On the outskirts of Hogsmeade stood a derelict house, shabby and gray-black. It sat a little higher than the other houses in the village, its windows boarded up and its damp garden overgrown with weeds. Even in broad daylight, the sight of it sent a chill down the spine.
The three of them and the dog left the village and headed straight for the Shrieking Shack.
Neville huddled behind Will, trembling. "Will, th-this... This is the Shrieking Shack! What are you doing here? Weren't we going to find somewhere for the dog to stay? You're not planning to let him live here, are you?"
It was Hermione's first time there. Hearing Neville, she studied the rather frightening house with curiosity.
"This is the Shrieking Shack? The most haunted house in all of England?"
Dumbledore had authorized the Shrieking Shack's construction in 1971 so Lupin could hide there during full moons, when his transformation might cause him to hurt someone. Beneath the Whomping Willow at Hogwarts ran a Secret Passage leading to the shack.
Lupin's howls when he became a werewolf had convinced the villagers the place was haunted, and for years no one had dared go near it.
"That's right. This is it." Will looked at the house and the ominous air it gave off, but his voice was unusually calm. "For a stray dog, it's perfect. No one dares come near, so no one will bother him or drive him away."
The big black dog raised his head and stared at the Shrieking Shack. A low rumble, almost a sigh, came from his throat. He seemed to recognize the place.
"But... they say there are ghosts here..." Neville's voice dwindled as he gripped his wand tightly.
"Neville, what are ghosts? Spirits?" Will asked. "You're not afraid of spirits, are