Chapter Eleven
"Enter the Bodachs"

Page One

Professor McGonagall dashed down the narrow passageway that led to the dungeons and the Slytherin common room. Professor Snape was hurrying his pace to catch up with her.

"I know what you did," sneered Snape. "You let those bodachs in just to get back at me, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're ranting about, Severus," said McGonagall harshly.

"You know very well what I'm talking about!" shouted Snape. "You'd do anything to get rid of me now and I know it! You've hated me since your sixth year here and now that everything is coming back out again…"

"Please, Severus," said McGonagall, her nostrils flaring. She turned around to face Snape, "Don't you dare bring that up again. You know that those events have nothing to do with what's happening. For heavens sake! There are a bunch of bodachs in your common room, don't you think we should handle that instead of this childish game?"

Snape raised his finger and pointed it at McGonagall. He was about to speak, but their argument was stopped in its tracks due to a loud, piercing scream, echoing down the corridor.

"What the devil?" spat Snape.

McGonagall and Snape dashed down the corridor at break neck speed, racing to reach the scream.

The scream grew louder as they reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

"Minerva," said Snape, guarding the entrance. "I demand that you turn back now. I will not let you into my common room."

"Oh, come off it, Snape!" cried McGonagall, in disbelief at Snape's gall. "You cannot order me around, I'm still the Deputy Headmistress of this school! Now move aside or I will make certain that you become Hagrid's assistant."

Snape's nostrils flared this time. "Don't bring Hagrid into this again!"

McGonagall raised her hand and brushed Snape aside. She then brought out her wand and with one flick of her wrist the door burst open.

The sight that met their eyes was truly disturbing.

"It's awful," gasped McGonagall, stepping through the entrance. "Who, or what, do you think was screaming?"

"I don't have the faintest idea but whatever, or whomever, it was has certainly stopped now," replied Snape.

The entire common room was in disarray. The chairs in the room had been shred to bits. The fireplace mantle had crumbled to a pile of tiny stones. The curtains lay in a heap of disheveled rags on the floor.

"What a bloody mess," said Snape, stepping over a pile of torn paintings.

Jus then, the screaming began again at an earsplitting volume.

"It's coming from up there!" said McGonagall, pointing towards a large staircase to their left.

"The boy's dormitories," gasped Snape, dashing towards the staircase.

McGonagall quickly followed. They leapt up the stairs, the scream growing ever louder.

When they finally reached the top of the staircase, they listened hard to try and determine from which direction the scream was coming from.

"Down this hall," said Snape, pointing a finger towards the hall to the right.

They set off at a run. With each step they took, the scream became louder. Snape turned and burst through a door, McGonagall continued to follow him closely.

"Help me!" cried a voice from the end of the long room.

The dormitory was pitch dark. McGonagall raised her wand and uttered, "Lumos." A small sphere of light appeared at the end of her wand, but it was only powerful enough to light two feet around her.

But, what she could see, made her let out a small scream.

"What is it?" cried Snape from three feet away.

"Blood! Look! All over the floor!" gasped McGonagall. "Look!"

Snape brought his wand out of his robes and lit it. He drew in a slow, rattling breath and yelled into the darkness. "Where are you? Are you hurt?"

The same voice as before, from deep with the room replied. "I can't move, there are bodachs everywhere. Please… help me!"

McGonagall turned around to try and see some sign of the boy, but she couldn't see anything more than two feet in front of her.

"Minerva," whispered Snape urgently. "Don't move, I think I hear som-...ahhhhh!!!" Snape let out a yelp of pain.

"Severus!?" yelled McGonagall in alarm as she whipped around. She turned to see that Snape had been tackled by three monstrous bodachs; his wand had been hit out of his hand. They were hairy little creatures with large yellow tusk-like teeth protruding out of their bottom jaw. Their hands had equally large claws with serrated edges. Three of these horrible creatures had attacked Snape from behind and were simply toying with him before the pain began by pulling his hair and only letting their claws graze his skin.

McGonagall raised her wand and just as she was about to cast a spell, she was tackled by another bodach.

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