I'm back! Had exams and school etc…but now it is the summer holidays (AT LAST) so I can probably update once a week *at least* apart from when I am at Soul Survivor. SOO! Enjoy and sorry for such a long break :L
Chapter 9
The majority of Slytherins were overly happy for the rest of the day, and a few of the Gryffindors less so as news spread rapidly about Harry Potter's pending expulsion. Thanks to the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor, coupled with Harry's fame, the whole school seemed to have taken sides, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff generally on his side. They all saw it as brave and noble of him to risk expulsion and his education to stand up to Malfoy for Neville. Hermione of course saw it for what it was. Stupid. If he wanted to get himself thrown out of Hogwarts, jeopardising his entire wizarding life by disobeying an express order from a teacher? Then that was his decision to make, and he made the wrong one. She took a rather long time explaining this fact to Ron who seemed to have sided with the majority of the school on the issue, and was proudly and worriedly proclaiming Harry a hero in the common room, with an avid audience. He had walked with her back up after the lesson, first analysing Harry's every move in the air with awe, repeating over and over that it was "Incredible for a first time on a broom!" and complaining about the unfairness of Harry being punished and not Malfoy. He had concluded his speech with "He's a gonner." as they arrived at the portrait hole, but immediately launched back into his optimistic view of Dumbledore giving him another chance because it was a show of chivalry as he re-told the story to the twins, then the rest of the Gryffindors. Hermione had taken a seat by the fire and listened only sporadically, but noticed how Ron's version seemed to include a fight to the death and a 50 ft plunge before Harry managed to fight his way back onto this broom as Malfoy shot jinxes at him. She smirked as she pulled out a book to read until it was time for dinner.
Ron was insufferable on the way down to dinner. He was fidgety and nervous, and kept looking around him as though hoping to see Harry jump down from a windowsill or out through a tapestry, but there was no sign of him at all and Hermione had to just put up with him until they reached the main hall. Ron's face split into a grin as they located Harry's head in the midst of some third-year Gryffindors. Hermione frowned as she saw that Harry was smiling – surly someone who had just been expelled would look more miserable than that? As Ron bounded over to him, she went over and sat down just far enough away that he wouldn't notice her, but close enough that she could hear. Just as she took her seat, Malfoy came sauntering over with his goons in tow.
"Having a last meal Potter?" he smirked. "When are you getting a train back to the muggles?"
"You're a lot braver now you're back on the ground and you have your little friends with you…" Harry pointed out, though there was really nothing at all little about his goons. They glowered and cracked their knuckles, though since the high table was full of teachers, there was really nothing they could do but that.
"I'd take you on alone any time Potter. Tonight if you want? Wizards duel. Wands only – no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizards duel I suppose?" he asked smirking again. Hermione gasped.
"Course he has!" Ron growled. "I'm his second, who's yours?"
Malfoy looked at his goons, sizing them up. "Goyle…no Crabbe." He said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room – it's always unlocked." And he left. Hermione sat with her mind reeling. They might get hurt. And on top of that they are going to get caught, and they'll damage Gryffindor's chances of winning the house cup. I have to stop them…it's now my responsibility as I'm involved now. It would be dishonest of me to ignore something as important as this! And with that she made her decision, got up and stood very close to them.
"What do I do if I wave my wand and nothing happens?" Harry was asking Ron worriedly.
"Chuck it and punch him on the nose?" Ron suggested with a snort.
"Excuse me." Hermione said politely. They looked up at her with momentary confusion on their faces.
"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron. Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.
"I couldn't help but overhear what you and Malfoy were saying-"
"Bet you could," Ron snorted.
"-and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night! Think of the points you will lose for Gryffindor if you get caught…which is sure to happen. It's really very selfish of you."
"It's really none of your business." Harry retorted.
"Goodbye." Said Ron.
Hermione hurried up to the common room, mind racing from the conversation with Harry and Ron. They are going to ignore me and they are going to go anyway…and they are going to get caught…and then what? What if they drag me into this! Then my education could be jeopardised? If they find out that I knew and didn't stop them…I have to stop them!
She went to bed at half six and had a good four hours sleep before her alarm woke her up. She got out of bed just as the rest of the girls were coming in. They said nothing and watched, giggling occasionally as she changed out of her pyjamas into clothes and they did vice-versa, then she headed back down into the common room. It was nearly empty. She took a seat by the fire and waited for people to go to bed. Once she was alone, she flicked the lights off and waited.
At about half past eleven there came the padded sound of two pairs of feet descending the stairs to the boys' dormitory. Hermione waited until they were nearly at the portrait hole before speaking. "I can't believe you are going to do this Harry." And she flicked a lamp on. They were stood there in their dressing gowns looking at her like she was a ghost.
"You!" Ron spluttered "Go back to bed!" He said furiously.
"I almost told your brother. Percy…he's a prefect! He'd put a stop to this!" Hermione said in a hushed shout.
"Come on," said Ron pulling on Harry's arm. They went through the portrait hole with Hermione at their heel. She wasn't giving up that easily, not when they were so blatantly flouting school rules.
"Don't you care about Gryffindor? Do you only care about yourselves? I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup! And you're going to lose all the points I earned from professor McGonagall for knowing about switching spells!" she hissed.
"Go away!" Ron snapped.
"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow. You're so-" but Hermione had turned back to the portrait hole and found it closed behind her. Not only that…but the fat lady was not in her picture. She had gone on a night time venture and Hermione was locked out. "Now what am I going to do!" She asked shrilly, panic beginning to rise in her. She looked around at them, wide eyed and starting to sweat a little.
"That's your problem." Ron said. "We've got to go, we're going to be late, and Malfoy will think we aren't coming."
Hermione watched them walking away for a few seconds, a war raging in her mind. One the one hand, she could stay here and wait to be found, then be able to tell people about what Harry and Ron were up to, but that would implicate her because she knew and hadn't told any teachers. Why hadn't she told any teachers! On the other hand, Harry seemed pretty good at getting out of tricky situations, and logic dictates that if you are moving, and the enemy is moving, you are less likely to stumble across each other's paths, therefore if she moves with them, Filch wont find her just sitting outside the common room with not much proof or explanation, and if she's with them and they get caught, she can say she tried to stop them and they'll back her up because it's the truth. But…what if the fat lady is only round the corner on the way back? Then she could just wait? They were at the end of the corridor. She made up her mind and hurried after them.
"I'm coming with you." She said.
"You are not!"
"You think I'm just could to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you and you can back me up."
"You've got some nerve -" Ron said loudly but Harry cut him off by waving his arms…
"Shh! Both of you! I heard something."
They listened. It was a sort of soft snuffling…
"Mrs Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting into the darkness. Hermione stood very still as the boys started to creep up the corridor further. It wasn't mrs Norris, it was Neville. He was curled up in a ball, fast asleep until they approached him and he jerked awake.
"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours…I couldn't remember the new password to get up to bed."
"Keep your voice down Neville." Ron said hurrying over to him and pulling him to his feet. "The new password's 'Pig Snout' not that it'll do you much good right now…the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."
"How's your arm?" Harry asked. Neville pulled up his sleeve and showed his mended arm.
"It's fine, Madame Pomfrey fixed it in about a minute."
"Good." Harry said looking around him to check they were still alone. "Look Neville, we have to go somewhere, so I'll see you -"
"No! Please don't leave me here, I don't want to stay on my own. The bloody baron has already been past twice…" He whimpered, looking from Harry to Ron then back. Ron looked at Hermione, then signed in a very over exasperated way.
"If either of you get us caught, then I swear I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you."
Hermione raised her eyebrows and was about to tell Ron that the proper term was a "Bat Bogey Hex" when Harry shushed her, then lead the way onward.
Hermione was out of her mind with nerves. This was possibly the most rebellious thing she had ever done, and with each step she thought longingly of her four poster bed and the warmth of the safe dormitory, the sanctuary of rules and regulations…every shadow looked like Filch and every noise made her jump. As they reached the trophy room, Hermione was the first to notice that they were alone. The moonbeams shone through the high arched windows onto the polished metal of hundreds of tropheys. Hermione spotted the Quidditch house cup in a corner and noticed Harry's name on it. She squinted and moved close enough to realise that it said "James Potter – seeker". She smiled to herself and wondered if Harry knew…but before she had time to mention it, they heard a voice in the next room that made them all grow pale and cold.
"Sniff around my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner." Filch was giving Mrs Norris instructions. He knew they were there. Hermione began to shake as she looked wide-eyed at Harry and Ron. Suddenly, her plan didn't seem like such a good one. No-one would ever believe that she was trying to stop them, and they wouldn't back her up when it incriminated them and only saved her. Harry immediately took charge.
"This way!" he mouthed and led the way down an adjoining column of trophy cases. They could hear Filch getting nearer, but Hermione could see Harry's plan. They were going to creep around and go back out the same door they came in, doubling back behind Filch. She smiled at his brilliance, but just as the tight knot in her stomach started to ease, Neville let out a quiet shriek of fear, broke into a clumsy run, tripped over his own feet, grabbed Ron around the middle and the pair of them fell face-first into a suit of armour. The crashing and banging was enough to wake the entire castle never mind alerting Filch to their presence.
"RUN!" Harry yelled and the four of them sprinted down a corridor, round a corner, through a tapestry, up a staircase and into an empty classroom that Hermione was pretty sure was on the fifth floor, two floors up from the trophy room. Neville was bent double and wheezing, Hermione clutching a stitch in her chest.
"I – told – you!" Hermione gasped. "I – said…" She repeated, waving her free hand through the air.
"We've got to get back to the Gryffindor common room as quickly as possible." Ron said hurriedly.
"Malfoy tricked you Harry. You know that don't you? He was never going to meet you." Hermione said, standing in front of him so he had to look at her. "Filch knew you were going to be there, someone tipped him off. Malfoy tipped him off Harry." She said. The look on his face gave her the satisfaction of knowing he knew she was right, even if he didn't say it.
"Lets go." He said, and they all got up and walked out into the corridor. It wasn't quite that simple however, because they had only taken a few steps when a doorknob rattled ahead, and then something pearly white with a flash of orange shot out into the corridor. Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a shriek of delight.
