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[HARRY POTTER:Rainbow in the Dark] #98
🕑 Added 2025-05-07 10:21:31 +0000 UTC"I must say I am disappointed," Lockhart was speaking loudly to a reporter from the Daily Prophet. "I was so hoping that Harry Potter would be doing his shopping today so I could greet him as a hero to hero, you know?"
"You're going to be teaching at Hogwarts this year I believe?"
"Oh yes! I'll be teaching Muggle Studies this year and the students can learn a great deal from me as I've had a lot of contact with Muggles."
"Is he really going to be teaching this year?" Harry asked once they were outside the store again.
"Unfortunately it seems so. I knew Professor Burbage was going to take sabbatical this year to update her knowledge of Muggles."
"Why on earth would Professor Dumbledore hire him?" Lily asked. "He's a flaming idiot and a publicity hound to boot, I suspect."
"Why does Professor Dumbledore do anything that obviously would makes sense?" Severus replied with a sigh.
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Kingsley and James returned to Auror Headquarters to report what they had found at Riddle Manor to Mad-Eye who in turn left to report to Scrimgeour.
Sirius was back from his assignment and was sitting behind his desk filling out paperwork and grumbling to himself about idiots who think they see Death Eaters all over the Muggle underground.
"And how was your day?" James asked cheerfully plunking himself down behind his desk. "Obviously it wasn't as exciting as mine was."
"No, unless you call exciting chasing some vagabond in an oversized coat all over the Muggle underground because some witch saw him and thought he was a Death Eater. What are you so cheery about?"
James smiled and told him about his adventure in Little Hangleton. "If Scrimgeour's going to send Aurors to watch the manor; I'm getting on the detail. I'm going to be the one to capture that Death Eater and any others that are hiding out there."
"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "Me too. Maybe we'll be really lucky and capture Snivellus and Malfoy."
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Pettigrew apparated at the edge of the Forbidden Forest and then quickly changed back into a rat. He slipped past the wards easily as they hadn't been designed to keep out animals and headed for the castle. Once inside he headed for the girls second floor bathroom and slipped under a gap in the door.
Moaning Myrtle saw the rat and screamed loudly. "Disgusting creature! How dare you interrupt my thinking about my death!"
Peter quickly scurried under the sink and through a hole in the wall and screeched loudly as he slid down a long dirt incline and landed at the bottom. He looked around him and saw where he was. This must be the rumored Chamber of Secrets they'd heard so much about when they were students. Sirius and James tried to find it once, but hadn't succeeded. The rat puffed out its chest. He was the first Marauder to ever set eyes on it. He had finally one-upped the two most arrogant of the Marauders!
His eyes suddenly fell on the shed skin. It must be at least thirty feet long! He knew the tales about Slytherin's hidden monster they had all heard about were true. The dark lord had told him about the Basilisk that lived in the bowels of Hogwarts. He scurried down a path until he came to a stone wall with round iron door on it with snakes decorating the door. He spied a small hole in the wall where it had given way over the ages and went into the next chamber. The long walk was decorated with two lines of huge snakes looking ready to attack and at the very end of them was a huge head of what Peter assumed was Salazar Slytherin's.
"Sssss …who is there …sssss?" The voice echoed eerily in the chamber.
Peter squeaked in fright, but then remembered Voldemort telling him that the Basilisk could understand another animal. Only humans needed to be able to speak Parseltongue.
"Lord Voldemort sent me. I am your friend and I've come to free you!"
On September 1st Severus, Harry and Lily flooed to the Leaky Cauldron and went outside on Charing Cross Road to flag a Black Cab to take them to King's Cross. When they arrived, Severus got out and paid the driver then helped Lily out. Harry got out last and went into the station to get a trolley for his trunk which his mum had taken out of her purse and discreetly returned it to its normal size.
Severus lifted his trunk onto the trolley and they casually walked into the terminal looking as if they were an ordinary family sending their child off to boarding school. They had arrived early so there weren't a lot of people milling around and waiting to go through the wall to Platform 9¾. Harry aimed his trolley and took off, disappearing through the wall suddenly. Severus and Lily took a quick look around and then followed him.
The Hogwarts Express had already arrived. Lily smiled and shook her head. "You know, I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing the Hogwarts Express. It still gives me a thrill whenever I see it."
Severus nodded. "I know the feeling."
They moved along the ramp to the baggage carriage and Severus lifted Harry's trunk up so the porter could take charge of it. Hedwig had remained in the Owlry. There was a sudden explosion of noise behind them and Severus knew the Weasley family had arrived.
"Percy, help Ginny find Luna and make sure they get on the train okay. Ron, stop sulking. I'm sorry your rat ran away, but that can't be helped right now," Molly directed then added in a softer tone to Ron, "I'm sorry we weren't able to get you another animal, but with Ginny starting this year; it just wasn't possible."
"But what if Scabbers comes home while I'm gone, Mum?"
