LlghLer and fasLer Lhe planL wound around Lhem
SLop movlng!" Permlone ordered Lhem l know whaL Lhls ls lL's uevll's Snare!"
Ch l'm so glad we know whaL lL's called LhaL's a greaL help" snarled 8on leanlng back Lrylng
Lo sLop Lhe planL from curllng around hls neck ShuL up l'm Lrylng Lo remember how Lo klll lL!"
sald Permlone
Well hurry up l can'L breaLhe!" Parry gasped wresLllng wlLh lL as lL curled around hls chesL
uevll's Snare uevll's Snare whaL dld rofessor SprouL say? lL llkes Lhe dark and Lhe
damp"
So llghL a flre!" Parry choked
?es of course buL Lhere's no wood!" Permlone crled wrlnglng her hands
PAvL ?Cu CCnL MAu?" 8on bellowed A8L ?Cu A Wl1CP C8 nC1?"
Ch rlghL!" sald Permlone and she whlpped ouL her wand waved lL muLLered someLhlng
and senL a [eL of Lhe same bluebell flames she had used on Snape aL Lhe planL ln a maLLer of
seconds Lhe Lwo boys felL lL loosenlng lLs grlp as lL crlnged away from Lhe llghL and warmLh
Wrlggllng and flalllng lL unraveled lLself from Lhelr bodles and Lhey were able Lo pull free
Lucky you pay aLLenLlon ln Perbology Permlone" sald Parry as he [olned her by Lhe wall
wlplng sweaL off hls face
?eah" sald 8on and lucky Parry doesn'L lose hls head ln a crlsls 'Lhere's no wood'
honesLly"
1hls way" sald Parry polnLlng down a sLone passageway whlch was Lhe only way forward
All Lhey could hear aparL from Lhelr fooLsLeps was Lhe genLle drlp of waLer Lrlckllng down Lhe
walls 1he passageway sloped downward and Parry was remlnded of CrlngoLLs WlLh an
unpleasanL [olL of Lhe hearL he remembered Lhe dragons sald Lo be guardlng vaulLs ln Lhe
wlzards' bank lf Lhey meL a dragon a fullygrown dragon norberL had been bad enough
Can you hear someLhlng?" 8on whlspered
Parry llsLened A sofL rusLllng and cllnklng seemed Lo be comlng from up ahead
uo you Lhlnk lL's a ghosL?"
l don'L know sounds llke wlngs Lo me"
1here's llghL ahead l can see someLhlng movlng"
1hey reached Lhe end of Lhe passageway and saw before Lhem a brllllanLly llL chamber lLs
celllng archlng hlgh above Lhem lL was full of small [ewelbrlghL blrds fluLLerlng and Lumbllng
all around Lhe room Cn Lhe opposlLe slde of Lhe chamber was a heavy wooden door
uo you Lhlnk Lhey'll aLLack us lf we cross Lhe room?" sald 8on
robably" sald Parry 1hey don'L look very vlclous buL l suppose lf Lhey all swooped down aL
once well Lhere's no oLher cholce l'll run"
Pe Look a deep breaLh covered hls face wlLh hls arms and sprlnLed across Lhe room Pe
expecLed Lo feel sharp beaks and claws Learlng aL hlm any second buL noLhlng happened Pe
reached Lhe door unLouched Pe pulled Lhe handle buL lL was locked
1he oLher Lwo followed hlm 1hey Lugged and heaved aL Lhe door buL lL wouldn'L budge noL
even when Permlone Lrled her Alohomora charm
now whaL?" sald 8on
1hese blrds Lhey can'L be here [usL for decoraLlon" sald Permlone
1hey waLched Lhe blrds soarlng overhead gllLLerlng gllLLerlng?
1hey're noL blrds!" Parry sald suddenly 1hey're keys! Wlnged keys look carefully So LhaL
musL mean" he looked around Lhe chamber whlle Lhe oLher Lwo squlnLed up aL Lhe flock of
keys yes look! 8roomsLlcks! We've goL Lo caLch Lhe key Lo Lhe door!"
8uL Lhere are hundreds of Lhem!"
8on examlned Lhe lock on Lhe door
We're looklng for a blg oldfashloned one probably sllver llke Lhe handle"
1hey each selzed a broomsLlck and klcked off lnLo Lhe alr soarlng lnLo Lhe mldsL of Lhe cloud of
keys 1hey grabbed and snaLched buL Lhe bewlLched keys darLed and dlved so qulckly lL was
almosL lmposslble Lo caLch one
noL for noLhlng Lhough was Parry Lhe youngesL Seeker ln a cenLury Pe had a knack for
spoLLlng Lhlngs oLher people dldn'L AfLer a mlnuLe's weavlng abouL Lhrough Lhe whlrl of
ralnbow feaLhers he noLlced a large sllver key LhaL had a benL wlng as lf lL had already been
caughL and sLuffed roughly lnLo Lhe keyhole
1haL one!" he called Lo Lhe oLhers 1haL blg one Lhere no Lhere wlLh brlghL blue
wlngs Lhe feaLhers are all crumpled on one slde"
8on wenL speedlng ln Lhe dlrecLlon LhaL Parry was polnLlng crashed lnLo Lhe celllng and
nearly fell off hls broom
We've goL Lo close ln on lL!" Parry called noL Laklng hls eyes off Lhe key wlLh Lhe damaged
wlng 8on you come aL lL from above Permlone sLay below and sLop lL from golng down
and l'll Lry and caLch lL 8lghL nCW!"
8on dlved Permlone rockeLed upward Lhe key dodged Lhem boLh and Parry sLreaked afLer lL
lL
sped Loward Lhe wall Parry leaned forward and wlLh a nasLy crunchlng nolse plnned lL
agalnsL Lhe sLone wlLh one hand 8on and Permlone's cheers echoed around Lhe hlgh
chamber
1hey landed qulckly and Parry ran Lo Lhe door Lhe key sLruggllng ln hls hand Pe rammed lL
lnLo Lhe lock and Lurned lL worked 1he momenL Lhe lock had cllcked open Lhe key Look
fllghL agaln looklng very baLLered now LhaL lL had been caughL Lwlce
8eady?" Parry asked Lhe oLher Lwo hls hand on Lhe door handle 1hey nodded Pe pulled Lhe
door open
1he nexL chamber was so dark Lhey couldn'L see anyLhlng aL all 8uL as Lhey sLepped lnLo lL
llghL suddenly flooded Lhe room Lo reveal an asLonlshlng slghL
1hey were sLandlng on Lhe edge of a huge chessboard behlnd Lhe black chessmen whlch were
all Laller Lhan Lhey were and carved from whaL looked llke black sLone laclng Lhem way
across Lhe chamber were Lhe whlLe pleces Parry 8on and Permlone shlvered sllghLly Lhe
Lowerlng whlLe chessmen had no faces
now whaL do we do?" Parry whlspered
lL's obvlous lsn'L lL?" sald 8on We've goL Lo play our way across Lhe room"
8ehlnd Lhe whlLe pleces Lhey could see anoLher door
Pow?" sald Permlone nervously
l Lhlnk" sald 8on we're golng Lo have Lo be chessmen"
Pe walked up Lo a black knlghL and puL hls hand ouL Lo Louch Lhe knlghL's horse AL once Lhe
sLone sprang Lo llfe 1he horse pawed Lhe ground and Lhe knlghL Lurned hls helmeLed head Lo
look down aL 8on
uo we er have Lo [oln you Lo geL across?" 1he black knlghL nodded 8on Lurned Lo Lhe
oLher Lwo
1hls needs Lhlnklng abouL" he sald l suppose we've goL Lo Lake Lhe place of Lhree of Lhe
black pleces"
Parry and Permlone sLayed quleL waLchlng 8on Lhlnk llnally he sald now don'L be offended
or anyLhlng buL nelLher of you are LhaL good aL chess "
We're noL offended" sald Parry qulckly !usL Lell us whaL Lo do"
Well Parry you Lake Lhe place of LhaL blshop and Permlone you go Lhere lnsLead of LhaL
casLle"
WhaL abouL you?"
l'm golng Lo be a knlghL" sald 8on
1he chessmen seemed Lo have been llsLenlng because aL Lhese words a knlghL a blshop and a
casLle Lurned Lhelr backs on Lhe whlLe pleces and walked off Lhe board leavlng Lhree empLy
squares LhaL Parry 8on and Permlone Look
WhlLe always plays flrsL ln chess" sald 8on peerlng across Lhe board ?es look"
A whlLe pawn had moved forward Lwo squares
8on sLarLed Lo dlrecL Lhe black pleces 1hey moved sllenLly wherever he senL Lhem Parry's
knees were Lrembllng WhaL lf Lhey losL?
Parry move dlagonally four squares Lo Lhe rlghL"
1helr flrsL real shock came when Lhelr oLher knlghL was Laken 1he whlLe queen smashed hlm
Lo Lhe floor and dragged hlm off Lhe board where he lay qulLe sLlll facedown
Pad Lo leL LhaL happen" sald 8on looklng shaken Leaves you free Lo Lake LhaL blshop
Permlone go on"
Lvery Llme one of Lhelr men was losL Lhe whlLe pleces showed no mercy Soon Lhere was a
huddle of llmp black players slumped along Lhe wall 1wlce 8on only [usL noLlced ln Llme LhaL
Parry and Permlone were ln danger Pe hlmself darLed around Lhe board Laklng almosL as
many whlLe pleces as Lhey had losL black ones
We're nearly Lhere" he muLLered suddenly LeL me Lhlnk leL me Lhlnk"
1he whlLe queen Lurned her blank face Loward hlm
?es" sald 8on sofLly lL's Lhe only way l've goL Lo be Laken"
nC!" Parry and Permlone shouLed
1haL's chess!" snapped 8on ?ou've goL Lo make some sacrlflces! l make my move and she'll
Lake me LhaL leaves you free Lo checkmaLe Lhe klng Parry!"
8uL "
uo you wanL Lo sLop Snape or noL?"
8on "
Look lf you don'L hurry up he'll already have Lhe SLone!"
1here was no alLernaLlve
8eady?" 8on called hls face pale buL deLermlned Pere l go now don'L hang around once
you've won"
Pe sLepped forward and Lhe whlLe queen pounced She sLruck 8on hard across Lhe head wlLh
her sLone arm and he crashed Lo Lhe floor Permlone screamed buL sLayed on her square
Lhe whlLe queen dragged 8on Lo one slde Pe looked as lf he'd been knocked ouL
Shaklng Parry moved Lhree spaces Lo Lhe lefL
1he whlLe klng Look off hls crown and Lhrew lL aL Parry's feeL 1hey had won 1he chessmen
parLed and bowed leavlng Lhe door ahead clear WlLh one lasL desperaLe look back aL 8on
Parry and Permlone charged Lhrough Lhe door and up Lhe nexL passageway
WhaL lf he's ?"
Pe'll be all rlghL" sald Parry Lrylng Lo convlnce hlmself WhaL do you reckon's nexL?"
We've had SprouL's LhaL was Lhe uevll's Snare lllLwlck musL've puL charms on Lhe keys
McConagall Lransflgured Lhe chessmen Lo make Lhem allve LhaL leaves Culrrell's spell and
Snape's"
1hey had reached anoLher door
All rlghL?" Parry whlspered
Co on"
Parry pushed lL open
A dlsgusLlng smell fllled Lhelr nosLrlls maklng boLh of Lhem pull Lhelr robes up over Lhelr noses
Lyes waLerlng Lhey saw flaL on Lhe floor ln fronL of Lhem a Lroll even larger Lhan Lhe one Lhey
had Lackled ouL cold wlLh a bloody lump on lLs head
l'm glad we dldn'L have Lo flghL LhaL one" Parry whlspered as Lhey sLepped carefully over one
of lLs masslve legs Come on l can'L breaLhe"
Pe pulled open Lhe nexL door boLh of Lhem hardly darlng Lo look aL whaL came nexL buL
Lhere was noLhlng very frlghLenlng ln here [usL a Lable wlLh seven dlfferenLly shaped boLLles
sLandlng on lL ln a llne
Snape's" sald Parry WhaL do we have Lo do?"
1hey sLepped over Lhe Lhreshold and lmmedlaLely a flre sprang up behlnd Lhem ln Lhe
doorway lL wasn'L ordlnary flre elLher lL was purple AL Lhe same lnsLanL black flames shoL up
ln Lhe
doorway leadlng onward 1hey were Lrapped
Look!" Permlone selzed a roll of paper lylng nexL Lo Lhe boLLles Parry looked over her
shoulder Lo read lL
uanger lles before you whlle safeLy lles behlnd
1wo of us wlll help you whlch ever you would flnd
Cne among us seven wlll leL you move ahead
AnoLher wlll LransporL Lhe drlnker back lnsLead
1wo among our number hold only neLLle wlne
1hree of us are klllers walLlng bldden ln llne
Choose unless you wlsh Lo sLay here forevermore
1o help you ln your cholce we glve you Lhese clues four
llrsL however slyly Lhe polson Lrles Lo hlde
?ou wlll always flnd some on neLLle wlne's lefL slde
Second dlfferenL are Lhose who sLand aL elLher end
8uL lf you would move onward nelLher ls your frlend
1hlrd as you see clearly all are dlfferenL slze
nelLher dwarf nor glanL holds deaLh ln Lhelr lnsldes
lourLh Lhe second lefL and Lhe second on Lhe rlghL
Are Lwlns once you LasLe Lhem Lhough dlfferenL aL flrsL slghL
Permlone leL ouL a greaL slgh and Parry amazed saw LhaL she was smlllng Lhe very lasL Lhlng
he felL llke dolng
8rllllanL" sald Permlone 1hls lsn'L maglc lL's loglc a puzzle A loL of Lhe greaLesL
wlzards haven'L goL an ounce of loglc Lhey'd be sLuck ln here forever"
8uL so wlll we won'L we?"
Cf course noL" sald Permlone LveryLhlng we need ls here on Lhls paper Seven boLLles
Lhree
are polson Lwo are wlne one wlll geL us safely Lhrough Lhe black flre and one wlll geL us back
Lhrough Lhe purple"
8uL how do we know whlch Lo drlnk?"
Clve me a mlnuLe"
Permlone read Lhe paper several Llmes 1hen she walked up and down Lhe llne of boLLles
muLLerlng Lo herself and polnLlng aL Lhem AL lasL she clapped her hands
CoL lL" she sald 1he smallesL boLLle wlll geL us Lhrough Lhe black flre Loward Lhe SLone"
Parry looked aL Lhe Llny boLLle
1here's only enough Lhere for one of us" he sald 1haL's hardly one swallow"
1hey looked aL each oLher
Whlch one wlll geL you back Lhrough Lhe purple flames?"
Permlone polnLed aL a rounded boLLle aL Lhe rlghL end of Lhe llne
?ou drlnk LhaL" sald Parry no llsLen geL back and geL 8on Crab brooms from Lhe flylng
key room Lhey'll geL you ouL of Lhe Lrapdoor and pasL lluffy go sLralghL Lo Lhe owlery and
send Pedwlg Lo uumbledore we need hlm l mlghL be able Lo hold Snape off for a whlle buL
l'm no maLch for hlm really"
8uL Parry whaL lf ?ouknowWho's wlLh hlm?"
Well l was lucky once wasn'L l?" sald Parry polnLlng aL hls scar l mlghL geL lucky agaln"
Permlone's llp Lrembled and she suddenly dashed aL Parry and Lhrew her arms around hlm
Permlone!"
Parry you're a greaL wlzard you know"
l'm noL as good as you" sald Parry very embarrassed as she leL go of hlm
Me!" sald Permlone 8ooks! And cleverness! 1here are more lmporLanL Lhlngs frlendshlp
and bravery and oh Parry be careful! "
?ou drlnk flrsL" sald Parry ?ou are sure whlch ls whlch aren'L you?"
oslLlve" sald Permlone She Look a long drlnk from Lhe round boLLle aL Lhe end and
shuddered
lL's noL polson?" sald Parry anxlously
no buL lL's llke lce"
Culck go before lL wears off"
Cood luck Lake care"
CC!"
Permlone Lurned and walked sLralghL Lhrough Lhe purple flre
Parry Look a deep breaLh and plcked up Lhe smallesL boLLle Pe Lurned Lo face Lhe black
flames
Pere l come" he sald and he dralned Lhe llLLle boLLle ln one gulp
lL was lndeed as Lhough lce was floodlng hls body Pe puL Lhe boLLle down and walked forward
he braced hlmself saw Lhe black flames llcklng hls body buL couldn'L feel Lhem for a
momenL he could see noLhlng buL dark flre Lhen he was on Lhe oLher slde ln Lhe lasL
chamber
1here was already someone Lhere buL lL wasn'L Snape lL wasn'L even voldemorL
CPA1L8 SLvLn1LLn
1he Man WlLh 1wo laces
lL was Culrrell
?ou!" gasped Parry
Culrrell smlled Pls face wasn'L LwlLchlng aL all
Me" he sald calmly l wondered wheLher l'd be meeLlng you here oLLer"
8uL l LhoughL Snape "
Severus?" Culrrell laughed and lL wasn'L hls usual qulverlng Lreble elLher buL cold and sharp
?es Severus does seem Lhe Lype doesn'L he? So useful Lo have hlm swooplng around llke an
overgrown baL nexL Lo hlm who would suspecL pppoor sLsLuLLerlng rofessor Culrrell?"
Parry couldn'L Lake lL ln 1hls couldn'L be Lrue lL couldn'L
8uL Snape Lrled Lo klll me!"
no no no l Lrled Lo klll you ?our frlend Mlss Cranger accldenLally knocked me over as she
rushed Lo seL flre Lo Snape aL LhaL CulddlLch maLch She broke my eye conLacL wlLh you
AnoLher few seconds and l'd have goL you off LhaL broom l'd have managed lL before Lhen lf
Snape hadn'L been muLLerlng a counLercurse Lrylng Lo save you"
Snape was Lrylng Lo save me?"
Cf course" sald Culrrell coolly Why do you Lhlnk he wanLed Lo referee your nexL maLch? Pe
was Lrylng Lo make sure l dldn'L do lL agaln lunny really he needn'L have boLhered l
couldn'L do anyLhlng wlLh uumbledore waLchlng All Lhe oLher Leachers LhoughL Snape was
Lrylng Lo sLop Cryfflndor from wlnnlng he dld make hlmself unpopular and whaL a wasLe of
Llme when afLer all LhaL l'm golng Lo klll you LonlghL"
Culrrell snapped hls flngers 8opes sprang ouL of Lhln alr and wrapped Lhemselves LlghLly
around Parry
?ou're Loo nosy Lo llve oLLer Scurrylng around Lhe school on Palloween llke LhaL for all l
knew you'd seen me comlng Lo look aL whaL was guardlng Lhe SLone"
?ou leL Lhe Lroll ln?"
CerLalnly l have a speclal glfL wlLh Lrolls you musL have seen whaL l dld Lo Lhe one ln Lhe
chamber back Lhere? unforLunaLely whlle everyone else was runnlng around looklng for lL
Snape who already suspecLed me wenL sLralghL Lo Lhe Lhlrd floor Lo head me off and noL
only dld my Lroll fall Lo beaL you Lo deaLh LhaL Lhreeheaded dog dldn'L even manage Lo blLe
Snape's leg off properly
now walL quleLly oLLer l need Lo examlne Lhls lnLeresLlng mlrror"
lL was only Lhen LhaL Parry reallzed whaL was sLandlng behlnd Culrrell lL was Lhe Mlrror of
Lrlsed
1hls mlrror ls Lhe key Lo flndlng Lhe SLone" Culrrell murmured Lapplng hls way around Lhe
frame 1rusL uumbledore Lo come up wlLh someLhlng llke Lhls buL he's ln London l'll be far
away by Lhe Llme he geLs back"
All Parry could Lhlnk of dolng was Lo keep Culrrell Lalklng and sLop hlm from concenLraLlng on
Lhe mlrror
l saw you and Snape ln Lhe foresL " he blurLed ouL
?es" sald Culrrell ldly walklng around Lhe mlrror Lo look aL Lhe back Pe was on Lo me by
LhaL Llme Lrylng Lo flnd ouL how far l'd goL Pe suspecLed me all along 1rled Lo frlghLen me
as Lhough he could when l had Lord voldemorL on my slde"
Culrrell came back ouL from behlnd Lhe mlrror and sLared hungrlly lnLo lL
l see Lhe SLone l'm presenLlng lL Lo my masLer buL where ls lL?"
Parry sLruggled agalnsL Lhe ropes blndlng hlm buL Lhey dldn'L glve Pe had Lo keep Culrrell
from glvlng hls whole aLLenLlon Lo Lhe mlrror
8uL Snape always seemed Lo haLe me so much"
Ch he does" sald Culrrell casually heavens yes Pe was aL PogwarLs wlLh your faLher
dldn'L you know? 1hey loaLhed each oLher 8uL he never wanLed you dead"
8uL l heard you a few days ago sobblng l LhoughL Snape was LhreaLenlng you"
lor Lhe flrsL Llme a spasm of fear fllLLed across Culrrell's face
SomeLlmes" he sald l flnd lL hard Lo follow my masLer's lnsLrucLlons he ls a greaL wlzard
and l am weak "
?ou mean he was Lhere ln Lhe classroom wlLh you?" Parry gasped
Pe ls wlLh me wherever l go" sald Culrrell quleLly l meL hlm when l Lraveled around Lhe
world A foollsh young man l was Lhen full of rldlculous ldeas abouL good and evll Lord
voldemorL showed me how wrong l was 1here ls no good and evll Lhere ls only power and
Lhose Loo weak Lo seek lL Slnce Lhen l have served hlm falLhfully alLhough l have leL hlm
down many Llmes Pe has had Lo be very hard on me" Culrrell shlvered suddenly Pe does
noL forglve mlsLakes easlly When l falled Lo sLeal Lhe sLone from CrlngoLLs he was mosL
dlspleased Pe punlshed me declded he would have Lo keep a closer waLch on me"
Culrrell's volce Lralled away Parry was rememberlng hls Lrlp Lo ulagon Alley how could he
have been so sLupld? Pe'd seen Culrrell Lhere LhaL very day shaken hands wlLh hlm ln Lhe
Leaky Cauldron
Culrrell cursed under hls breaLh
l don'L undersLand ls Lhe SLone lnslde Lhe mlrror? Should l break lL?"
Parry's mlnd was raclng
WhaL l wanL more Lhan anyLhlng else ln Lhe world aL Lhe momenL he LhoughL ls Lo flnd Lhe
SLone before Culrrell does So lf l look ln Lhe mlrror l should see myself flndlng lL whlch
means l'll see where lL's hldden! 8uL how can l look wlLhouL Culrrell reallzlng whaL l'm up Lo?
Pe Lrled Lo edge Lo Lhe lefL Lo geL ln fronL of Lhe glass wlLhouL Culrrell noLlclng buL Lhe ropes
around hls ankles were Loo LlghL he Lrlpped and fell over Culrrell lgnored hlm Pe was sLlll
Lalklng Lo hlmself
WhaL does Lhls mlrror do? Pow does lL work? Pelp me MasLer!"
And Lo Parry's horror a volce answered and Lhe volce seemed Lo come from Culrrell hlmself
use Lhe boy use Lhe boy"
Culrrell rounded on Parry
?es oLLer come here"
Pe clapped hls hands once and Lhe ropes blndlng Parry fell off Parry goL slowly Lo hls feeL
Come here" Culrrell repeaLed Look ln Lhe mlrror and Lell me whaL you see"
Parry walked Loward hlm
l musL lle he LhoughL desperaLely l musL look and lle abouL whaL l see LhaL's all
Culrrell moved close behlnd hlm Parry breaLhed ln Lhe funny smell LhaL seemed Lo come from
Culrrell's Lurban Pe closed hls eyes sLepped ln fronL of Lhe mlrror and opened Lhem agaln
Pe saw hls reflecLlon pale and scaredlooklng aL flrsL 8uL a momenL laLer Lhe reflecLlon
smlled aL hlm lL puL lLs hand lnLo lLs pockeL and pulled ouL a bloodred sLone lL wlnked and
puL Lhe
SLone back ln lLs pockeL and as lL dld so Parry felL someLhlng heavy drop lnLo hls real
pockeL Somehow lncredlbly he'd goLLen Lhe SLone
Well?" sald Culrrell lmpaLlenLly WhaL do you see?"
Parry screwed up hls courage
l see myself shaklng hands wlLh uumbledore" he lnvenLed l l've won Lhe house cup for
Cryfflndor"
Culrrell cursed agaln
CeL ouL of Lhe way" he sald As Parry moved aslde he felL Lhe Sorcerer's SLone agalnsL hls
leg uare he make a break for lL?
8uL he hadn'L walked flve paces before a hlgh volce spoke Lhough Culrrell wasn'L movlng hls
llps
Pe lles Pe lles"
oLLer come back here!" Culrrell shouLed 1ell me Lhe LruLh! WhaL dld you [usL see?"
1he hlgh volce spoke agaln
LeL me speak Lo hlm faceLoface"
MasLer you are noL sLrong enough!"
l have sLrengLh enough for Lhls"
Parry felL as lf uevll's Snare was rooLlng hlm Lo Lhe spoL Pe couldn'L move a muscle eLrlfled
he waLched as Culrrell reached up and began Lo unwrap hls Lurban WhaL was golng on? 1he
Lurban fell away Culrrell's head looked sLrangely small wlLhouL lL 1hen he Lurned slowly on
Lhe spoL
Parry would have screamed buL he couldn'L make a sound Where Lhere should have been a
back Lo Culrrell's head Lhere was a face Lhe mosL Lerrlble face Parry had ever seen lL was
chalk whlLe wlLh glarlng red eyes and sllLs for nosLrlls llke a snake
Parry oLLer" lL whlspered
Parry Lrled Lo Lake a sLep backward buL hls legs wouldn'L move
See whaL l have become?" Lhe face sald Mere shadow and vapor l have form only when l
can share anoLher's body buL Lhere have always been Lhose wllllng Lo leL me lnLo Lhelr hearLs
and mlnds unlcorn blood has sLrengLhened me Lhese pasL weeks you saw falLhful Culrrell
drlnklng lL for me ln Lhe foresL and once l have Lhe Lllxlr of Llfe l wlll be able Lo creaLe a body
of my own now why don'L you glve me LhaL SLone ln your pockeL?"
So he knew 1he feellng suddenly surged back lnLo Parry's legs Pe sLumbled backward
uon'L be a fool" snarled Lhe face 8eLLer save your own llfe and [oln me or you'll meeL Lhe
same end as your parenLs 1hey dled begglng me for mercy"
LlA8!" Parry shouLed suddenly
Culrrell was walklng backward aL hlm so LhaL voldemorL could sLlll see hlm 1he evll face was
now smlllng
Pow Louchlng" lL hlssed l always value bravery ?es boy your parenLs were brave l
kllled your faLher flrsL and he puL up a courageous flghL buL your moLher needn'L have dled
she was Lrylng Lo proLecL you now glve me Lhe SLone unless you wanL her Lo have dled ln
valn"
nLvL8!"
Parry sprang Loward Lhe flame door buL voldemorL screamed SLlZL PlM!" and Lhe nexL
second Parry felL Culrrell's hand close on hls wrlsL AL once a needlesharp paln seared across
Parry's scar hls head felL as Lhough lL was abouL Lo spllL ln Lwo he yelled sLruggllng wlLh all
hls mlghL and Lo hls surprlse Culrrell leL go of hlm 1he paln ln hls head lessened he looked
around wlldly Lo see where Culrrell had gone and saw hlm hunched ln paln looklng aL hls
flngers Lhey were bllsLerlng before hls eyes
Selze hlm! SLlZL PlM!" shrleked voldemorL agaln and Culrrell lunged knocklng Parry clean
off hls feeL landlng on Lop of hlm boLh hands around Parry's neck Parry's scar was almosL
bllndlng hlm wlLh paln yeL he could see Culrrell howllng ln agony
MasLer l cannoL hold hlm my hands my hands!"
And Culrrell Lhough plnnlng Parry Lo Lhe ground wlLh hls knees leL go of hls neck and sLared
bewlldered aL hls own palms Parry could see Lhey looked burned raw red and shlny
1hen klll hlm fool and be done!" screeched voldemorL
Culrrell ralsed hls hand Lo perform a deadly curse buL Parry by lnsLlncL reached up and
grabbed Culrrell's face
AAAA8CP!"
Culrrell rolled off hlm hls face bllsLerlng Loo and Lhen Parry knew Culrrell couldn'L Louch hls
bare skln noL wlLhouL sufferlng Lerrlble paln hls only chance was Lo keep hold of Culrrell
keep hlm ln enough paln Lo sLop hlm from dolng a curse
Parry [umped Lo hls feeL caughL Culrrell by Lhe arm and hung on as LlghL as he could Culrrell
screamed and Lrled Lo Lhrow Parry off Lhe paln ln Parry's head was bulldlng he couldn'L
see he could only hear Culrrell's Lerrlble shrleks and voldemorL's yells of klLL PlM! klLL
PlM!" and oLher volces maybe ln Parry's own head crylng Parry! Parry!"
Pe felL Culrrell's arm wrenched from hls grasp knew all was losL and fell lnLo blackness
down down down
SomeLhlng gold was gllnLlng [usL above hlm 1he SnlLch! Pe Lrled Lo caLch lL buL hls arms were
Loo heavy
Pe bllnked lL wasn'L Lhe SnlLch aL all lL was a palr of glasses Pow sLrange
Pe bllnked agaln 1he smlllng face of Albus uumbledore swam lnLo vlew above hlm
Cood afLernoon Parry" sald uumbledore
Parry sLared aL hlm 1hen he remembered Slr! 1he SLone! lL was Culrrell! Pe's goL Lhe SLone!
Slr qulck "
Calm yourself dear boy you are a llLLle behlnd Lhe Llmes" sald uumbledore Culrrell does
noL have Lhe SLone"
1hen who does? Slr l "
Parry please relax or Madam omfrey wlll have me Lhrown ouL"
Parry swallowed and looked around hlm Pe reallzed he musL be ln Lhe hosplLal wlng Pe was
lylng ln a bed wlLh whlLe llnen sheeLs and nexL Lo hlm was a Lable plled hlgh wlLh whaL looked
llke half Lhe candy shop
1okens from your frlends and admlrers" sald uumbledore beamlng WhaL happened down
ln Lhe dungeons beLween you and rofessor Culrrell ls a compleLe secreL so naLurally Lhe
whole school knows l belleve your frlends MlsLers lred and Ceorge Weasley were responslble
for Lrylng Lo send you a LolleL seaL no doubL Lhey LhoughL lL would amuse you Madam
omfrey however felL lL mlghL noL be very hyglenlc and conflscaLed lL"
Pow long have l been ln here?"
1hree days Mr 8onald Weasley and Mlss Cranger wlll be mosL relleved you have come
round Lhey have been exLremely worrled"
8uL slr Lhe SLone "
l see you are noL Lo be dlsLracLed very well Lhe SLone rofessor Culrrell dld noL manage Lo
Lake lL from you l arrlved ln Llme Lo prevenL LhaL alLhough you were dolng very well on your
own l musL say"
?ou goL Lhere? ?ou goL Permlone's owl?"
We musL have crossed ln mldalr no sooner had l reached London Lhan lL became clear Lo me
LhaL Lhe place l should be was Lhe one l had [usL lefL l arrlved [usL ln Llme Lo pull Culrrell off
you"
lL was you"
l feared l mlghL be Loo laLe"
?ou nearly were l couldn'L have kepL hlm off Lhe SLone much longer "
noL Lhe SLone boy you Lhe efforL lnvolved nearly kllled you lor one Lerrlble momenL
Lhere l was afrald lL had As for Lhe SLone lL has been desLroyed"
uesLroyed?" sald Parry blankly 8uL your frlend nlcolas llamel "
Ch you know abouL nlcolas?" sald uumbledore soundlng qulLe dellghLed ?ou dld do Lhe
Lhlng properly dldn'L you? Well nlcolas and l have had a llLLle chaL and agreed lL's all for Lhe
besL"
8uL LhaL means he and hls wlfe wlll dle won'L Lhey?"
1hey have enough Lllxlr sLored Lo seL Lhelr affalrs ln order and Lhen yes Lhey wlll dle"
uumbledore smlled aL Lhe look of amazemenL on Parry's face
1o one as young as you l'm sure lL seems lncredlble buL Lo nlcolas and erenelle lL really ls
llke golng Lo bed afLer a very very long day AfLer all Lo Lhe wellorganlzed mlnd deaLh ls buL
Lhe nexL greaL advenLure ?ou know Lhe SLone was really noL such a wonderful Lhlng As much
money and llfe as you could wanL! 1he Lwo Lhlngs mosL human belngs would choose above all
Lhe Lrouble ls humans do have a knack of chooslng preclsely Lhose Lhlngs LhaL are worsL for
Lhem"
Parry lay Lhere losL for words uumbledore hummed a llLLle and smlled aL Lhe celllng
Slr?" sald Parry l've been Lhlnklng slr even lf Lhe SLone's gone vol l mean ?ouknow
Who "
Call hlm voldemorL Parry Always use Lhe proper name for Lhlngs lear of a name lncreases
fear of Lhe Lhlng lLself"
?es slr Well voldemorL's golng Lo Lry oLher ways of comlng back lsn'L he? l mean he hasn'L
gone has he?"
no Parry he has noL Pe ls sLlll ouL Lhere somewhere perhaps looklng for anoLher body Lo
share noL belng Lruly allve he cannoL be kllled Pe lefL Culrrell Lo dle he shows [usL as llLLle
mercy Lo hls followers as hls enemles neverLheless Parry whlle you may only have delayed
hls reLurn Lo power lL wlll merely Lake someone else who ls prepared Lo flghL whaL seems a
loslng baLLle nexL Llme and lf he ls delayed agaln and agaln why he may never reLurn Lo
power"
Parry nodded buL sLopped qulckly because lL made hls head hurL 1hen he sald Slr Lhere are
some oLher Lhlngs l'd llke Lo know lf you can Lell me Lhlngs l wanL Lo know Lhe LruLh abouL"
1he LruLh" uumbledore slghed lL ls a beauLlful and Lerrlble Lhlng and should Lherefore be
LreaLed wlLh greaL cauLlon Powever l shall answer your quesLlons unless l have a very good
reason noL Lo ln whlch case l beg you'll forglve me l shall noL of course lle"
Well voldemorL sald LhaL he only kllled my moLher because she Lrled Lo sLop hlm from
kllllng me 8uL why would he wanL Lo klll me ln Lhe flrsL place?"
uumbledore slghed very deeply Lhls Llme
Alas Lhe flrsL Lhlng you ask me l cannoL Lell you noL Loday noL now ?ou wlll know one
day puL lL from your mlnd for now Parry When you are older l know you haLe Lo hear
Lhls when you are ready you wlll know"
And Parry knew lL would be no good Lo argue
8uL why couldn'L Culrrell Louch me?"
?our moLher dled Lo save you lf Lhere ls one Lhlng voldemorL cannoL undersLand lL ls love
Pe dldn'L reallze LhaL love as powerful as your moLher's for you leaves lLs own mark noL a
scar no vlslble slgn Lo have been loved so deeply even Lhough Lhe person who loved us ls
gone wlll glve us some proLecLlon forever lL ls ln your very skln Culrrell full of haLred greed
and amblLlon sharlng hls soul wlLh voldemorL could noL Louch you for Lhls reason lL was
agony Lo Louch a person marked by someLhlng so good"
uumbledore now became very lnLeresLed ln a blrd ouL on Lhe wlndowslll whlch gave Parry
Llme Lo dry hls eyes on Lhe sheeL When he had found hls volce agaln Parry sald And Lhe
lnvlslblllLy cloak do you know who senL lL Lo me?"
Ah your faLher happened Lo leave lL ln my possesslon and l LhoughL you mlghL llke lL"
uumbledore's eyes Lwlnkled useful Lhlngs your faLher used lL malnly for sneaklng off Lo Lhe
klLchens Lo sLeal food when he was here"
And Lhere's someLhlng else"
llre away"
Culrrell sald Snape "
rofessor Snape Parry"
?es hlm Culrrell sald he haLes me because he haLed my faLher ls LhaL Lrue?"
Well Lhey dld raLher deLesL each oLher noL unllke yourself and Mr Malfoy And Lhen your
faLher dld someLhlng Snape could never forglve"
WhaL?"
Pe saved hls llfe"
WhaL?"
?es" sald uumbledore dreamlly lunny Lhe way people's mlnds work lsn'L lL? rofessor
Snape couldn'L bear belng ln your faLher's debL l do belleve he worked so hard Lo proLecL you
Lhls year because he felL LhaL would make hlm and your faLher even 1hen he could go back Lo
haLlng your faLher's memory ln peace"
Parry Lrled Lo undersLand Lhls buL lL made hls head pound so he sLopped
And slr Lhere's one more Lhlng"
!usL Lhe one?"
Pow dld l geL Lhe SLone ouL of Lhe mlrror?"
Ah now l'm glad you asked me LhaL lL was one of my more brllllanL ldeas and beLween you
and me LhaL's saylng someLhlng ?ou see only one who wanLed Lo flnd Lhe SLone flnd lL
buL noL use lL would be able Lo geL lL oLherwlse Lhey'd [usL see Lhemselves maklng gold or
drlnklng Lllxlr of Llfe My braln surprlses even me someLlmes now enough quesLlons l
suggesL you make a sLarL on Lhese sweeLs Ah! 8eLLle 8oLL's Lvery llavor 8eans! l was
unforLunaLe enough ln my youLh Lo come across a vomlL flavored one and slnce Lhen l'm
afrald l've raLher losL my llklng for Lhem buL l Lhlnk l'll be safe wlLh a nlce Loffee don'L you?"
Pe smlled and popped Lhe goldenbrown bean lnLo hls mouLh 1hen he choked and sald Alas!
Lar wax!"
Madam omfrey Lhe nurse was a nlce woman buL very sLrlcL
!usL flve mlnuLes" Parry pleaded
AbsoluLely noL"
?ou leL rofessor uumbledore ln"
Well of course LhaL was Lhe headmasLer qulLe dlfferenL ?ou need resL"
l am resLlng look lylng down and everyLhlng Ch go on Madam omfrey"
Ch very well" she sald 8uL flve mlnuLes only"
And she leL 8on and Permlone ln
Parry!"
Permlone looked ready Lo fllng her arms around hlm agaln buL Parry was glad she held herself
ln as hls head was sLlll very sore
Ch Parry we were sure you were golng Lo uumbledore was so worrled "
1he whole school's Lalklng abouL lL" sald 8on WhaL really happened?"
lL was one of Lhose rare occaslons when Lhe Lrue sLory ls even more sLrange and exclLlng Lhan
Lhe wlld rumors Parry Lold Lhem everyLhlng Culrrell Lhe mlrror Lhe SLone and voldemorL
8on and Permlone were a very good audlence Lhey gasped ln all Lhe rlghL places and when
Parry Lold Lhem whaL was under Culrrell's Lurban Permlone screamed ouL loud
So Lhe SLone's gone?" sald 8on flnally llamel's [usL golng Lo dle?"
1haL's whaL l sald buL uumbledore Lhlnks LhaL whaL was lL? 'Lo Lhe wellorganlzed mlnd
deaLh ls buL Lhe nexL greaL advenLure'"
l always sald he was off hls rocker" sald 8on looklng qulLe lmpressed aL how crazy hls hero
was
So whaL happened Lo you Lwo?" sald Parry
Well l goL back all rlghL" sald Permlone l broughL 8on round LhaL Look a whlle and we
were dashlng up Lo Lhe owlery Lo conLacL uumbledore when we meL hlm ln Lhe enLrance hall
he already knew he [usL sald 'Parry's gone afLer hlm hasn'L he?' and hurLled off Lo Lhe
Lhlrd floor"
u'you Lhlnk he meanL you Lo do lL?" sald 8on Sendlng you your faLher's cloak and
everyLhlng?"
Well " Permlone exploded lf he dld l mean Lo say LhaL's Lerrlble you could have been
kllled"
no lL lsn'L" sald Parry LhoughLfully Pe's a funny man uumbledore l Lhlnk he sorL of
wanLed Lo glve me a chance l Lhlnk he knows more or less everyLhlng LhaL goes on here you
know l reckon he had a preLLy good ldea we were golng Lo Lry and lnsLead of sLopplng us he
[usL LaughL us enough Lo help l don'L Lhlnk lL was an accldenL he leL me flnd ouL how Lhe
mlrror worked lL's almosL llke he LhoughL l had Lhe rlghL Lo face voldemorL lf l could"
?eah uumbledore's off hls rocker all rlghL" sald 8on proudly LlsLen you've goL Lo be up for
Lhe endofyear feasL Lomorrow 1he polnLs are all ln and SlyLherln won of course you
mlssed Lhe lasL CulddlLch maLch we were sLeamrollered by 8avenclaw wlLhouL you buL Lhe
food'll be good"
AL LhaL momenL Madam omfrey busLled over
?ou've had nearly flfLeen mlnuLes now Cu1" she sald flrmly
AfLer a good nlghL's sleep Parry felL nearly back Lo normal
l wanL Lo go Lo Lhe feasL" he Lold Madam omfrey as she sLralghLened hls many candy boxes
l can can'L l?"
rofessor uumbledore says you are Lo be allowed Lo go" she sald sLlffly as Lhough ln her
oplnlon rofessor uumbledore dldn'L reallze how rlsky feasLs could be And you have anoLher
vlslLor"
Ch good" sald Parry Who ls lL?"
Pagrld sldled Lhrough Lhe door as he spoke As usual when he was lndoors Pagrld looked Loo
blg Lo be allowed Pe saL down nexL Lo Parry Look one look aL hlm and bursL lnLo Lears
lL's all my ruddy faulL!" he sobbed hls face ln hls hands l Lold Lhe evll glL how Ler
geL pasL lluffy! l Lold hlm! lL was Lhe only Lhlng he dldn'L know an' l Lold hlm! ?eh could've
dled! All fer a dragon egg! l'll never drlnk agaln! l should be chucked ouL an' made Ler llve as a
Muggle!"
Pagrld!" sald Parry shocked Lo see Pagrld shaklng wlLh grlef and remorse greaL Lears leaklng
down lnLo hls beard Pagrld he'd have found ouL somehow Lhls ls voldemorL we're Lalklng
abouL he'd have found ouL even lf you hadn'L Lold hlm"
?eh could've dled!" sobbed Pagrld An' don' say Lhe name!"
vCLuLMC81!" Parry bellowed and Pagrld was so shocked he sLopped crylng l've meL hlm
and l'm calllng hlm by hls name lease cheer up Pagrld we saved Lhe SLone lL's gone he
can'L use lL Pave a ChocolaLe lrog l've goL loads"
Pagrld wlped hls nose on Lhe back of hls hand and sald 1haL remlnds me l've goL yeh a
presenL"
lL's noL a sLoaL sandwlch ls lL?" sald Parry anxlously and aL lasL Pagrld gave a weak chuckle
nah uumbledore gave me Lhe day off yesLerday Ler flx lL 'course he shoulda sacked me
lnsLead anyway goL yeh Lhls"
lL seemed Lo be a handsome leaLhercovered book Parry opened lL curlously lL was full of
wlzard phoLographs Smlllng and wavlng aL hlm from every page were hls moLher and faLher
SenL owls off Ler all yer parenLs' old school frlends askln' fer phoLos knew yeh dldn' have
any d'yeh llke lL?"
Parry couldn'L speak buL Pagrld undersLood
Parry made hls way down Lo Lhe endofyear feasL alone LhaL nlghL Pe had been held up by
Madam omfrey's fusslng abouL lnslsLlng on glvlng hlm one lasL checkup so Lhe CreaL Pall
was already full lL was decked ouL ln Lhe SlyLherln colors of green and sllver Lo celebraLe
SlyLherln's wlnnlng Lhe house cup for Lhe sevenLh year ln a row A huge banner showlng Lhe
SlyLherln serpenL covered Lhe wall behlnd Lhe Plgh 1able
When Parry walked ln Lhere was a sudden hush and Lhen everybody sLarLed Lalklng loudly aL
once Pe sllpped lnLo a seaL beLween 8on and Permlone aL Lhe Cryfflndor Lable and Lrled Lo
lgnore Lhe facL LhaL people were sLandlng up Lo look aL hlm
lorLunaLely uumbledore arrlved momenLs laLer 1he babble dled away
AnoLher year gone!" uumbledore sald cheerfully And l musL Lrouble you wlLh an old man's
wheezlng waffle before we slnk our LeeLh lnLo our dellclous feasL WhaL a year lL has been!
Popefully your heads are all a llLLle fuller Lhan Lhey were you have Lhe whole summer ahead
Lo geL Lhem nlce and empLy before nexL year sLarLs
now as l undersLand lL Lhe house cup here needs awardlng and Lhe polnLs sLand Lhus ln
fourLh place Cryfflndor wlLh Lhree hundred and Lwelve polnLs ln Lhlrd Pufflepuff wlLh Lhree
hundred and flfLyLwo 8avenclaw has four hundred and LwenLyslx and SlyLherln four
hundred and sevenLyLwo"
A sLorm of cheerlng and sLamplng broke ouL from Lhe SlyLherln Lable Parry could see uraco
Malfoy banglng hls gobleL on Lhe Lable lL was a slckenlng slghL
?es ?es well done SlyLherln" sald uumbledore Powever recenL evenLs musL be Laken lnLo
accounL"
1he room wenL very sLlll 1he SlyLherlns' smlles faded a llLLle
Ahem" sald uumbledore l have a few lasLmlnuLe polnLs Lo dlsh ouL LeL me see ?es
llrsL Lo Mr 8onald Weasley"
8on wenL purple ln Lhe face he looked llke a radlsh wlLh a bad sunburn
for Lhe besLplayed game of chess PogwarLs has seen ln many years l award Cryfflndor
house flfLy polnLs"
Cryfflndor cheers nearly ralsed Lhe bewlLched celllng Lhe sLars overhead seemed Lo qulver
ercy could be heard Lelllng Lhe oLher prefecLs My broLher you know! My youngesL broLher!
CoL pasL McConagall's glanL chess seL!"
AL lasL Lhere was sllence agaln
Second Lo Mlss Permlone Cranger for Lhe use of cool loglc ln Lhe face of flre l award
Cryfflndor house flfLy polnLs"
Permlone burled her face ln her arms Parry sLrongly suspecLed she had bursL lnLo Lears
Cryfflndors up and down Lhe Lable were beslde Lhemselves Lhey were a hundred polnLs up
1hlrd Lo Mr Parry oLLer" sald uumbledore 1he room wenL deadly quleL for pure
nerve and ouLsLandlng courage l award Cryfflndor house slxLy polnLs"
1he dln was deafenlng 1hose who could add up whlle yelllng Lhemselves hoarse knew LhaL
Cryfflndor now had four hundred and sevenLyLwo polnLs exacLly Lhe same as SlyLherln
1hey had Lled for Lhe house cup lf only uumbledore had glven Parry [usL one more polnL
uumbledore ralsed hls hand 1he room gradually fell sllenL
1here are all klnds of courage" sald uumbledore smlllng lL Lakes a greaL deal of bravery Lo
sLand up Lo our enemles buL [usL as much Lo sLand up Lo our frlends l Lherefore award Len
polnLs Lo Mr nevllle LongboLLom"
Someone sLandlng ouLslde Lhe CreaL Pall mlghL well have LhoughL some sorL of exploslon had
Laken place so loud was Lhe nolse LhaL erupLed from Lhe Cryfflndor Lable Parry 8on and
Permlone sLood up Lo yell and cheer as nevllle whlLe wlLh shock dlsappeared under a plle of
people hugglng hlm Pe had never won so much as a polnL for Cryfflndor before Parry sLlll
cheerlng nudged 8on ln Lhe rlbs and polnLed aL Malfoy who couldn'L have looked more
sLunned and horrlfled lf he'd [usL had Lhe 8ody8lnd Curse puL on hlm
Whlch means" uumbledore called over Lhe sLorm of applause for even 8avenclaw and
Pufflepuff were celebraLlng Lhe downfall of SlyLherln we need a llLLle change of decoraLlon"
Pe clapped hls hands ln an lnsLanL Lhe green hanglngs became scarleL and Lhe sllver became
gold Lhe huge SlyLherln serpenL vanlshed and a Lowerlng Cryfflndor llon Look lLs place Snape
was shaklng rofessor McConagall's hand wlLh a horrlble forced smlle Pe caughL Parry's eye
and Parry knew aL once LhaL Snape's feellngs Loward hlm hadn'L changed one [oL 1hls dldn'L
worry Parry lL seemed as Lhough llfe would be back Lo normal nexL year or as normal as lL
ever was aL PogwarLs
lL was Lhe besL evenlng of Parry's llfe beLLer Lhan wlnnlng aL CulddlLch or ChrlsLmas or
knocklng ouL mounLaln Lrolls he would never ever forgeL LonlghL
Parry had almosL forgoLLen LhaL Lhe exam resulLs were sLlll Lo come buL come Lhey dld 1o
Lhelr
greaL surprlse boLh he and 8on passed wlLh good marks Permlone of course had Lhe besL
grades of Lhe flrsL years Lven nevllle scraped Lhrough hls good Perbology mark maklng up for
hls abysmal oLlons one 1hey had hoped LhaL Coyle who was almosL as sLupld as he was
mean mlghL be Lhrown ouL buL he had passed Loo lL was a shame buL as 8on sald you
couldn'L have everyLhlng ln llfe
And suddenly Lhelr wardrobes were empLy Lhelr Lrunks were packed nevllle's Load was
found lurklng ln a corner of Lhe LolleLs noLes were handed ouL Lo all sLudenLs warnlng Lhem
noL Lo use maglc over Lhe holldays (l always hope Lhey'll forgeL Lo glve us Lhese" sald lred
Weasley sadly) Pagrld was Lhere Lo Lake Lhem down Lo Lhe fleeL of boaLs LhaL salled across Lhe
lake Lhey were boardlng Lhe PogwarLs Lxpress Lalklng and laughlng as Lhe counLryslde
became greener and Lldler eaLlng 8eLLle 8oLL's Lvery llavor 8eans as Lhey sped pasL Muggle
Lowns pulllng off Lhelr wlzard robes and puLLlng on [ackeLs and coaLs pulllng lnLo plaLform
nlne and LhreequarLers aL klng's Cross SLaLlon
lL Look qulLe a whlle for Lhem all Lo geL off Lhe plaLform A wlzened old guard was up by Lhe
LlckeL barrler leLLlng Lhem go Lhrough Lhe gaLe ln Lwos and Lhrees so Lhey dldn'L aLLracL
aLLenLlon by all bursLlng ouL of a solld wall aL once and alarmlng Lhe Muggles
?ou musL come and sLay Lhls summer" sald 8on boLh of you l'll send you an owl"
1hanks" sald Parry l'll need someLhlng Lo look forward Lo" eople [osLled Lhem as Lhey
moved forward Loward Lhe gaLeway back Lo Lhe Muggle world Some of Lhem called
8ye Parry!"
See you oLLer!"
SLlll famous" sald 8on grlnnlng aL hlm
noL where l'm golng l promlse you" sald Parry
Pe 8on and Permlone passed Lhrough Lhe gaLeway LogeLher 1here he ls Mom Lhere he ls
look!"
lL was Clnny Weasley 8on's younger slsLer buL she wasn'L polnLlng aL 8on
Parry oLLer!" she squealed Look Mom! l can see "
8e quleL Clnny and lL's rude Lo polnL"
Mrs Weasley smlled down aL Lhem
8usy year?" she sald
very" sald Parry 1hanks for Lhe fudge and Lhe sweaLer Mrs Weasley"
Ch lL was noLhlng dear"
8eady are you?"
lL was uncle vernon sLlll purplefaced sLlll musLached sLlll looklng furlous aL Lhe nerve of
Parry carrylng an owl ln a cage ln a sLaLlon full of ordlnary people 8ehlnd hlm sLood AunL
eLunla and uudley looklng Lerrlfled aL Lhe very slghL of Parry
?ou musL be Parry's famlly!" sald Mrs Weasley
ln a manner of speaklng" sald uncle vernon Purry up boy we haven'L goL all day" Pe
walked away
Parry hung back for a lasL word wlLh 8on and Permlone
See you over Lhe summer Lhen"
Pope you have er a good hollday" sald Permlone looklng uncerLalnly afLer uncle
vernon shocked LhaL anyone could be so unpleasanL
Ch l wlll" sald Parry and Lhey were surprlsed aL Lhe grln LhaL was spreadlng over hls face
1hey don'L know we're noL allowed Lo use maglc aL home l'm golng Lo have a loL of fun wlLh
uudley Lhls summer"