Chapter 46

Peeves was a fixture at Hogwarts, and no one could remember a time when he had not wandered the halls of the school, causing havoc. Because he took no official part in any of the school's functions or events, his presence went unnoted in any of its records, and so no one could say for sure when the Poltergeist had first appeared. It was odd that he had been tolerated all this time, for he contributed nothing of value to the school. At least, that is what everyone thought. But every now and again, Peeves did something useful - by accident of course. It was Peeves who spotted Maude, for the Asturias portion could conceal nothing from him, and Maude had been plainly visible to Peeves when she emerged from the second floor bathroom. At the time Peeves had been busy with some suits of armour he had collected, setting them up in silly copulatory postures, a most unsuitable display in any place frequented by children.

Seeing the bathroom door open, Peeves shot over, thinking it would be fun to make Moaning Myrtle cry for the third time that week. Instead he saw Maude, whom he recognized instantly despite the passage of time since he had last laid eyes on her.

"Mad Maude, all grown up and still crazy!" shrieked Peeves. When Maude had been a student at the school, alone and friendless, Peeves had thought to cheer her up by following her in the halls with shouts of 'Mad Maude' whenever the fancy took him. Seeing her again, he instantly fell into his old pattern. He had shouted his cry only a few times when Maude raised her ebony wand.

"Langlock!"

Silenced and with his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth, Peeves whipped his head violently back and forth in frustration, as if through sheer physical effort he could undo the work of a witch. Maude raced through the hallways with Peeves in mute and pointless pursuit, knocking several students out of the way and uncaring that her hasty exit was causing a commotion. She had to get off the grounds immediately, before her presence was known to Dumbledore. She crashed through the front doors at a run, and headed along the pathway to Hogsmeade. The school's fences contained magical barriers against people trying to enter, but not trying to exit, and when she reached the main gate she had no difficulty getting past. Once off the school grounds she paused, drew her wand, and disappeared.

Safe for the moment at least in her room at the Hog's Head, Maude struggled to calm herself. Her heart raced from the exertion of running, from the effect of the Asturias portion, but mostly from sheer terror. She feared capture, of course, for if apprehended she could only wind up in Azkaban. But it was not the thought of the Ministry's prison, nor even the Dementors who guarded it that filled Maude's mind with panic. Her thoughts were scattered and disconnected, and there came to her a recollection from her childhood. She had been perhaps about ten years old when, in the forest behind her home, she had come across a trap, laid illegally by a hunter. The trap had been sprung and was firmly shut. But there was no animal inside its jaws. Instead, there was only a solitary paw. Whatever had been captured had chewed off its own limb in order to escape. At the time Maude had been sickened, but now another thought occurred to her. The animal had been lucky. At least it had been given an option.

Maude looked down at her mangled right hand, knowing that if she had been able to escape Voldemort by its amputation, she would lop it off in a trice. She stifled an insane gasp of laughter at the thought of such an easy departure from the ranks of the Death Eaters. But the only escape she could afford to think about right now was from Hogsmeade, for she knew that it would not be long before Peeves' mouth would be unlocked, and Dumbledore would come for her. She sat on her bed, forcing herself to take deep breaths until the fear diminished to the point where it no longer paralyzed her. Gradually her face lost its pinched, terrified expression, and soon her mind began to function once more.

She stood, and crossed the room in a few short strides, throwing open the lid to her trunk. Into it she tossed her copy of "Hogwarts: A History". Next she threw in every article of clothing she had brought with her, checking every corner of the room and taking particular care to make sure nothing was left behind. Her quill and her notes went in next, Maude making no attempt to pack things in an orderly fashion. She picked up her traveling case with its potion bottles and fastened the latches. She paused, lost in thought. Despite the desperate need for speed, she remained still for a few minutes as she considered her options. Simply to escape would not be enough to please the Dark Lord, and surely he-who-must-not-be-named would be enraged when he learned that Maude's presence in the school had been detected. He would consider her escape as mere ignominious flight, and not something to be celebrated. Maude's hand throbbed as she unfastened her traveling case, pulled out several bottles, a cauldron and a potions text, and set to work. She might have just enough time.

It was almost lunchtime, and Dumbledore was looking forward to joining everyone at the staff table in the Great Hall, and not merely because he was hungry. He was looking forward to the meal because that foulest of creatures Delores Umbridge would not be present, she having left the school only a few minutes earlier in response to an urgent summons from the Ministry. By the time the High Inquisitor learned that the summons was a hoax, lunch would be over. Dumbledore's stomach rumbled, and he got up from his desk. But then there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Minerva McGonagall entered, and got right to the point.

"Maude Boudicca was seen in the school not more than an hour ago."

"Are you sure of your information?" asked Dumbledore, his face whitening as if it were trying to match the colour of his beard.

"Peeves is the source, and therefore unreliable," replied McGonagall. "But in the circumstances, I thought it best to believe him." McGonagall recounted for the headmaster how she had come across a mute and frustrated Peeves. She had undone the Langlock curse on him, fearing that if left angry and unhappy he would cause more damage than usual. In gratitude, Peeves had poured out his tale of woe.

"This wouldn't be the first time Peeves had something interesting to tell us," observed Dumbledore. "But we'd best have him tell his story again, just to make sure." Dumbledore waved his wand, and a silvery shape flew out of it, disappearing through the office door.