"Oliver?"I asked,"do you know what an Earth Trap is?"

"I do,"Oliver answered,"they have them here in the forest, to keep away wizards. Goblins designed them a long time ago. They put them by secret places they wanted to hide from Wizardkind."

"Do you think there are a lot more of them around?"I asked.

"I could scout ahead for you,"Oliver offered.

I let Oliver scout ahead to warn us of any Earth Traps or dangerous creatures. He also knew the way out of the forest, and after about 20 minutes or so, we found ourselves emerging from it.

"A lot of bigger creatures avoid that part of the forest,"Oliver explained along the way."

"If Earth Traps are meant to stop wizards, why have I never heard of them before?"I asked.

"They're very ancient,"Oliver explained,"the goblins stopped using them when wizards found a way around them. They used animals to set them off. Sometimes goblins fell down them too. They became too dangerous. The goblins had a secret mine around here a very long time ago. They built loads of Earth Traps to keep it safe from wizards. So many, they built, that they forgot where they all were, and it became too dangerous even for them to mine here themselves. Only small creatures come here now. We snakes know this, as we're also small creatures. We don't set off the Earth Traps, and there are plenty of small creatures, food, living around here, because they don't have to worry about the big predators. It's perfect for snakes. Birds are our only competition, and even they don't like this part of the forest."

"How do you know so much?"I asked.

"Some from other snakes, my mother, and some from the Centaurs,"Oliver answered.

"So the centaurs can talk to snakes?"I asked.

"Not just us snakes,"Oliver replied,"there are some centaurs that have the gift of being able to talk to all the creatures in the forest."

By the time we got out of the forest, it was very late. It was almost dark, and I realised it must be later than eleven o'clock. I looked at Kenneth, he was covered in dirt, and I knew I was too.

"I'm going to find Silas!"Kenneth angrily declared.

"You do that,"I said, half absent-mindedly as I was trying to brush the dirt off my clothes.

After he had gone, I wondered if maybe I should have warned him NOT to go looking for Silas. As Silas would probably just obliviate him, when I wanted him to remember what had happened, as that would be a massive loss for Silas' gang.

So I ran after him towards the castle, which was quite far in the distance. There was a clear sky, and the moon glowed brightly among the twinkling stars above the twilight ridge on the horizon.

Suddenly there was a loud 'crack!' sound of someone apparating near us. Silas stood in front of us.

"How on earth did you get out?"he asked.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"You left me to die!"Kenneth yelled at Silas.

I wondered how he'd found us so quickly.

"People have been looking for you,"Silas said,"I told them you'd disappeared."

"Disappeared?"Kenneth said,"you know where we disappeared! Did you tell them that!?"

"You're in big trouble, Carrow,"Silas said to me,"follow me. Both of you."

"No,"I said,"I'm not following you!"

"You're coming with me if I have to drag you!"Silas ordered, he turned and looked at the Forbidden Forest.

"Come to me,"he was saying, and by the words he said next, it sounded like he was calling the names of several snakes.

I realised he was speaking Parceltongue.

"This is trouble,"Oliver said,"we need to get out of here!"

Silas looked over at me, he noticed Oliver and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Oliver! Go!"I said.

Oliver quickly slipped down me and disappeared into the grass. Silas looked around, but Oliver had disappeared completely.

Then Silas grabbed my hair and started pulling me viciously in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. I clutched at my hair where he was holding it, and tried to wrench his fingers away, but he was too strong, and I couldn't help but be half-dragged along by him. Meanwhile, I could hear Kenneth screaming loudly, and briefly glimpsed him being chased into the Forbidden Forest by a group of snakes.

Then we heard the voices of people calling loudly nearby.

"CATHERINE!"

"KENNETH!"

The search party. They were getting near. Probably alerted by Kenneth's screams.

We were now in the Forbidden Forest, on the edge.

"They brought aurors to look for you,"Silas said, he had a wild look in his eyes.

I knew he was planning on something bad, but I didn't know what.

"Leave him!"Silas ordered the snakes, he was still gripping my hair, so I couldn't get away from him.

The snakes left Kenneth, but even a for a few moments after they had gone, he was looking around frantically, trying to blast them with curses. When he realised they had gone, he aimed his wand at Silas.

"Expelliarmus!"Silas disarmed him.

Then,"Avada Kedavra!"

Kenneth fell backwards.

I had no words, no thought, I was stuck by shock. All I could do was stare at Kenneth lying on the ground, his eyes open and unblinking.

WHY would Silas do such a thing? Did he really just do that?

Silas pulled me around in front of him, then he placed into my hands his wand, the wand he had used to kill Kenneth. As I looked down, I saw that the wand he had given me was not actually his one, but my wand. He had killed Kenneth Brass with my wand!

I could hear the sounds of the searching aurors growing closer.

"Welcome to the fugitive life, Carrow!"Silas said, then he let me go, then he disapparated in front of me.

A few seconds later, an auror appeared through the trees.

"I've found them!"he yelled.

I didn't know what to do, I was too exhausted to run. I knew no matter what I said, they would not believe me. Part of me was in disbelief that this had even happened.

The auror saw Kenneth and ran up to him.

"No!"he gasped, checking Kenneth for the slightest sign of life.

But, of course, he was dead.

He turned to me. I realised I was still holding my wand, and instinctively dropped it to the floor.

"What have you done!?"the auror yelled at me.

"I didn't,"I whispered.

By now, the other auror had arrived, and the first one was examining my wand. He had a way of checking which was the last spell used. Of course it was the killing curse.

"Come with us,"the other auror said to me.

I had no choice but to follow them. In Hogwarts, they escorted me up to one of the towers. As they were taking me up the stairs, I heard a commotion down below. Then a horrified, heart-rending scream, followed by wails of agonised despair. Lauren Golding must have discovered what had happened to her boyfriend.

Near the top of the tower, they locked me in a tiny room. Locked in the cell, I felt like everything was over now. What else was there to do? Silas was too powerful, and too trusted. In my despair, I completely forgot about Professor Longbottom sending for help. The only thing I could think about was what had just happened.

I felt a weird sort of emptiness and apathy, almost like I didn't care what happened to me. I felt like whatever I did, everything was futile.

I don't know how long I was in the cell. Time didn't seem to exist at this point, I felt like I was trapped in a permanent loop of doom. Thinking the same things over and over again, like a fever dream.

Then I heard the door open, Antonius came into the room.

"Shh,"he whispered,"I've come to rescue you."