down the stone steps. The shadows were already lengthening, the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest gilded once more with gold. 

"If anyone's looking out of the window --" Hermione squeaked, looking up at the castle behind them. 

"We'll run for it," said Harry determinedly. "Straight into the forest, all right? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout --"

 "Okay, but we'll go around by the greenhouses!" said Hermione breathlessly. "We need to keep out of sight of Hagrid's front door, or we'll see us! We must be nearly at Hagrid's by now!"

 Still working out what she meant, Harry set off at a sprint, Hermione and Amelia behind him. They tore across the vegetable gardens to the greenhouses, paused for a moment behind them, then set off again, fast as they could, skirting around the Whomping Willow, tearing toward the shelter of the forest.... 

Safe in the shadows of the trees, Harry turned around; seconds later, Hermione arrived beside him, panting. 

"Right," she gasped. "We need to sneak over to Hagrid's.... Keep out of sight, Harry...." 

They made their way silently through the trees, keeping to the very edge of the forest. Then, as they glimpsed the front of Hagrid's house, they heard a knock upon his door. They moved quickly behind a wide oak trunk and peered out from either side. Hagrid had appeared in his doorway, shaking and white, looking around to see who had knocked. And Harry heard his own voice. 

"It's us. We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off." 

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered. He stood back, then shut the door quickly. 

"This is the weirdest thing we've ever done," Harry said fervently.

"Same," whispered Amelia, "and that's really say something."