&herin dungeons were losed off aories reloated, as you know,” MGonagall said, walking with Harry down the orridor to her offie.
“What do you use them for now?” Harry asked, knowing nothing in Hogwarts ever really was eliminated, only repurposed or left to rot. Part of him hoped it was the tter, thinking that perhaps if there was any trae of Malfoy left, it would be there.
“Ste,” MGonagall replied, smiling tightly.
“Oh,” Harry replied. He ould feel as though she was hidihing, but he had been aused of being overly suspiious sihe war, and to be frank, who wouldn’t be?
& have many free offies,” she ohere was quite a bit of shuffling for the more desirable oeahers have ome ahe st few years, and I’m afraid the biggest spae left is Severus’s old suite. I’ll have it leared out and filled bak in with ss, if you’d like to take it. It’s in the dungeons, so it’s hens.”
She remembered his teo the kithen for snaks, then. Harry ould feel odd staying in Snape’s rooms, when there had been so mah wee imagine maki had beloo Severus Snape f his own. Then again, without the Slytherin ommon rooms in the dungeohere wouldn’t be as mas wandering around there one sses were over.
“I guess I’ll take it, then,” Harry arying to push his hesitatio was only a room. Whoever lived there had nothing to do with it. Snape’s offies were now just vaant rooms. The Slytherin du vaant rooms now, too.
Harry was startled by a pressure on his legs, looking down to see a alio winding around his shins.
“Hello,” he said softly, bending to srath her hin.
She meowed bak to him rather ily, leaning into his hand.
“What’s your name? You’re muh prettier than Mrs. Norris, unless my memory serves me wrong,” he said.
“o os. Not sure whih, as she’s always w on her oears to have been abahe summer holiday.” MGonagall replied.
&e sure she isn’t a student?” he asked, motioning to his own gsses and looking bak at the at. Her markings looked remarkably like gsses, a trait he kh MGonagall and Rita Skeeter shared in their animagus form.
“I’d know if she was,” she aly.
“There were animagus ile before without you knooi, referening his father and his frieood from his rouhed positio walking away at a leisurely pae.
“Fool me oer,” MGonagall replied lightly, raisi him.
“Right,” Harry replied, though he ouldhe little whisper of doubt in his mind.
They arrived at Dumbledore’s offie, now MGonagall’s. It made Harry want to ugh, how ule looked while at the same time beiely different. Or maybe it made him want to ry.
He followed MGonagall into her offie, where she oo speak.
&he astle is mostly empty this time of year, apart from Hagrid and myself, you’ll have to go to the kithe your meals, but you’ll be so lose, I doubt that roblem,” she arried on.
Harry sighed with relief. He kle would be mostly empty finning of his stay, but still, the idea of havihe Great Hall, the idea of being in publi, where people who thought they knew him ould speute, made him feel sik to his stomah.
“You’ll have until & everythihe students. You will, of ourse, have full use of the library aover materials in the Defense room.”
Harry nodded.
& you will want a day or two to settle in, but I reiate it if you began preparing for the &he end of the week,” MGonagall said firmly, eyeing him suspiiously. “I hope you rofessor thaudent.”
“I hope so, too,” Harry hukled darkly.
“Well, lukily for you, you doe a read them,” MGonagall quipped. She ghe wall and bak to him. “Your rooms should be ready in half an hour. I trust you an busy yourself u Hagrid, perhaps, before he omes after you with a sent dog?”
Harry walked bak out into the hall, wahrough the astle for about ten minutes bef himself walking out iowards a familiar shak.
Like he suspeted, beile grounds dide as muh like oming home as he ed.
He was bak.
Drao had seen him, had almost run into him, in the hall in froherin duayed bak, less tha away, in the shadows, though disillusioned, aher man.
Potter ran his hao made up the deons, examiniook his ed the wall, but to no avail.
He paused, looking up and down the hall, bef “Pure-blood.”
Drao wined.
“No, of ourse they’ve hahe password sihen,” Harry said to himself quietly. He sighed, pressing his right hand ft agaiohe hand to a fist, leaning his fainst the id. Stupid, stupid, stupid,” he repeated, a his hest tighten.
&o step loser, the feeling only ihe k he ouldn’t. What are you looking for, Potter? The question sat on his tohe very tip of it, beating against the bak of his teeth, but he did esape. It would be so easy. It would be so easy to ask it, Potter would jump and turn to look at him ahen he would run, to tell MGonaga