Hello…again!
Midnight duel
It was finally dinner time. Harry and Lizzie had just telling Ron about what had happened when they left the grounds.
"Seeker and Chaser?" Ron said in disbelief. "But first-years never...you must be the youngest house player in like-"
"A century," both Harry and Lizzie finished the sentence off, laughing.
"Wood told us," Harry explained.
"But don't tell anyone!" Lizzie warned Ron. "Wood told us to keep it a secret."
Fred and George Weasley now walked into the Hall, spotted Harry and Lizzie and nearly ran over to them.
"Well done," Fred and George whispered to them. "Wood just told us. We're on the team, too. We're Beaters."
"I say we're going to win the Quidditch Cup for sure this year!" Fred said confidently. "You both must be good! Wood was nearly skipping when he told us."
"Anyway, we've got to go!" George continued. "Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passage out of the school."
"Maybe it's the one behind the statue or Gregory the Smarmy?" Lizzie suggested. When Fred and George looked at her in surprise, she said defensively. "What? I am curious about Hogwarts, too!"
"Wow," was all the twins said before disappearing. A minute later, Draco strolled towards them with Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy.
"Having your last meal?" Draco asked both Lizzie and Harry. "Mother and father won't be happy about this, Lizzie."
"You told-?" Lizzie began furiously.
"Don't be thick-headed!" Draco said reasonably. "Do you think I'll tell them that I got you in trouble. I thought you were smart, Liz."
"Well, you should tell them. Because they'll be surprised when I tell them the good news, I think it's good. Oh wait, they'll make sure that won't happen!"
"What good news?" Draco asked sharply.
Lizzie grinned at him mysteriously, "By the way, you're a lot braver now that you're on the ground, flanked by your 'friends'."
Pansy hissed. Draco ignored her and said, "Lizzie-"
"What?" Lizzie asked harshly.
Draco was about to apologize to her, but her sudden harshness in her voice took him by surprise.
"You know what? I'd take Potter or you any time on my own!" he replied coldly.
Lizzie raised one of her eyebrow at him, "Fine, Harry, you up for it?"
"Sure," Harry replied, not at all confident.
"Tonight. Wizard duel. Wands only – no contact. What's the matter, Potter? Never heard of a wizard's duel?" Draco sneered at Harry's blank expression.
"He will soon," Lizzie hissed. "I'm his second. Who's yours? Crabbe or Goyle won't be much help. I could take them on both by myself."
"Watch it, you lil traitor," Crabbe and Goyle spat, while Lizzie just grinned nastily at them.
"Pansy?" Draco asked.
"Sorry, I'm out. You've seen what she can do to me! She can bend my nail!" Pansy shuddered in horror while Lizzie continued to grin.
Draco rolled his eyes at her and muttered, "Everyone's worst nightmare." He then sized Crabbe and Goyle up and then said, "Crabbe." Lizzie snorted.
"Midnight, alright? Trophy room, it's always unlocked."
Malfoy nodded and stalked off with his group. When Harry looked even confused, Lizzie and Ron sighed and explained what a wizard duel was.
"A second's there to take over if you die," Lizzie explained casually.
"But don't worry," Ron added, looking at Harry's expression. "People only die in proper duel, you know, real wizards," he then added, once he saw the look Lizzie gave him, "and witches."
"So only people die in a poper duel with real wizards and witches, so what does that make us? Imaginary?"
"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?' Harry asked, anxiously. He was too anxious that he didn't laugh with them at Lizzie's remark.
"I'll take over if something happens," Lizzie said confidently.
"Oh, thanks!" Harry said sarcastically. "That makes me feel loads better!"
"Good. Or you could throw your wand away and punch him in the nose," Ron suggested.
"And then he'll go crying to mummy and complain that I didn't protect him," Lizzie said grimly, but laughed as the scene formed in her head.
"Excuse me!" a voice behind them said. When the three of them looked up they saw none other than the know-it-all Hermione Granger.
"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" Lizzie groaned.
Hermione ignored the comment and continued, "I couldn't help overhearing what you and Draco Malfoy were saying-"
"Bet you could," Ron muttered.
"Bet she couldn't," Lizzie muttered. "Bet?"
"Okay," Ron agreed. "two sickles."
"That's not much. Besides, I already win. She just said she couldn't help overhearing."
"Damn," Ron said glumly. "Hey, Harry. Do you have two sickles?"
"And you shouldn't go skulking around the school at night! Think of the trouble you'll be in! Think of the points you'll lose for Gryffindor. It's really selfish of you!"
"And it's really none of your business!" Lizzie said, rolling her eyes at Hermione.
"So, bye!" Ron said.
That afternoon, Lizzie and Ron spent it by giving Harry advice on how to block Draco's jinxes and how to attack. Of course, Lizzie knew a of of magic and told him to do a shield charm, Protego, but Harry and Ron both looked at her in confusion. Harry didn't know how to do that just yet. Then, Ron's advice was just to dodge it. There was also a very good chance that they were going to get caught by Filch or his annoying cat, Mrs'Norris. Harry and Lizzie felt like they were pushing their luck, but Lizzie was a bit more three of them decided to meet up in the common room at half past eleven. They all got their wands and made their way to the common room and towards the portrait hole, when a voice interrupted them, "I can't believe you're still going to do this!" Then a light flicked on and they noticed for the first time, since coming here to sneak out, that they were not alone in the common room. Hermione Granger was sitting on an armchair.
"You!" Ron said furiously. "Why don't you just go back to bed and leave us alone?"
"I almost told Percy!" Hermione snapped. "He's a prefect and your brother! He could put a stop to this."
"Come on!" Lizzie said to Harry and Ron irritably. They pushed the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through it. Hermione decided that she wasn't going to give up that easily.
"Don't you care about Gryffindor-," she hissed at them as she followed them outside.
"Actually, I don't," Lizzie corrected her. "I'm not even meant to be here."
"-Do you only care about yourself? I don't want Slytherin to win the House Cup. You'll lose us the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spell."
"We don't care," Harry said, through his teeth.
"So go away!" Ron said.
"Fine!" she hissed back. "But I did warn you. You three are so-"
Hermione didn't finish that sentence because she had just turned around to find an empty portrait. The Fat Lady had gone. That meant that Hermione was locked outside with them, great!
"Oh no!" Hermione moaned. "What am I going to do?"
"Well, that's your problem," Lizzie told her.
"We have to go, we're going to be late," Ron told them.
They started to walk again with Hermione catching up to them, "I'm coming with you."
"Hell, you're not," Harry told her.
"Do you think that I'm going to stand there and wait for Filch to catch me. If he find us, I'll tell him the truth. I was trying to stop you three and you will back me up."
"You've got some nerve-" Ron said.
"Shh!" Harry and Lizzie both hushed them. "We heard something."
"Mrs. Norris?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"Good then. Can I give her one kick? Please?" Lizzie asked , pleadingly.
"Not tonight," Harry grinned at her.
It wasn't Mrs. Norris after. It was Neville Longbottom, who was curled up and fast asleep on the ground. He quickly woke up frighteningly as they got closer to him. He then said in relief, "Oh! Thank goodness you've found me! I can't remember the password!"
Lizzie sighed and said, "Keep your voice down, Neville! The password's 'Pig Snout'. How could you forget that?"
"But it won't help you now. The Fat Lady's gone," Ron told Neville.
"How's your arm?" Harry asked.
"It's alright. Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute!" he told them, almost excitedly.
"Good. Well, Neville, we have to be somewhere right now. We'll see you later," Ron tried to explain.
"No!" Neville said, horrified. "Don't leave me! I don't want to stay here alone. The Bloody Baron's been here twice already," he shivered at the memory.
"Then Hermione can stay with you," Lizzie said.
"No!" Hermione hissed. "It's too creepy and deserted here!"
"Fine!" Lizzie said impatiently, looking at Ron's watch with him. "But if either of you get us caught, I WILL get you, and don't think I'm not capable of that. Remember what I did to Ron?"
Both Hermione and Neville looked horrified at the thought of having the repeating charm on them and who know what other things Lizzie was capable of.
They all then continued down the corridors. Their eyes raked everywhere around them, to detect any sign of Filch or Mrs. Norris, skulking in the corner or in the dark somewhere. With their luck, they managed to get to the third floor without being caught. Then they tip toed towards the trophy room. Draco and his friends weren't there, yet. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the silver moonlight caught them. Many things, such as; shield's, cups and more, winked innocently at them in the darkness.
"Maybe he's chickened out," Lizzie whispered, smug. If her brother had chickened out, the more things to laugh and tease him about.
Then suddenly, they all looked at each other, horror etched on all their faces, though Hermione had a bit of smugness in it, as they heard someone speak. It wasn't Draco.
"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking somewhere here," Filch wheezed to Mrs. Norris.
They scurried silently through the door away from Filch or his cat. Once they had just left the room, Filch got in there.
"They're in here somewhere," they heard him say, "Maybe hiding.
"This way!" Harry and Lizzie mouthed to the others. They began to creep down a long gallery full of suit armour. They all hoped despearately that Neville would not trip into one of the armour. But their hope was no good. Neville let out a terrified squeak, started running, tripped while grabbing Harry along with him as the two toppled right into a suit of armour. The sound would probably wake the whole castle up.
"RUN!" they all yelled as the five of them sprinted down the gallery. They didn't even know where they were heading. They dashed through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway. They were probably miles from the trophy room now.
"I t-think we've lost him," Ron panted, hands on his knees for support.
"I...told…you." Hermione panted. "Told...you."
"We have to go back to the Gryffindor Tower!" Ron said urgently.
"You do realize that Malfoy tricked you! He was never going to come! He tipped Filch off," Hermione told them like it was the most obvious thing.
"That little sneak!" Lizzie spat, feeling betrayed. "Draco tricked us? How could he do that? How could he do that to me."
They continued to walk towards the place they thought was the right way. Suddenly, a doorknob shook near them. Then something came shooting through the classroom in front of them. They gasped and held their breath, then sighed in relief that it wasn't Filch. It turned out it was Peeves. That was bad. Peeves was delighted and let out a squeal of delight.
"Shut up, Peeves," Ron pleaded. "Please."
Peeves just cackled evilly and said, "Ooh. Ickle firsties wandering around in midnight. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."
"Unless you keep your big mouth shut," Lizzie said.
"Should tell Filch," Peeves continued, as though he hadn't heard Lizzie's remark. "It's for your own good."
"Get out of the way!" Ron snapped, taking a swipe at Peeves, which turned out to be a big mistake.
"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves screeched. "STUDENTS OUT OF BEDS IN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"
I know this isn't much of a cliffhanger, since you know what happens, lol. I just didn't want to make it too long. Tell me, do you want my chapters to be long or a little shorter than this?