Although Harry Potter's signature spell was Expelliarmus, the Disillusionment Charm he learned in his first year at Hogwarts might as well be considered his second go-to spell. And judging by his current usage, it's proving more effective than Expelliarmus.
Regulus Black had discovered that the switched invisibility cloak had started to lose its potency.If Harry hadn't instinctively cast Disillusionment whenever he used the cloak, the weakening effect would've been far more noticeable.
Stopping and starting along the way, Harry was delighted to see his friend Ron, and his former friend—though still somewhat a friend—Hermione. They were walking together, looking like they were on a date.
How was that possible? Wasn't Hermione very close with Regulus Black, the assistant professor? How could she be walking with Ron like that?
"Ron! Come quickly, Mr. Black said the Shrieking Shack is right here!"
Hermione had a simple task today: no matter what, she had to drag Ron to check out the Shrieking Shack.
After all, the Shack was one of the sights of Hogsmeade Village.
It had long been falsely rumored to be the most haunted place in all of Britain.
Still, the Shrieking Shack was a must-see for every Hogwarts student visiting Hogsmeade.
In truth, there were no ghosts in the Shack. It had been built specifically for Remus Lupin back when he attended Hogwarts, to give him a safe place to transform into a werewolf during the full moon, away from other students.
Because of this, the villagers of Hogsmeade had long believed it to be haunted. After Lupin graduated, no one dared set foot inside.
The Shrieking Shack couldn't be entered from the outside—Fred and George Weasley had tried before. That meant there had to be a secret passage, which was located beneath the Whomping Willow, a tree planted specifically to guard the tunnel.
Of course, the group currently involved didn't know any of this yet. Like any other students, they were trying to find a way in from the outside.
In fact, Ron hadn't wanted to come. As the brave knight who had ventured through the trials of the Philosopher's Stone and faced the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets alongside the Chosen One, Ron considered himself fearless.
But Hermione insisted the great knight should accompany a frail young girl on an adventure into the Shrieking Shack.
Now a proud Ravenclaw scholar, Hermione was also determined to uncover the Shack's secrets.
So the arrangement came together perfectly. Regulus Black proposed this small "task," and Hermione agreed instantly. All she had to do was drag a timid Ron along. And who knew—they might even bump into Harry Potter.
Though she couldn't say for sure why, based on past events, when had Regulus Black ever not predicted Harry's appearance? Not that Harry himself realized that most of his adventures had likely been carefully orchestrated by someone else...
Hermione drew her wand and began analyzing the Shrieking Shack, unleashing a flurry of spells as though they were free.
"Rictusempra, Tarantallegra, Muggle-Repelling Charm, Petrificus Totalus, Densaugeo, Tarantallegra, Stupefy, Impedimenta, Reducto, Obliviate, Expelliarmus, Finite Incantatem, Incarcerous, Rennervate, Prior Incantato, Apparate, Engorgio, Reducio, Disillusionment, Alohomora, Lumos, Reparo, Scourgify, Incendio, Apparate, Sonorus, Muffliato, Silencio, Revealer Charm, Impervius, Wingardium Leviosa."
Hermione fired spell after spell with fierce precision, leaving Ron—who was watching nearby—and Draco Malfoy—who had come to mock them—completely stunned.
Her spells were swift, accurate, and powerful, exactly as Regulus Black demanded: fast, ruthless, and precise.
Some of these spells weren't even part of the third-year curriculum, yet Hermione cast them effortlessly.
Releasing all the magic she had learned in one exhilarating burst on the Shrieking Shack, Hermione felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.
All the frustrations of her first year, the unfamiliarity of the second, and the confidence of her third—all were poured into that barrage of spells.
"I feel so much better now. Mr. Black said this shack is the perfect target for practicing spells."
Hermione put her wand away. Beside her, Ron trembled. Behind them, Draco and his two cronies also trembled. Even an invisible Harry Potter was trembling. Who needed dueling class with Harold? Hermione could single-handedly take on all of Gryffindor!
"You three came to check out the Shrieking Shack too?"
Hermione turned and spotted Draco and his goons not far away. Clearly, they'd witnessed her magical display.
"Uh—yeah! Why, are we not allowed? Don't tell me you two are on a date?" Draco scoffed, though he knew Hermione belonged to Regulus Black. The idea of her being with someone else seemed far-fetched.
"We're not on a date!" Ron replied nervously. He, too, knew about Hermione and Regulus Black and didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea.
"We've already checked out the Shack. Pity we couldn't crack its secret. Or maybe you know a spell we don't?" Hermione brushed the snow from her clothes, not the least bit angry. She could already guess what the boys were thinking—girls with dating experience tend to be more mature than their peers.
Just a bunch of kids—not worth getting upset about.
But while Hermione didn't mind, Harry Potter certainly did. From his perspective, Draco was clearly trying to bully Hermione. They might not be in the same House anymore, but Harry still felt compelled to teach Draco a lesson.
Snow lifted itself and hurled toward Draco and his cronies. One scarf straightened and yanked its owner to the ground, another boy's pants were pulled down, and Draco was knocked flat and dragged toward the Shack by his ankle.
Screaming, the three of them ran off in terror.
Hermione burst out laughing. She already knew—it had to be Harry under the invisibility cloak pulling tricks on Draco's gang.
Ron, however, hadn't quite caught on. He thought a ghost had escaped from the Shack and was now nervously drawing his wand in defense, shooting Hermione a reproachful glance for attacking the building earlier.
"What are you looking at me for? Don't tell me you believe in ghosts? Alright, Harry, you can stop hiding now."
Hermione looked around but couldn't figure out where Harry was.
Normally, he would have left obvious clues, but now, with the Disillusionment Charm, even footprints in the snow went unnoticed by both Muggles and wizards. Without a specific counter-spell, Hermione could only guess.
Of course, Harry wasn't done with his tricks just yet. Since Hermione already knew it was him, why not mess with Ron a bit?
He gave both of Ron's ears a tug and then snatched his wand.
Only then did Harry burst out laughing and pull off the invisibility cloak. Ron and Hermione looked down to see fresh footprints in the snow and finally heard Harry's laughter.
"It was you, Harry! I thought a ghost had come out of the Shack!"
Seeing Harry, Ron was instantly delighted. He didn't even care about the scare he'd just received—he was simply happy that his friend had sneaked out of Hogwarts successfully.
"Harry! Don't tell me you're here to explore the Shack too?"
Hermione was curious why Harry had shown up. Why did Regulus Black always guess right? It was almost uncanny.
So why was Harry here? Coincidence—or something more?
That was the real reason Regulus Black had told Hermione to bring Ron to the Shrieking Shack today.
"Just a coincidence! I'd just come out of the secret passage when I saw you pulling Ron this way. Then I saw Draco and the others following you, so of course I had to tag along too!"
Harry explained with a smile.
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