of sight。
〃Can't you give her a break？〃 Harry asked Ron quietly。
〃No；〃 said Ron flatly。 〃If she just acted like she was sorry but she'll never admit she's wrong； Hermione。 She's still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something。〃
The Gryffindor party ended only when Professor McGonagall turned up in her tartan dressing gown and hair net at one in the morning； to insist that they all go to bed。 Harry and Ron climbed the stairs to their dormitory； still discussing the match。 At last； exhausted； Harry climbed into bed； twitched the hangings of his four…poster shut to block out a ray of moonlight； lay back； and felt himself almost instantly drifting off to sleep。。。。
He had a very strange dream。 He was walking through a forest； his Firebolt over his shoulder； following something silvery…white。 It was winding its way through the trees ahead； and he could only catch glimpses of it between the leaves。 Anxious to catch up with it； he sped up； but as he moved faster； so did his quarry。 Harry broke into a run； and ahead he heard hooves gathering speed。 Now he was running flat out； and ahead he could hear galloping。 Then he turned a corner into a clearing and …
〃AAARRGGHH！ NOOO！〃
Harry woke as suddenly as though he'd been hit in the face。 Disoriented in the total darkness； he fumbled with his hangings； he could hear movements around him； and Seamus Finnigan's voice from the other side of the room： 〃What's going on？〃
Harry thought he heard the dormitory door slam。 At last finding the divide in his curtains； he ripped them back； and at the same moment； Dean Thomas lit his lamp。
Ron was sitting up in bed； the hangings torn from one side； a look of utmost terror on his face。
〃Black！ Sirius Black！ With a knife！〃
〃What？〃
〃Here！ Just now！ Slashed the curtains！ Woke me up！〃
〃You sure you weren't dreaming； Ron？〃 said Dean。
〃Look at the curtains！ I tell you； he was here！〃
They all scrambled out of bed； Harry reached the dormitory door first； and they sprinted back down the staircase。 Doors opened behind them； and sleepy voices called after them。
〃Who shouted？〃
〃What're you doing？〃
The mon room was lit with the glow of the dying fire； still littered with the debris from the party。 It was deserted。
〃Are you sure you weren't dreaming； Ron？〃
〃I'm telling you； I saw him！〃
〃What's all the noise？〃
〃Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed！〃
A few of the girls had e down their staircase； pulling or； dressing gowns and yawning。 Boys； too； were reappearing。
〃Excellent； are we carrying on？〃 said Fred Weasley brightly。
〃Everyone back upstairs！〃 said Percy； hurrying into the mon room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pajamas as he spoke。
〃Perce Sirius Black！〃 said Ron faintly。 〃In our dormitory！ With a knife！ Woke me up！〃
The mon room went very still。
〃Nonsense！〃 said Percy； looking startled。 〃You had too much to eat； Ron had a nightmare 〃
〃I'm telling you 〃
〃Now； really； enough's enough！〃
Professor McGonagall was back。 She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the mon room and stared furiously around。
〃I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match； but this is getting ridiculous！ Percy； I expected better of you！〃
〃I certainly didn't authorize this； Professor！〃 said Percy； puffing himself up indignantly。 〃I was just telling them all to get back to bed！ My brother Ron here had a nightmare 〃
〃IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE！〃 Ron yelled。 〃PROFESSOR； I WOKE UP； AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME； HOLDING A KNIFE！〃
Professor McGonagall stared at him。
〃Don't be ridiculous； Weasley； how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole？〃
〃Ask him！〃 said Ron； pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan's picture。 〃Ask him if he saw 〃
Glaring suspiciously at Ron； Professor McGonagall pushed the Portrait back open and went outside。 The whole mon room listened with bated breath。 〃Sir Cadogan； did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower？〃 〃Certainly； good lady！〃 cried Sir Cadogan。
There was a stunned silence； both inside and outside the mon room。
〃You you did？〃 said Professor McGonagall。 〃But but the password！〃
〃He had 'em！〃 said Sir Cadogan proudly。 〃Had the whole week's； my lady！ Read 'em off a little piece of paper！〃
Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole to face the stunned crowd。 She was white as chalk。
〃Which person；〃 she said； her voice shaking； 〃which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around？〃
There was utter silence； broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks。 Neville Longbottom； trembling from head to fluffy slippered toes； raised his hand slowly into the air。
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SNAPE'S GRUDGE
No one in Gryffindor Tower slept that night。 They knew that the castle was being searched again； and the whole House stayed awake in the mon room； waiting to hear whether Black had been caught。 Professor McGonagall came back at dawn； to tell them that he had again escaped。
Throughout the day； everywhere they went they saw signs of tighter security； Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognize a large picture of Sirius Black； Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors； boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes。 Sir Cadogan had been fired。 His portrait had been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor； and the Fat Lady was back。 She had been expertly restored； but was still extremely nervous； and had agreed to return to her job only on condition that she was given extra protection。 A bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to guard her。 They paced the corridor in a menacing group； talking in grunts and paring the size of their clubs。
Harry couldn't help noticing that the statue of the one…eyed witch on the third floor remained unguarded and unblocked。 It seemed that Fred and George had been right in thinking that they and now Harry； Ron； and Hermione were the only ones who knew about the hidden passageway within it。
〃D'you reckon we should tell someone？〃 Harry asked Ron。
〃We know he's not ing in through Honeyduke's；〃 said Ron dismissively。 〃We'd've heard if the shop had been broken into。〃
Harry was glad Ron took this view。 If the one…eyed witch was boarded up too； he would never be able to go into Hogsmeade again。
Ron had bee an instant celebrity。 For the first time in his life； people were paying more attention to him than to Harry； and it was clear that Ron was rather enjoying the experience。 Though still severely shaken by the night's events； he was happy to tell anyone who asked what had happened； with a wealth of detail。
〃。。。 I was asleep； and I heard this ripping noise； and I thought it was in my dream； you know？ But then there was this draft。。。 I woke up and one side of the hangings on my bed had been pulled down。。。。 I rolled over。。。 and I saw him standing over me。。。 like a skeleton； with loads of filthy hair 。。。 holding this great long knife； must've been twelve inches。。。 and he looked at me； and I looked at him； and then I yelled； and he scampered。
〃Why； though？〃 Ron added to Harry as the group of secondyear girls who had been listening to his chilling tale departed。 〃Why did he run？〃
Harry had been wondering the same thing。 Why had Black； having got the wrong bed； not silenced Ron and proceeded to Harry？ Black had proved twelve years ago that he didn't mind murdering innocent people； and this time he had been facing five unarmed boys； four of whom were asleep。
〃He must've known he'd have a job getting back out of the castle once you'd yelled and woken people up；〃 said Harry thoughtfully。 〃He'd've had to kill the whole House to get back through the portrait hole。。。 then he would' ve met the teachers。。。。〃
Neville was in total disgrace。 Professor McGonagall was so furious with him she had banned him from all future Hogsmeade visits； given him a detention； and forbidden anyone to give him the password into the tower。 Poor Neville was forced to wait。 outside the mon room every night for somebody to let him in； while the security trolls leered unpleasantly at him。 None of these punishments； however； came close to matching the one his grandmother had in store for him。 Two days after Black's break…in； she sent Neville the very worst thing a Hogwarts student could receive over breakfast a Howler。
The school owls swooped into the Great Hall carrying the mail as usual； and Neville choked as a huge barn owl landed in front of him； a scarlet envelope clutched in its beak。 Harry and Ron； who were sitting opposite him； recognized the letter as a Howler at once Ron had got one from his mother the year before。
〃Run for it； Neville；〃 Ron advised。
Neville didn't need telling twice。 He seized the envelope； and holding it before him like a bomb； sprinted out of the hall； while the Slytherin table exploded with laughter at the sight of him。 They heard the Howler go off in the entrance hall Neville's grandmother's voice； magically magnified to a hundred times its Usual volume； shrieking about how he had brought shame on the whole family。
Harry was too busy feeling sorry for Neville to notice immediately that he had a letter too。 Hedwig got his attention by nipping him sharply on the wrist。
〃Ouch！ Oh thanks； Hedwig。〃
Harry tore open the envelope while Hedwig helped herself to some of Neville's cornflakes。 The note inside said：
Dear Harry and Ron； How Abut having tea with me this afternoon 'round six？ I'll e collect you from the castle。 WAIT FOR ME IN THE ENTRANCE HALL； YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED OUT ON YOUR OWN。 Cheers； Hagrid
〃He probably wants to hear all about Black！〃 said Ron。
So at six o'clock that afternoon； Harry and Ron left Gryffindor Tower； passed the security trolls at a run； and headed down to the entrance hall。
Hagrid was already waiting for them。
〃All right； Hagrid！〃 said Ron。 〃S'pose you want to hear about Saturday night； do you？〃
〃I've already heard all abou' it；〃 said Hagrid； opening the front doors and leading them outside。
〃Oh；〃 said Ron； looking slightly