The low, rumbling growl of the dog—Fluffy—vibrated through the floorboards, rattling their very teeth. Its six yellow eyes were fixed on them, snouts twitching with a hunger that made Ron's knees knock together.
"It's standing on a trapdoor," Harry hissed, his voice barely a breath. "It's guarding something."
"We need to go. Now," Hermione whispered, her hand already fumbling for the door handle.
They scrambled back into the hallway, the heavy oak door slamming shut with a bone-jarring thud. They didn't stop running until they reached the safety of a deserted classroom two floors down, their breath coming in ragged gasps.
The Secret CouncilHarry leaned against a dusty desk, his glasses lopsided. "Snape," he panted. "It has to be him. He was limping at the match because that thing bit him. He's trying to get past it to whatever is under that trapdoor."
"The Philosopher's Stone," Hermione added, her mind racing through the logic. "If he gets it, he has the Elixir of Life. He could stay at Hogwarts forever. He could control everything."
Ron looked toward the door, his face pale in the moonlight. "And what about Ana? You saw how he looked at her in the dungeons. If he has that kind of power... if he can stop time or keep someone alive... he'd never let her leave this castle. He'd keep her locked in a silver cage like a doll."
A heavy silence fell over the three of them. The image of the skinny, 4 foot 6 girl they had left tucked safely in the dormitory flashed in their minds.
"We can't tell her," Harry said suddenly, his green eyes sharp and protective.
"What?" Ron blinked. "But she's part of this. She saw the dog once before—"
"No," Harry interrupted, his voice hardening. "She's too small, Ron. She's too fragile. If she knows Snape is after the Stone, she'll try to help. She'll put herself in the middle of it. I can't have her anywhere near that beast or that man."
The Shield of SilenceHermione nodded slowly, her hand instinctively touching the spot on her chest where she could feel the faint, rhythmic pulse of Ana's Life-Bond moonstone.
"Harry's right," Hermione whispered. "She already does too much. She's so petite—one wrong move from Snape or that dog and she'd be... she'd be gone. We have to be her shield. We investigate, we find out what Snape is doing, and we keep her in the dark. It's for her own safety."
"But she'll know something is up," Ron pointed out. "She's... well, she's Ana. She sees everything."
"Then we act normal," Harry commanded. "We treat her like the Princess she is. We fuss over her, we keep her busy with the girls, and we make sure she thinks the third floor is just a boring old hallway. If she stays innocent of this, she stays safe."
"She's our little sister," Ron muttered, a fierce, knight-like resolve crossing his face. "We don't let the monsters get to her."
The Return to the QueenThey made their way back to the Gryffindor Tower, carefully adjusting their expressions. When they entered the common room, they found Ana sitting in a large armchair by the fire.
She looked impossibly delicate, her skinny frame nearly lost in the velvet cushions. Lavender was busy brushing her hair, and Cassandra was holding a plate of small sandwiches, waiting for Ana to take a bite.
Ana looked up as they approached, her silver eyes swirling with a quiet, penetrating light that seemed to search their very souls.
"You were gone a long time," she said, her voice a soft, melodic ripple.
"Just... checking the library for a project," Harry lied, stepping forward to brush a stray hair from her forehead. His hand lingered there, his touch a silent vow of protection. "Go back to your stories, Ana. You look tired. We've got everything under control."
Ana watched them, the moonstone at her throat pulsing a slow, knowing violet. She saw the sweat on their brows and the fear in their eyes, and though she smiled back at them, she knew the "Circle" was trying to build a wall she hadn't asked for.
She let them believe their secret was safe, playing the part of the fragile girl they adored, even as she felt the shadows of the castle beginning to answer to her name.