The morning after the troll incident found Harry and Ron sitting in the Common Room waiting for Hermione to come down. It was a mutual agreement. They were going to be nice to her now. As quiet footsteps started on the stairs, Harry and Ron looked towards the Girl's staircase to see Hermione slowly making her way down. She started to the Portrait Hole without noticing them.

'Hermione, wait,' Harry called. Hermione turned, surprised.

'Y-yes?' She asked.

'We thought we'd wait for you to go down to the Great Hall together,' Harry told her not quite meeting her eye. Hermione blushed and said in a quiet voice,

'You didn't have to.'

'Its no problem,' Ron said. Hermione bowed her head.

'Thank you.' The three walked together to the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table, Hermione across from the two boys.

'We're attracting a few stares,' Hermione commented quietly, not looking up from her toast and marmalade. Harry looked up from his own biscuit and noticed she was right.

Half the Gryffindor table was looking towards them while the first years in all the other houses were staring.

'I guess it's because we didn't really, er, get along well before,' Harry suggested. Hermione gave a weak smile.

'I guess we weren't as subtle as we could have been,' Ron added. Hermione gave a small laugh at that. It was the first time either boy had heard her laugh. It was a nice sound. Not a high pitched squeal like some girls, but... Normal sounding.

It was true that they hadn't been as subtle as could have been. Ron had continuously made rude comments in her passing. Hermione herself had turned her head whenever they had passed one another. Harry hadn't personally participated but had found her continuous pestering of homework and rules extremely irritating.

'I just wanted to apologize for being so rude since term started,' Hermione said as the three headed to their last class; Potions. Harry shrugged as Ron answered,

'It's okay. It was very annoying though. I have to admit.' Hermione blushed and quickened her pace to the Dungeons. Harry threw an annoyed look towards Ron and sped to Hermione's side.

The three got to the classroom with a few minutes to spare. They went to their seats, unpacking their supplies.



Ten minutes after class had officially started Professor Snape came into the room. But he was limping. Harry was about to point this out to his two companions but stopped as the Professor began their assignment.

'Did you two see Snape? He was limping. I glimpsed his leg as well. There's a nasty gash on it.'

'I saw that too. I wonder what he got it from. It can't have been from a fall or anything. Maybe an animal or something of the sort,' Hermione mussed.

'Maybe,' Ron agreed. As the trio continued to discuss what could have happened to their least favourite professor, they didn't pay attention to where they were going.

They kept walking until they realized they had no idea where they were.

'How could we've gotten lost?' Hermione asked hysterically. 'We've been here for two months already! We should know where we are!'

'Hermione, calm down,' Harry grasped her shoulder. She took a few deep breaths before straightening up and saying,

'Okay, this way. We'll keep walking until we come across someone.' Harry and Ron glanced at each other before following. They had enough sense not to argue when she was working. They kept walking for at least ten minutes before Ron collapsed and complained,

'I can't keep walking! My feet are killing me.'

'Oh get up. The sooner we find a way out the sooner you can rest your poor feet.' Hermione snapped. 'Oh,' she turned. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm just tired and have so much homework to do-'

'It's okay, I know you didn't mean it,' Ron told her. He wasn't ready for another of her near emotional break downs in one day.

'Let's try through here,' Harry pointed to a door just as they heard footsteps coming towards them.

'Who's there my precious?' Argus Filch's wheezing voice was heard, obviously talking to his cat, Mrs Norris.

'Oh my, I heard some older students talking about how he was in a horrid mood today. They said he was giving detention for talking loudly in the corridor,' Hermione whispered. Harry groaned.

'What're we going to do? Three first years who knows where, when we should be having dinner. We're sure to get detention. I don't want detention.' Ron whispered furiously as the footsteps got louder.

'We'll go through here,' Hermione pointed to the door Harry and gestured to previously, the footsteps getting louder by the second. 'Quickly!'



They ran to the door, Harry getting there first. He pulled on the handle but the door would not open.

'It's locked!' He whispered fearfully.

'Move over!' Hermione pushed them aside, tapping the lock with her wand and whispering 'Alohomora!'

The door swung open, revealing another corridor. They sprinted to a door at the end of the corridor, Hermione using the same spell as before. Hermione, followed by Ron and then Harry, who closed the door, fled into the room. Ron leaned against the door, sliding to the floor.

They stood against the door, their ears pressed against the wood, listening for Mr Filch. Once they heard his ragged breathing pass the door, and his footsteps fade Harry said to Ron,

'There's a new spell we've learned mate.' When Ron didn't reply, Harry asked, 'Ron?' Harry turned to see why his friend wasn't answering and was met with a horrifying sight.

Six, enormous eyes were staring back at him. Each was on a dog's head which were attached to one body. The dog's head nearly brushed the ceiling. It was drooling, its eyes fixed on the three first years.

Somewhere beside, him, Harry heard Hermione whimper.

'Get out, now!' Harry whispered urgently. He started inching his way to the door but was met with Ron as an obstacle.

'Ron, move! Please Ron; do you want to be eaten by a giant three headed dog?' When Ron gave no sign he had heard Harry, Hermione came in.

'Move will you. I'd rather get detention than be eaten by this monster, now move!' This seemed to snap Ron out of his stump as he looked to Harry.

'On three, open the door and wait until we're all out to close it. Then run.' Ron and Hermione nodded and Harry started counting under his breath.

'One. Two. THREE!' He yelled as Ron tugged the door open and the three shot out. They rounded on the door as the dog leapt for them, pushing it closed with all their strength. They managed to close it before locking it and bolting from the corridor.

They ran, not caring they had no idea where they were going until they came upon a room Hermione recognised.

'Wait, I kn-know where w-we are,' she panted. She bent over, clutching a stitch in her side, waiting for the pain to dismiss before saying,

'We're at the Trophy Room. I know the way back to Gryffindor Tower now. Follow me,' and she lead them up more staircases before Harry and Ron realized where they were as well.



Hermione sprinted down the last corridor to the Portrait Hole, Harry and Ron right behind her. She got there first, gasping the password to the Fat Lady. She swung open, all the while asking them what they had been running from. Each ignored her in turn, knowing from rumours that she was a horrible gossip.

The trio collapsed into separate armchairs in the empty Common Room, each think the same thing. Ron was the first to voice it.

'Why the bloody hell would they be keeping something like that in a bloody school?' Hermione looked at him, clearly wanting to reprimand him for his language but thinking better of it. She was also still catching her breath. Once she had, she said in her bossy voice,

'Didn't you see what it was standing on?'

'The floor? I wasn't looking at its feet; I was a bit preoccupied with its heads. Didn't want it to catch me off guard and attack me.'

'No, it was standing on a trap door. It must be guarding something. Why else would they keep a thing like that in here, over a trap door? And I realized while we were running that we were in the third floor corridor. Remember, the one that's out of bounds. It's lucky Filch didn't catch us. Imagine the punishment if he had...'

'Yeah, okay we would've had detention, big deal. What's it guarding?'

'I don't know,' Harry finally joined the conversation. 'But I think I know how Snape got that gash.' Hermione gasped.

'You don't think the dog attacked him, do you? Why would anyone want to go near that thing?' Harry nodded grimly.

'I think he was attacked by the dog, and I think he was trying to get past it, down the trap door.' Ron shook his head.

'That's mental that is.' Harry and Hermione agreed.

After a few minutes, Hermione stood up.

'Well, I'm off to the library. I've got to finish the essay Professor Snape assigned us.'

'What?' Ron gaped. 'That's not due 'til next week!' Hermione shrugged and slung her book bag over her shoulder, heading towards the Portrait Hole.

'I guess I'll see you in the morning. Pleasant dreams,' and with that she was gone.

'She's just as mental as Snape, she is,' Ron muttered shaking his head.