chap13pg1

�No way! Snape�s a double agent?�
It was early the next morning, and Ron had just read the letter. He and Harry were sitting on the couch in the Gryffindor commons room. Hermione wasn�t awake yet, but Ron was anxious to find out what had happened the night before.
�Well,� Harry started, �I�m not sure if��
�But I thought that Dumbledore said Snape was on our side?� Ron interrupted.
�I know,� Harry continued, �But what if��
�I can�t believe that he�s lying to Dumbledore! Should we tell somebody?� Ron asked quickly. Harry started to get angry. Ron wouldn�t let him finish a single sentence.
�I think that we should��
�I know! We�ll show Dumbledore the letter! Then he�ll know that Snape�s really on You-Know-Who�s side! He�ll send Snape to Azkaban!� Ron said excitedly.
�Will you listen to me?� Harry snapped. Ron stopped talking and stared at him. Harry took a deep breath and began speaking again. �I think that we might be jumping to conclusions here. What if Snape�s really tricking the Death Eaters to come to Hogwarts?� Harry asked calmly.
�Oh, I didn�t think of that,� Ron said.
�But then again, I think we should do more investigating. I want to find out when the Death Eaters are going to come to Hogwarts.�
�The Death Eaters are coming to Hogwarts?� came a voice from behind them. The boys turned around to see a tired looking Hermione standing at the base of the stairs.
�Harry stole a letter from Snape�s office! Come and read it!� Ron exclaimed. Hermione trudged over to the couch, yawning. She took the letter and began reading it. As she read, she began frowning.
�So not only does You-Know-Who want to kill you, but he�s having his Death Eaters come to Hogwarts to capture you and bring you to him?� Hermione asked abruptly. Harry started to feel nauseous. Why did she have to put it that way, he asked himself.
�I guess,� he muttered. He could just see himself being dragged away by a horde of Death Eaters towards Voldemort�s hiding spot. Thinking about it made him sick.
�Are you ok?� Ron asked.
�You look a little pale,� Hermione said.
�I�m fine,� Harry said curtly. His friends looked at him with concerned looks on their faces. �Let�s just go to breakfast,� he said as he got up from the couch. His friends followed him in silence.
As they walked through the crowded corridors, neither Hermione nor Ron spoke. Harry began to feel a little embarrassed. They�re overreacting, he thought, it�s perfectly safe here. Harry�s thoughts were interrupted when a cold voice came from behind him.
�Mr. Potter�� the voice said. Harry spun around quickly, just to see Snape staring at him. His heart started beating quickly.
�Yes� sir?� he said, his voice quivering. Ron and Hermione stood behind him, too frightened to say anything.
�I think it would be wise of you not to meddle in other people�s affairs,� Snape said menacingly. Harry gulped, and tried to stay calm.
�What do you mean, s-sir?� he stuttered. Snape glared at him.
�You know perfectly well what I mean,� he said nastily. His dark eyes bore into Harry�s eyes.
�Uh, yes sir. I�ll keep that in mind, sir,� he said warily.
�Very well. Be on your way,� Snape said contemptuously. Harry nodded, and hurried off towards breakfast, his friends tailing him closely.
�What was that all about?� Ron asked nervously.
�He knows I went through his letters,� Harry said tensely.
�How?� Hermione gasped. Harry told them what happened when he had left his wand on Snape�s desk. Ron and Hermione�s mouths dropped open in astonishment.
�Oh no!� Hermione cried out, dropping one of her books. Ron bent down and picked it up.
�Thanks, Ron,� Hermione said.
�No problem,� he responded. Harry noticed that Ron was turning a little red. Why is he embarrassed, he wondered.
�Anyway,� he continued, �I think we have to find out what Snape is up to. If he�s really working for Dumbledore, and we squeal on him, then they�ll know that I was sneaking around. I�ll be in huge trouble if that happens.� Ron nodded in agreement. Hermione just walked quickly next to the two boys. She's acting strangely, Harry thought as they reached the Great Hall. As they sat down to breakfast, Hermione avoided their eye contact.
"Something wrong?" Ron asked.
"Oh, it's nothing," Hermione said, startled. Harry doubted this, but he decided not to say anything. Hermione had been acting very oddly lately, but Harry thought that maybe it was just because she was, well, a girl. Harry knew he would never understand girls, so he just gave up trying to figure her out. He decided to change the subject.
"So," he began, "What's on our schedule today, Hermione?" She flipped through her agenda.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts this morning, and you two have Divination this afternoon," she said.
"Just what we needed," Ron said sarcastically.