After a disastrous day from before, Quidditch finally came. A day that Annie specifically looked forward to. By now, rumors of Annie being the heir of Slytherin had began to die down. But occasionally, Fred and George liked to poke fun, but in a friendly way. Wood gave them instructions as they began to walk out of the changing/meeting rooms.

"Yeah, unless they're too scared to look Annie in the eye," Fred teased, causing Annie to smile slightly. She knew now that they weren't doing that to be mean.

Wood rolled his eyes, not looking amused. He was one of the very few people who knew that Sera was not stupid enough to open the Chamber of Secrets or by the heir of Slytherin. She was a Gryffindor, for crying out loud!

"Yeah, well. That, too."

As they began to walk onto the field, Professor McGonagall approached them and stopped the team from going any further.

"This match has been cancelled," she announced, surprising everyone.

Wood was more outraged than the rest of them.

"What?! We can't cancel a game of Quidditch!"

Yeah, unless there was an emergency, Melly thought to herself.

"Quiet, Wood," said Professor McGonagall sharply. To Annie, she added in a kinder voice, "Come with me, Miss Potter. We will find Mr. Weasley together. There's something that I'd like for the both of you to see."

She was concerned. Her insides squirmed. What had happened? Did something happen to her brother? To Hermione?

Her question had been answered as they reached the hospital wing.

"I must warn you," said Professor McGonagall warningly. "This could come as a bit of a shock."

Her stomach dropped and her face burned in anger and distraught when she saw her twin brother and Hermione lying there on mattresses. Her hands trembled with fury.

"Hermione!" Ron groaned.

"Harry," she whimpered, tears pricking her eyes.

"They were both found near the library," said Professor McGonagall sympathetically. "Along with this." She held up a hand-held mirror. Annie stared at it with tear-glazed eyes. "Does this mean anything to either of you?"

"No, Professor," Annie answered quietly as she carefully took a hold of her brother's hand, wishing that she could feel his warm and enclosing around hers. Not cold and nearly death-like.

Professor McGonagall lead them back to the dorm. Annie reluctantly followed them. She didn't want to leave her brother in his vulnerable state. She and Ron sat down on the stairs leading up to the boy's dorm. It was unusually quiet in the common room. An uncomfortable buzz filled the crowded circular room.

"May I have your attention, please?" said Professor McGonagall. "As of recent events, there are some new rules that I must announce: All students must return to their dormitories at six o'clock every evening. All students must be accompanied to the bathrooms. Teachers will lead students to their next classes. All further quidditch games will be cancelled. No exceptions." She paused and addressed flatly, "Although I assure you, unless the culprit behind these attacks has been caught . . . . it is most likely that the school will be closed."

She left and the chattering gradually buzzed. Annie leaned towards Ron with a glint of determination in her eyes.

"We've gotta talk to Hagrid about this, Ron," she said quietly. "I can't believe that he could do something like this to Hermione and to my own brother! My brother, for crying out loud!"

"But you heard what Professor McGonagall said," Ron insisted. "We're not allowed to leave the dorms except for class!"

That got Annie to thinking. A plan formed in her head. One that was very useful. If they were lucky, they could reach Hagrid's without being caught.

"I think that it's time for us to get out mine and my brother's invisibility cloak out again."

***

When everyone else had retired for the night, Melly and Ron were the only ones who were awake. Annie dashed upstairs to the girl's dorm to grab her father's Invisibility Cloak. The same one he had passed down to her and Harry only last year.

They got under the cloak and began to carefully sneak their way to Hagrid's. Annie knocked frantically on the door. When Hagrid opened the door, she was startled that he had a crossbow n his hands.

"Who's there?" Hagrid demanded, glaring. "Who's there?!"

Annie and Ron shrugged off the Invisibility Cloak. Hagrid sighed in relief, lowering his bow. Annie stared in surprise and horror.

"What the bloody hell is that for?!" she exclaimed.

"It's nothing," he answered bitterly. "I was hoping that . . . ." He paused, looking a little flustered. "Never mind. Come inside! I just finished making a pot of tea."

They slipped inside and Hagrid bolted the door shut after they came in. Both children sat down. Annie was beginning to feel impatient. That was when she noticed Hagrid's shaking hands as he poured steaming-hot water into his mugs.

"Hagrid?" Annie asked quietly. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah," Hagrid answered, though he still sounded bitter. "I'm fine."

"Did you hear about Hermione and my brother?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I definitely heard about that, aright."

"Listen, Hagrid," said Annie firmly. She glanced nervously over at Ron who gave her a reassuring nod in return. "Do you know who has opened the Chamber of Secrets?"

Hagrid sighed and turned to face the two children. Annie stood there, looking as stubborn as ever. The half-giant scowled.

"Now listen here, you two," he said. "The point is -"

Another knock sounded at the door.

"Quick! Under the cloak!"

Annie and Ron did as they were told and ducked under the cloak once more, making sure that no part of their body could be seen. Annie's heart pounded in her chest. Hagrid aimed his crossbow at whoever was at the door, but then lowered it when he saw who stood there. He nodded respectfully.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir. Cornelius Fudge."

"Good evening, Hagrid," Professor Dumbledore answered. "Is it alright if we come in?"

"Yes! Of course."

He stepped off to the side and allowed the duo to come in. Annie immediately recognized the man by Professor Dumbledore as Mr. Weasley's boss, Cornelius Fudge. Her blood ran cold at the sight of him. She had nearly forgotten about the fact that they were invisible from the Minister of Magic and the Headmaster.

"Bad business, Hagrid," said Cornelius Fudge forlornly. "Very bad business. Five Petrification attacks during the course of the school year, two in one day, has to be enough. We've got to take you! We've got to act!"

"Take me?" Hagrid demanded fearfully, his face paling. "Take me where? Not to Azkaban Prison!"

Annie gasped softly at the mention of that place. She and Ron glanced anxiously at each other.

The next person who came in did not even knock. The door swung open to reveal none other than Lucius Malfoy.

Annie's insides burned with anger at the sight of him. He was an ignorant man, and completely ignored his own cousin last time they came face-to-face with him. He looked satisfied.

"Already here, Fudge? Good, good."

"What are you doing?" Hagrid growled. "Get out of my house!"

"Certainly! I'll get out of -" He paused, looking around in disgust. "- You call this a house? No matter. I just got in contact with all twelve governors. And they have asked Professor Dumbledore to step down as Headmaster."

"No!" Hagrid growled. "If we remove Professor Dumbledore, there will be more attacks in less than a day! There will be actual killings next, I'm telling you!"

Professor Dumbledore held his hand out to silence Hagrid. The half-giant immediately went quiet, though Annie could still see him seething with anger. And her accusations of him being the heir of Slytherin ebbed away, now replaced with doubt and confusion. If Hagrid had been the heir of Slytherin, he wouldn't be supporting Professor Dumbledore.

"You'll see that all twelve signatures have been signed," said Lucius lightly. "I'm afraid that we have rather . . . . lost your touch."

"If it is the government's wish to remove me from being headmaster, I will surely step aside." He paused. "However . . . . help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

Annie was surprised when Professor Dumbledore looked over in hers and Ron's direction. He nodded in their direction, smirking slightly. Lucius Malfoy nodded shortly before turning on his heel, leaving the home. Fudge stood there awkwardly.

"Oh, and if anyone needs any answers, all they have to do is follow the spiders. Yup. That'll lead them straight to it. Okay, okay! I'm coming! And someone will need to feed Fang while I'm away."

The door closed, leaving only Annie, Ron, and Fang in the house. They pulled off the Invisibility Cloak off them.

"Hagrid's right," said Ron, who looked pale. "With Dumbledore gone, there could be attacks in less than a day!"

Spiders caught Annie's eye. The same spiders that Annie had been seeing all year. They were trailing up the stone walls inside the hut, crawling out the window and onto the grassy terrain below.

"C'mon," said Annie as she turned to find an old-fashioned lamp.

"What?!" said Ron squeakily, his voice full of terror.

"You heard what Hagrid said - follow the spiders."

"But they're heading into the Dark Forest!" Ron continued squeakily.

Annie ignored his complaints and whimpers. She grabbed a lamp and exited the house with Ron trailing and whimpering behind her.

"Follow the spiders, follow the spiders," Ron groaned miserably behind her. "Why can't it be follow the butterflies instead?"