Mr Snitcher isn’t human!’ ‘Mr Snitcher… he’s not human!’ Nobody ever knew where the rumour first came from. Harry heard it from his best friend, Joe Fredericks. Joe heard it from Andy Bicknell, standing in the lunch queue. Andy got it from his cousin, who got it from a boy in Year 7, who got it from his brother, who was in Year 8. Andy didn’t say where the brother got it from. Not that it mattered. It was the second week of term, and people were ready for a good story. ‘Hear about the Snitch? He’s not human!’ It wasn’t the first time there had been rumours of extra-terrestrials at St Bede’s. Back in Year 4, when Harry had just started, Joe had solemnly informed him that there were aliens on the teaching staff. ‘Dunno who, exactly, but we reckon there could be a whole nest of ‘em.’ Looking at the teachers, Harry had been quite prepared to believe it. What a bunch! Any single one of them could have come from another planet. There was Mr Bulstrode, the science teacher, who spat when he got excited.
