Of breath that she could not speak.

"How--how're we going to get in?" panted ron. "I can--see the palce-

-if we jsut had--Crookshanks again--"

"Crookshanks?" wheezed Hermione, bent double, clutching her chest.

"Are you a wizard, or what?"

"Oh--right--yeah--"

Ron looked around, then directed his wand at a twig on the ground

and said "Winguardium Leviosa!" The twig flew up from the gruond,

Spun through the air as if caught by a gust of wind, then zoomed

directly at the trunk through the Willow's ominously swaying

Branches. It jabbed at a place near the roots, and at once, the

Writhing tree became still.

"Perfect!" panted Hermione.

"Wait."

For one teetering second, while the crashes and booms of the battle

Filled the air, Harry hesitated. Voldemort wanted him to do this,

wanted him to come...Was he leading Ron and Hermione into a trap?

But the reality seemed to close upon him, cruel and plain: the only

Way forward was to kill the snake, and the snake was where

Voldemort was, and voldemort was at the end of this tunnel...

"Harry, we're coming, just get in there!" said Ron, pushing him

Forward.

Harry wriggled into the earthy passage hidden in the tree's roots.

It was a much tighter squeeze than it had been the last time they

had entered it. The tunnel was low-ceilinged: they had had to

Double up to move throuhgh it nearly four years previously; now

There was nothing for it but to crawl. Harry went first, his wand

Illuminated, expecting at any moment to meet barriers, but none

came. They moved in silence, Harry's gaze fixed upon the swinging

Beam of the wand held in his fist. At last, the tunnel began to

Slope upward and Harry saw a sliver of light ahead. Hermione tugged

At his ankle.

"The Cloak!" she whispered. "Put the Cloak on!"

He groped behind him and she forced the bundle of slippery cloth

Into his free hand. With difficulty he dragged it over himself,

murmered, "Nox," extinguishing his wandlight, and continued on his

Hands and knees, as silently as possible, all his senses straining,

Expecting every second to be discovered, to hear a cold clear

Voice, see a flash of green light.

And then he heard voices coming from the room directly ahead of

Them, only slightly muffled by the fact that the opening at the

Endo fht etuunnel had been blocked up by what looked like an old

Crate. Hardly daring to breathe, Harry edged right up tot he

Opening and peered through a tiny gap left between crate and wall.

The room beyond was dimly lit, but he could see Nagini, swirlign

And coiling like a serpent underwater, safe in her enchanted,

Starry sphere, which floated unsupported in midair. He could see

The edge of a table, and a long-fingered white hand toying with a

Wand.

Then Snape spoke, and Harry's heart lurched: Snape was inches away

From where he crouched, hidden.

"...my Lord, their resistance is crumbling--"

"--and it is doing so without your help," said Voldemort in his

high, clear voice. "Skilled wizard though you are, Severus, I do

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 530