HARRY POTTER and the Prisoner of Azkaban CHAPTER 14

Chapter 14

SNAPE’S HATE

The children in Gryffindor Tower do not sleep that night. The teachers are walking around the castle again. They are looking for Sirius Black. In the morning, Professor McGonagall comes back and says that Black has escaped again.

Sir Cadogan is not guarding the Gryffindor door anymore. His painting is taken away, and the Fat Lady returns. Her painting is fixed, but she is still afraid. She agrees to come back only with help. 

Now, big security trolls stand outside her painting. Because of what happened, Ron becomes more popular than Harry. Everyone wants to hear his story. One day, a group of second-year girls asks him to tell them what happened. Ron smiles and says, “I was sleeping. I heard a loud sound, like something tearing. I thought it was a dream.”

“Then I woke up and saw him. He looked like a skeleton with long dirty hair and a big knife. He looked at me, and I screamed. Then he ran away!”

The girls scream and run, too. Ron turns to Harry and asks, “Why did he run away?” Harry also wonders why Black didn’t try to kill Ron first, then kill him.

Neville is not popular anymore. Professor McGonagall is very angry with him. She gives him detention, stops him from going to Hogsmeade, and does not let him know the tower password. He has to wait outside for someone to let him in. The next day, his grandmother sends him a howler letter at breakfast.

That morning, Harry gets a letter, too, from Hagrid.

“He probably wants to talk about Buckbeak,” says Harry. That afternoon, Harry and Ron go to meet Hagrid. He is already waiting and walks them to his home. Buckbeak is lying on Hagrid’s bed, eating rabbits. Harry sees a big brown suit and an orange tie.

“What is that for?” he asks. “It’s my suit for Buckbeak’s trial. It’s on Friday. We are going to London by Knight Bus,” says Hagrid. Harry and Ron feel bad. They forgot the trial is so soon. Hagrid gives them tea. The cakes are hard like rocks, so they don’t eat them. 

“I need to talk to you two,” Hagrid says. “It’s about Hermione. She is sad and lonely. You stopped talking to her about the Firebolt. Then you got angry because of her cat.” “Her cat ate Scabbers!” Ron says.

“No, her cat is just being a cat,” says Hagrid. “She’s helping with Buckbeak’s case. She found some good ideas. Maybe we can win.” “Sorry we didn’t help more,” says Harry. “It’s okay,” says Hagrid. “But I thought you two were better friends than that.” Harry and Ron feel worse.

Later, they go back to the Gryffindor common room. Students are reading a new bulletin note on the wall. There is a trip to Hogsmeade this weekend. Hermione appears behind a big pile of books. “Harry, if you go again, I’ll tell Professor McGonagall about the map!”

“Harry, did you hear someone talking?” says Ron angrily. “Harry, it’s not safe. What if Black finds you?” says Hermione. “Are you’re trying to get Harry kicked out!” Ron yells. Hermione runs away crying.

“How about it?” says Ron. “This time, we go to the joke shop.” Harry says yes. “But if I go to Hogsmeade this time, I’ll take the invisibility cloak.” On Saturday, students leave for Hogsmeade. 

Harry waits until all the children are gone. Hermione sees him stay behind. Then he picks up his bag and goes to the one-eyed witch. He looks at the map. Oh no! Snape is coming! Harry quickly opens the secret door and throws his bag inside.

Snape finds Harry near the statue. “Why are you here, Potter?” he asks. “You always seem to be places you should not be. You should go back to your tower, where you belong.” Harry says nothing and runs up to the third floor. 

When Snape leaves, Harry waits, then goes back and slides into the tunnel. Harry moves fast through the tunnel and reaches Hogsmeade. He wears his cloak and goes through the candy shop trapdoor. 

Outside, Ron is waiting. Harry taps his shoulder. “It’s me!” “What took you so long?” “Snape almost caught me.” They visit the post office and joke shop. Harry gives Ron some gold. Ron buys funny things for Harry.

Then they walk up the hill to the Howling House, the scariest house near Hogwarts. It is locked and no one goes inside.

Harry wants to take off the cloak, but he hears voices. It is Malfoy with Crabbe and Goyle. “My father went to Buckbeak’s trial,” says Malfoy. “I wish I could watch that giant idiot lose!” Malfoy suddenly sees Ron. He starts to tease him. “Do you want to live in that old Howling House, Weasley?” he says in a mean voice. Crabbe and Goyle laugh.

Ron is angry and wants to attack Malfoy, but Harry says, “Let me do it.” Harry, still invisible, picks up some mud from the path. “We were talking about your friend, Hagrid, Weasley,” says Malfoy. “Do you think he’ll cry when they cut off that hippogriff’s head… SPLAT! The mud hits Malfoy’s head.

“Who did that?” Malfoy shouts. “Maybe the ghosts from the Howling House,” says Ron laughing. Crabbe and Goyle are scared. They can’t fight ghosts. Harry moves down the path and picks up some smelly stinky green mud.

Harry throws more mud. SPLAT! Crabbe and Goyle are covered in it. Malfoy runs at Ron, but Harry puts out his foot. Malfoy trips and falls! He pulls off part of Harry’s cloak. Malfoy sees Harry’s head! Then Harry quickly pulls the cloak back.

“Run!” Ron yells. Harry has been discovered. Harry runs back through the tunnel. He must arrive before Malfoy has time to tell a teacher. Finally he arrives at the slide under the witch. He hides the cloak inside and climbs out.

He hears footsteps coming around the corner. It is Snape! “Come with me, Potter” he says. Snape takes Harry to his office. “Malfoy told me a strange story,” he says. “He was talking to Weasley. He said he was attacked with mud. How do you think that happened?”

“I don’t know, Professor,” says Harry. Snape looks at Harry very suspiciously. “Then Mr. Malfoy says he saw you! But he did not see you. He only saw your head!” “Maybe he should go to the hospital building to see Madam Pomfrey,” says Harry. “To check his vision.”

“Why was your head in Hogsmeade, Potter? No part of your body is allowed to be in Hogsmeade.” “I was in Gryffindor Tower the whole time, Professor,” Harry lies. “Can someone confirm that?” asks Snape with a mean smile on his face.

“As you know,” he continues, “everyone from the Ministry of Magic and the castle has been working to protect Harry Potter from Sirius Black. But the famous Harry Potter thinks he can do whatever he wants. You are very much like your father. He was arrogant, too. He thought he was better than everyone else.”

“He had many friends, and many people liked him. He walked around Hogwarts like it was his.” “My father didn’t behave that way!” yells Harry. “And neither do I!” “Your father didn’t follow the rules, either,” continues Snape. “Only losers followed the rules, not Quidditch champions. He was so arrogant…” “SHUT UP!”

Harry is filled with anger. He does not care that he is yelling at a Professor. “What did you say to me, Potter?” “I told you to shut up about my dad! I know the truth. I know my father saved your life. You would be dead if my father didn’t save you. Dumbledore told me!” Snape turns even whiter.

“Did Dumbledore tell you all the details?” asks Snape. Harry doesn’t speak. Harry does not know all the details. And he does not care. “I see you do not know all the details,” Snape continues. “I don’t want you to have the wrong idea about your father. Let me correct you, Potter. He is no hero. Your father and his friends played a mean joke on me. It would have killed me.” 

“But your father stopped the joke. His decision was not courageous. If he had continued, they would have expelled him from Hogwarts.” Snape looks at Harry closely. “Take everything out of your pockets.” Harry does not move. “Remove the items from your pockets, or I will take you to Dumbledore’s office. Remove the items now, Potter!”

Harry is very scared. The map is in his pocket! The map is empty, but he is worried Snape will know what it is. Harry empties his pockets. Snape sees the things from Zonko’s Joke Store. “Ron gave those to me,” says Harry. “He gave them to me the last time he went to Hogsmeade.” “You have been carrying them all this time?” Snape says. He does not believe Harry at all.

Snape picks up the map. It is empty. “What is this?” he says, very suspicious. “It’s just a piece of paper,” says Harry. Snape looks at it carefully. “I’m sure you don’t need an old piece of paper. I think I will throw it in the trash.” “No!” yells Harry quickly. “So!” says Snape. “Is this a magic letter with invisible ink? Or possibly instructions to a secret passage to Hogsmeade?”

Snape takes out his wand. “Let me see,” he says. “Reveal your secret!” he says. He touches the paper with his wand. Nothing happens. “Professor Snape commands you to reveal the information on this paper!” Again he touches the paper with his wand. Suddenly, writing appears on the paper magically!

“Mr. Moony says hello, and to keep your
big nose out of other people’s business.”

More words appear:

“Mr. Prongs thinks Snape is an ugly fool.”

“Mr. Padfoot says Snape is too dumb to be a teacher.”

“Mr. Wormtail says Snape has dirty hair.”

Snape is very angry. He throws magic powder into the fire and yells, “Lupin!” Lupin appears in the fire. He comes towards Harry and Snape. “Yes?” he asks. “I found this magic paper,” says Snape. “This paper obviously has Dark Magic.” Lupin reads the words and looks surprised.

“Dark Magic, Severus?” says Lupin. “This looks like a joke paper. Maybe it came from the joke shop in Hogsmeade.” Snape is not happy. “Maybe he got it from the people who made it,” says Snape suspiciously. “Harry, do you know these names?” asks Lupin. 

“No,” says Harry. “See, Severus,” says Lupin happily. “It must be from Zonko’s Joke Shop.” Just then, Ron runs in. “I… gave… him… that stuff! A long… a long time ago!” Lupin smiles. “Well, that solves it, doesn’t it, Severus? Thank you, Harry. I’ll keep this paper.”

“Professor Lupin?” Harry asks. “Why did Snape think I got it from the map’s makers?” “Because they would want you to sneak out,” Lupin says. “They would think it was funny.” ”Do you know the map makers?” “I’ve met them before,” Lupin says quickly. He looks at Harry very seriously.

“I won’t protect you from Snape again. I can’t make you fear Sirius Black. But you must remember: your parents died to protect you. I think your parents would be sad that you are acting like this.” Lupin walks away. Harry feels very bad. He and Ron walk back to Gryffindor tower. 

As they get near the entrance, they see Hermione. “I guess you heard what happened,” says Ron angrily at her. “Are you here to make fun of us? Or did you tell McGonagall about us?” “No,” Hermione says. She is holding a letter. “I just thought you should know… Hagrid lost his case. They are going to execute Buckbeak.”