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Chapter 45 - WATCHER IN THE DARK

The mood at Hogwarts had turned brittle, as if the very walls were holding their breath. Whispers followed Harry wherever he went, half-glances passed in corridors like rumors with legs. Even professors had begun to glance at him with wariness—some subtly, others not.

But Harry had no time to think about the weight of suspicion. His mind was elsewhere.

On voices in the dark.

On Draco Malfoy.

And on the way Professor Snape had been acting—more watchful than ever, eyes sharper than usual, as if waiting for something to strike.

---

The Infirmary

Colin Creevey still lay stiff as stone beneath the white sheets, his camera clutched to his chest like a frozen relic. Madam Pomfrey had tried every diagnostic charm in her repertoire, but nothing worked.

Snape stood at the end of the bed, arms folded tightly across his chest. Harry lingered near the doorway, watching the man in silence.

"You're not here for detention," Snape said quietly, not turning around. "You're following me."

"I'm not," Harry said, stepping closer.

Snape looked at him then. There was no anger in his face—just exhaustion and something else. Worry.

"This attack was different," Snape murmured. "Not just random. Creevey… was following someone. Likely Potter. Again."

Harry swallowed hard. "I didn't do this."

"I know," Snape said, and Harry flinched.

"You… believe me?"

Snape's gaze drifted back to Colin. "I remember a time when I didn't. When you told the truth, and I ignored it. That won't happen again."

The admission stunned Harry into silence.

"I've been keeping a list," Snape continued. "Names, locations, times. And I believe we are close to the next one. Possibly a breakthrough. I'll need your help."

Harry nodded slowly. "Of course."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "But you must tread carefully. Whatever this thing is… it's ancient. And it's not done yet."

---

Later – Outside Myrtle's Bathroom

"I'm still not convinced this isn't just plumbing problems," Ron muttered, peering warily at the flooded stone floor.

Hermione kneeled near the sinks, casting a charm that caused the water to ripple unnaturally. "No. There's something here. I can feel it."

Harry ran a hand along the cold stone wall, listening.

Draco stood further off, arms crossed, but watching. Always watching.

"You're really going along with this?" Ron asked him.

Draco shrugged. "I've heard the voice too."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "And you're not hallucinating?"

"No more than you are, Weasley."

Before Ron could respond, Harry interrupted.

"There's something under this school," he said softly. "And I think… it's moving again."

Suddenly, the wall near the floor shimmered—just briefly—as if something had passed through it.

Hermione gasped. "That was Parseltongue magic. I'm sure of it."

Snape stepped into the chamber from behind them, startling everyone.

"No more wandering without permission," he said calmly, though his voice carried weight. "This place… is where it began last time."

Hermione looked up. "Where what began?"

Snape didn't answer.

---

The Snake Returns

That night, Harry dreamed again.

The whispering voice in the walls, slithering closer.

Let me rip… let me tear…

Then—glass breaking. Screams. Another student?

He sat bolt upright, drenched in sweat.

A shadow loomed in the moonlight from the doorway. Harry grabbed his wand—but it was only Draco.

"You heard it too," Draco said, voice tight.

Harry nodded. "It's coming closer."

They stared at each other across the darkness. Something unspoken lingered between them again. Then Draco stepped back without another word, disappearing down the hall.

Harry didn't follow. But his pulse wouldn't settle.

---

Snape's Private Notes – Entry 17

> "The castle is awakening. The signs are unmistakable now. The creature beneath—whatever it may be—is restless. I am convinced the boy is at the center of it, though not its cause.

Potter's connection is dangerous. But it may also be the key to stopping it."

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