Harry Potter 05 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

emerged from a door on the right that Harry knew led down to the Slytherin common room. Harry stopped dead; so did Malfoy and the others. The only sounds were the shouts, laughter and splashes drifting into the Hall from the grounds through the open front doors.
    Malfoy glanced around – Harry knew he was checking for signs of teachers – then he looked back at Harry and said in a low voice, ‘You’re dead, Potter.’
    Harry raised his eyebrows.
    ‘Funny,’ he said, ‘you’d think I’d have stopped walking around …’
    Malfoy looked angrier than Harry had ever seen him; he felt a kind of detached satisfaction at the sight of his pale, pointed face contorted with rage.
    ‘You’re going to pay,’ said Malfoy, in a voice barely louder than a whisper. ‘ I’m going to make you pay for what you’ve done to my father …’
    ‘Well, I’m terrified now,’ said Harry sarcastically. ‘I s’pose Lord Voldemort’s just a warm-up act compared to you three – what’s the matter?’ he added, for Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had all looked stricken at the sound of the name. ‘He’s a mate of your dad, isn’t he? Not scared of him, are you?’
    ‘You think you’re such a big man, Potter,’ said Malfoy, advancing now, Crabbe and Goyle flanking him. ‘You wait. I’ll have you. You can’t land my father in prison –’
    ‘I thought I just had,’ said Harry.
    ‘The Dementors have left Azkaban,’ said Malfoy quietly. ‘Dad and the others’ll be out in no time …’
    ‘Yeah, I expect they will,’ said Harry. ‘Still, at least everyone knows what scumbags they are now –’
    Malfoy’s hand flew towards his wand, but Harry was too quick for him; he had drawn his own wand before Malfoy’s fingers had even entered the pocket of his robes.
    ‘Potter!’
    The voice rang across the Entrance Hall. Snape had emerged from the staircase leading down to his office and at the sight of him Harry felt a great rush of hatred beyond anything he felt towards Malfoy … whatever Dumbledore said, he would never forgive Snape … never …
    ‘What are you doing, Potter?’ said Snape, as coldly as ever, as he strode over to the four of them.
    ‘I’m trying to decide what curse to use on Malfoy, sir,’ said Harry fiercely.
    Snape stared at him.
    ‘Put that wand away at once,’ he said curtly. ‘Ten points from Gryff—’
    Snape looked towards the giant hour-glasses on the walls and gave a sneering smile.
    ‘Ah. I see there are no longer any points left in the Gryffindor hour-glass to take away. In that case, Potter, we will simply have to –’
    ‘Add some more?’
    Professor McGonagall had just stumped up the stone steps into the castle; she was carrying a tartan carpetbag in one hand and leaning heavily on a walking stick with her other, but otherwise looked quite well.
    ‘Professor McGonagall!’ said Snape, striding forwards. ‘Out of St Mungo’s, I see!’
    ‘Yes, Professor Snape,’ said Professor McGonagall, shrugging off her travelling cloak, ‘I’m quite as good as new. You two – Crabbe – Goyle –’ She beckoned them forwards imperiously and they came, shuffling their large feet and looking awkward.
    ‘Here,’ said Professor McGonagall, thrusting her carpetbag into Crabbe’s chest and her cloak into Goyle’s, ‘take these up to my office for me.’
    They turned and stumped away up the marble staircase.
    ‘Right then,’ said Professor McGonagall, looking up at the hourglasses on the wall. ‘Well, I think Potter and his friends ought to have fifty points apiece for alerting the world to the return of You-Know-Who! What say you, Professor Snape?’
    ‘What?’ snapped Snape, though Harry knew he had heard perfectly well. ‘Oh – well – I suppose …’
    ‘So that’s fifty each for Potter, the two Weasleys, Longbottom and Miss Granger,’ said Professor McGonagall, and a shower of rubies fell down into the bottom bulb of Gryffindor’s hour-glass as she spoke. ‘Oh – and fifty for Miss Lovegood, I suppose,’ she added, and a number of sapphires fell into Ravenclaw’s glass. ‘Now, you wanted to take ten from Mr Potter, I think, Professor Snape – so there we are …’
    A few rubies retreated into the upper bulb, leaving a respectable amount below nevertheless. ‘Well, Potter, Malfoy, I think you ought to be outside on a glorious day like this,’ Professor McGonagall continued briskly.
    Harry did not need telling twice; he thrust his wand back inside his robes and