May 14th, 1985, 11:55 p. m. (Five minutes to midnight.)

The door to his room flew open, and Bonham hastily slammed shut the drawer. No need for anyone to see him with his gun right now ... They would suspect him being responsible for "Major's" disappearance fast enough ...

James stood in the doorframe. He was pale and out of breath.

"Bonham," he gasped. "In the library. There's a head in the fire!"

They have found a way ...

Bonham hurried downstairs to the library and knelt down in front of the fireplace.

"Ah, thank Merlin, yer friend's fetched yeh," Hagrid rumbled. "Listen, he's spoken ter th' wizard as has done th'curse – his picter, I mean –"

"I'm just dreaming this! It's all a horrible nightmare!" James whimpered.

"Quiet," Bonham ordered. "What did you find out, Hagrid?"

"He's gotta say it! He's gotta say he loves th' Earl! An' he's gotta mean it!" Hagrid explained.

Disappointment hit Bonham like a club.

"Tha's all? Probably they've guessed already and tried anyway!"

"But it's sure now!" Hagrid said urgently. "Go an' tell 'em! Hurry! Th' rest of th' curse will fulfil itself at midnight!"

Just at that moment, the old grandfather clock in the entrance hall began to strike Midnight in deep, gonging sounds.

"Too late!" James wailed.

May 15th, 1985, midnight

Hagrid withdrew his head from the flames and cursed heartily.

Snape put both elbows on the table and rested his chin on his fists. The scroll he had been working on rolled itself up, but obediently unrolled again at his murderous glare. His gaze did not become more friendly when he looked up at Hagrid.

"What by all unforgivable curses took you so long?"

"'T wasn't me," the half-giant defended himself. "Bonham wasn't there, jes' a li'l man with his hair over one eye, and he ran away ter fetch Bonham, ere I could give him th' message ter tell Bonham what we found out. When Bonham finally came, 't was ter late."

"Indeed!" Snape remarked scathingly.

Hagrid shuffled his feet.

"But maybe yeh guessed right, an' th' Major already told th' Earl he loves him? Or maybe there simply wasn't true love between 'em and nothin' would've helped anyway?"

"If only I had found out earlier that Stubbins was related to the Malfoys, and that Lucius had his portrait ..." Snape continued.

Hagrid shrugged.

"Yeh did what yeh could."

"Yes, in the end, Stubbins's portrait did not tell us anything we didn't know already," Snape said thoughtfully. "Maybe the Muggle actually made up his mind in time ..."

"Yes, maybe ..." Hagrid agreed. He indicated with his head in the direction of the stables. "Will yeh bring him back?"

Snape listened. Not a sound from outside. Obviously Stubbins had ceased his protests and lamentations when he had realised that nobody cared.

"Does this Earl of Gloria hunt?" Snape asked.

"Don't know," Hagrid said. "Bonham once mentioned that he's terrible with a gun."

Snape smirked.

"If it didn't work out, I'm sorely tempted to present Mr Stubbins to the Earl of Gloria for target practice."

May 15th, 1985. 0.05 a. m.

James and Bonham looked at each other.

"The damn wizard," James finally said in a broken voice. "Couldn't he have found out a bit earlier?"

"Don't you blame Professor Snape 'n 'Agrid," Bonham answered. "It's not their fault. They've tried to help alroight!"

"And where have you been? I couldn't find you!" James went on lamenting.

"I've bin in me room, for God's saike!" Bonham hissed, at the verge of his patience. "Be quiet! You'll waike everyone up!"

Rebuked so sharply, all fight seemed to leave James in one instant.

"Sorry," he said meekly, hanging his head. "It's just – it seems as if – as if I need to blame someone for this terrible mess!"

Bonham nodded, already regretting his sharp tone. "I understand. But there's nobody to be blamed actually, except the wizard who cursed the Major's family. Maybe there's still 'ope the Earl and the Major managed to do the roight thing anyway."

James laughed bitterly.

"Do you think so?"

Bonham shrugged.

"One never knows."

"Well," James said. "There's a way to find out ..."

Again, they looked at each other.

"Not that Oi'm that keen on foinding out roight now," Bonham admitted.

James sighed.

"Me neither."

end part 30, 0:05 a.m..

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