It was on the Friday of the first week that the first years took their first Potions lesson, down in one of the dungeons. It was cold and damp, like most dungeons, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. Guinevere looked around from her place next to Malfoy, only to jump as a door slammed open and Severus Snape entered with his signature ebony robes billowing behind him like wings. He stopped at his desk at the front of the room for barely a moment to grab the roster before descending from the platform upon which his desk sat to address the class. As names were read off Guinevere started to space out, until she heard her own name.
"Ah, yes," He drawled, "Miss Crouch. Your sister is very proficient in this subject, I hope you will follow her example." Almost everyone's eyes locked on the petite blonde girl.
"I hope so as well, Professor," She eventually replied with a semblance of a smile on her lips. Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her but made no further comment as Snape continued his way down the list, only stopping when he reached a certain raven-haired boy.
"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new... celebrity." Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of the large man's warmth. They were cold and empty like a cold night sky.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word – like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses ... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Guinevere's lips twitched up slightly, remembering her many discussions with her sister. Hermione, however, was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.
"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry paled and glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air. "I don't know, sir," said Harry. Guinevere frowned at the boy but didn't make any noise.
Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything." He ignored Hermione's hand. "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who were shaking with laughter; or at Guinevere who had her eyebrows raised to the point they almost touched her hairline. "I don't know, sir."
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He had looked through his books at the Dursleys', but clearly Snape expected him to remember everything in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. He continued to ignore Hermione's quivering hand.
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching towards the dungeon ceiling. Guinevere went white and started making a hand signal, desperately telling her friend to sit down.
"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye and Seamus winked. Guinevere let her head drop onto the table with a loud thump. Snape, however, was not pleased.
"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. She looked as though she had been slapped as she slowly lowered herself back onto her chair. Guinevere lifted her head back up from the table and shrugged when she looked over at her for support.
"Crouch!" She turned to look at Snape. "Can you answer any of the aforementioned questions that Potter decided he was too good for?"
Guinevere's eyes widened and she sat up ramrod straight to address the Potions Master. "Asphodel and wormwood create the Draught of Living Death when combined," Snape nodded once, "Bezoars are stones taken from the stomach of a goat and will be antidotes for most poisons," Another nod from Snape, "And monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, which is also referred to as aconite, Professor."
Snape turned to look at the rest of the class and snarled, "Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "Very good answers Miss Crouch, and a point will be taken from Gryffindor house for your cheek, Potter."
Things didn't improve for the House of Lions as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticising almost everyone except Malfoy and Guinevere, much to the latter's relief. He ordered everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs and Guinevere had crushed her nettles, when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon.
Guinevere covered her nose and ignored the burning in her eyes. "What was that?"
Shrieks echoed through the dungeon as the Patil twins scrambled to stand atop their stools along with several other students. Upon closer inspection, Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class were standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs. Guinevere winced at his cries of pain, and cringed as Snape stormed over to the injured student.
"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?" Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose. Guinevere averted her eyes and picked up her ladle before slowly stirring her potion clockwise.
"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Guinevere looked back up silently, still stirring her own cauldron from her place atop her stool. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.
"You – Potter – why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor." Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.
"Don't push it," he muttered. "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."
"Miss Crouch, adjust your wrist or you won't blend the ingredients together thoroughly," The blonde witch quickly corrected her motion and earned another nod from Snape, "Much better."
"Only to some people, it seems," Harry snipped back while scowling at Guinevere. Hermione frowned at his comment but couldn't help the slight stab of resentment towards Guinevere that entered her when she realized she was lacking in the eyes of a Professor. She looked away as her best friend glimpsed at her from the corner of her eye, praying the blonde hadn't seen the flash of emotion, and went back to making her potion.
XXX
As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his very first week – why did Snape hate him so much?
"Cheer up," said Ron. "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George."
"Yeah, but does he take them away from Guinevere or any of the other Slytherins?" Harry demanded. Ron frowned.
"I dunno," He turned to see the witch in question walking down the hallway slightly behind them. "Oi, Crouch! How come you're Snape's favorite?" Guinevere raised her eyebrows at him.
"Were you deaf during the first fifteen minutes of class, Weasley? He favors my sister, and by association myself if I perform well," She smirked, "Which is certain, of course."
Hermione scowled at her, that same resentment from earlier coming back in full bloom as she pulled away from the blonde. "That is utterly ridiculous and biased!"
"Wait, Cora's one of his favorites?" Harry asked, frowning at this revelation. He could never have thought that such a kind girl would ever get along with someone as mean as Snape.
"Yep, she's wicked good at Potions," Guinevere bragged, ignoring Hermione's distaste for the Potions master and seemingly her older sister, "She gets an O every term."
And with that, she moved to walk ahead of them as they all made their way down to History of Magic.
XXXXXX
That following Monday found Cedric reading his copy of Unfogging the Future before Trelawney's arrival and the subsequent false predictions he would have to create. However, he had no idea that his partner had come up with a rather devious idea to spice everything up. In fact, the only thing about his partner that he could focus on upon her arrival was how enthusiastically she gagged at the incense that permeated the room for a second time.
"Hey Athena," Cedric greeted as she walked over and plopped down in her soft armchair with a quick sigh.
"You can call me Tina, if you'd like," She rolled her eyes at Cedric's surprise, "Athena can be a bit of a mouthful and we get along well enough."
"Tina it is, then," Athena nodded in approval before pulling out her own textbook and immediately turning to the key of Tessomancy symbols. Cedric followed her lead and flipped back several pages to reach it, only to jump as she gasped.
"I almost forgot, I brought something," She reached into her bag and pulled out two very small wooden sticks, barely the length of his thumb and skinnier than a needle. Cedric frowned and raised an eyebrow at her. "They're for our tea leaves."
"Explain," He said. Athena rolled her eyes and handed him one of the small sticks.
"We can sculpt the leaves without being noticed," She explained with a secretive grin. Cedric gaped at her as his eyes flicked between her and the stick.
"You're a genius Tina!" Athena smirked and brushed a stray hair from her face.
"Of course I am," Cedric laughed and slugged her arm gently before hiding the small stick as Professor Trelawney entered.
Her eyes were as vacant as usual, her hair had its own gravitational pull, and her steps were stilted as if she had a permanent limp that simultaneously weighed her whole body down. She didn't smile as she addressed the class, merely spoke just above a whisper as she made her way to her own large chair. "We are continuing our tea readings today, my dears. Please, grab a cup from the cabinet and fill it with the tea I prepared earlier."
Athena and Cedric rose and once again claimed cups true to their House colors before collecting a large splash of tea from their Professor. The former frowned though as she walked away, and whispered in Cedric's ear, "Did you smell sherry on her breath?"
He blushed and looked over at her, "I was hoping I was going crazy, but I guess not."
Athena shrugged and sat down at her armchair before gulping down the tea, ignoring the harsh burn it inflicted on her throat as it traveled to her stomach. Once barely any liquid was left, the both of them swirled their cups and flipped them upside down before exchanging them with matching smiles. Cedric peeked over at Trelawney and, once he was sure she wasn't paying attention, gently pulled out the small wooden stick and began creating a pattern in the leaves. After several seconds, he looked up from the cup to see Athena doing the same while also pretending to read the symbol chart.
"Well, I'm sorry to tell you that I see a chain and hourglass here," Athena began with deeply false sadness coating her voice, "Meaning an early marriage and imminent danger, respectively. I'd go ring shopping and sleep with one eye open."
Cedric laughed softly before pretending to consult his own book as he read her leaves. "A mushroom and a rabbit, beware a lover's quarrel that will change you for the better, Tina."
"And just who will I have this quarrel with, illustrious Mr. Diggory?"
"Oh, perhaps a red-haired man. You really must be careful around them, you know," Athena let out a louder cackle at that, and winced as Trelawney approached with a troubled frown on her face. The professor hobbled over to loom behind the young witch and gaze past her into the cup held in her grasp.
"These omens are horrible, my dear, how could you laugh at Mr. Diggory's misfortunes?" Cedric held back a snort and sent a pout at Athena.
The brunette witch smiled up at her Professor and gestured to Cedric with her free hand. "Forgive me, Professor, I was laughing at the reading that Mr. Diggory had given me, not the other way around."
"And what was this humorous reading, my dear?" Cedric avoided the fly-like gaze of his Professor while extending the hand that held his friend's cup. She grasped it within her own trembling, bony fingers and held up to her nose while peering past the rim at the leaves within.
"Ah… a lover's quarrel and a change for the better. My dear, why on earth would you find this so laughable? It means good things for your future and your growth as a person." Athena's eyes narrowed but her smile stayed in place.
"Well, Professor, I am rather disinclined to the idea of relationships as a whole and so I was laughing at the impossibility that is Mr. Diggory's prediction," Her jaw clenched as Professor Trelawney sighed and patted her shoulder sympathetically.
"You'll see dear, one day it will be different," The two students watched as she drifted away, her many shawls and drapes fluttering behind her like wings.
"Well-" Athena looked back over at Cedric as he gave her a tentative smile. "All awkwardness aside, shall I tempt you to another false reading?"
Athena stared at him for a moment before standing and grabbing her teacup back from him. "I believe you have." Cedric grinned as she walked off with the cups, ready for round two.
XXXXXX
That evening, Coralie and Athena decided to sit at the Gryffindor table once again, much to certain people's displeasure. One such person was Hermione Granger who stormed over as soon as the two girls sat down.
"Cora, why is Snape so rude and unreasonable?" She demanded, her nostrils flaring and her hair an angry, frizzy cloud. Athena raised an eyebrow at Hermione, but made no comment as Coralie turned to reply.
"I take it your first Potions lesson was today?" Hermione huffed and glared at the third-year.
"Yep, he called the whole class dunderheads and Hermione is taking it far too seriously," Guinevere snipped from her spot further down the table. Coralie's eyebrows rose at her sister's comment.
"Hermione," The brunette scowled at Coralie's nonchalant tone, "Professor Snape can be cold, but he is a damn good Potions Master. Stop worrying about him liking you and just learn as best you can."
"That would be easier if I was actually going to earn the marks and points I deserve!" Coralie pinched the bridge of her nose as Hermione spoke.
"Hermione, the points don't matter that much," Coralie ignored the scoffs that resounded from many of the Gryffindors, "Just keep your head down, study and work as hard as you can."
"That sounds boring," She turned to see George approaching. "Hello, Cora dear!"
"Hello, my good sir!" Coralie stood up and hugged him tightly. Athena laughed and stood up a moment later to give him her own hug.
"So, since what Cora's suggesting is boring, what do you suggest we do instead?" Athena asked while peering up at George.
"Well, Tina dear," They laughed as Fred seemed to appear from nowhere, "We hear that the library is just too quiet this time of year and we wanna spice it up a bit."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's do just that, Freddie boy," George cheered, smirking at his twin at the various implications. "Care to join us, ladies?"
"But of course!" The two girls replied while grabbing some rolls to take to go. Harry frowned as Hermione tried protesting and yelling at the four of them to no avail. Unfortunately, he was soon distracted by Malfoy's arrival.
"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"
"You're a lot braver now you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.
"I'd take you on any time on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only – no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"
"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling round. "I'm his second, who's yours?"
Guinevere watched as Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up. "Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room, that's always unlocked."
When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other. "What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"
"A wizard's duel is an organized fight, usually using magic," Guinevere piped up before taking another bite of her mushrooms. "There are whole competitions for people who study the art of duelling. Professor Flitwick himself is a Master Duelist, actually."
Harry gaped at the blonde girl and looked over at the staff table to regard the rather petite Charms Professor. "That's so cool…" He looked back over at Ron, "Still, what does it mean that you're my second?"
"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly, "but people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."
"Oh, he definitely did. Malfoy is all bark and no bite when you really get down to it," Guinevere commented. She reached out and took a Yorkshire pudding from a nearby platter. Hermione had long since sat down, and was listening intently to their conversation as she chewed another bite of peas.
"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?" Harry asked, some color returning to his face and his eyes relaxing slightly at hearing Ron's assurances.
"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested. Guinevere chuckled, but made no further comment as she continued to eat her dinner. Hermione rolled her eyes and stood up to approach the two boys.
"Excuse me." Harry and Ron looked up and groaned slightly.
"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.
Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry. "I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying –"
"Bet you could," Ron muttered.
"– and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."
"And it's really none of your business," said Harry. Guinevere nodded.
"He's got a point there, Hermione, you were eavesdropping."
"Only so I can maintain the integrity of my House!" Guinevere rolled her eyes at Hermione.
"It's still none of your business," Hermione scowled at the comment.
"Goodbye," said Ron, ignoring Hermione's outraged scoff as he left with Harry. She turned to face Guinevere.
"Aren't you going to stop them?" Hermione demanded.
"Why should I? They have every right in the world to make bad decisions, and it's not my problem," Guinevere stood up and put her books back into her bag.
"But- but they're going to lose points!"
"Again, not my problem." Hermione wanted to scream as she watched her friend leave the Great Hall. Didn't she realize the points were important?!
XXX
Harry sighed as he lay in bed that evening, recounting the day's events in his mind. Ron had spent all evening giving him advice such as "If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them".
There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs Norris, and Harry felt he was pushing his luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness – this was his big chance to beat Malfoy, face to face. He couldn't miss it.
"Half past eleven," Ron muttered at last. "We'd better go."
They pulled on their dressing-gowns, picked up their wands and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them:
"I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."
A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink dressing-gown and a frown.
"You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"
"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped. "Percy – he's a Prefect, he'd put a stop to this."
Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering. "Come on," he said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.
Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose. "Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the House Cup and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."
"Go away."
"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so –"
But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a night-time visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor Tower.
"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.
"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."
They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.
"I'm coming with you," she said.
"You are not."
"D'you think I'm going 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."
"Like hell we will–" said Ron loudly.
"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. "I heard something."
It was a sort of snuffling. "Mrs Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.
It wasn't Mrs Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer.
"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours. I couldn't remember the new password to get into bed."
"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's "Pig snout" but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."
"How's your arm?" said Harry.
"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."
"Good – well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later –"
"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet. "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."
Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville. "If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learnt that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about and used it on you."
Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward. They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed towards the trophy room. Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took out his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once. The minutes crept by.
"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.
Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak – and it wasn't Malfoy.
"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner." It was Filch speaking to Mrs Norris. Horror-struck, Harry waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently towards the door away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.
"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding."
'This way!' Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armour. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run – he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armour. The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.
"RUN!" Harry yelled and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following – they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead without any idea where they were or where they were going. They ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.
"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.
"I – told – you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest. "I – told – you."
"We've got to get back to Gryffindor Tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."
"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realise that, don't you? He was never going to meet you – Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."
Harry thought she was probably right, but he wasn't going to tell her that, not in a million years. "Let's go."
It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them. It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.
"Shut up, Peeves – please – you'll get us thrown out." Peeves cackled.
"Wandering around at midnight, ickle firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."
"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."
"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."
"Get out of the way." snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves – this was a big mistake.
"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"
Ducking under Peeves they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor, where they slammed into a door – and it was locked.
"This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door. "We're done for! This is the end!"
They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could towards Peeves's shouts.
"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock and whispered, "Alohomora!"
The lock clicked and the door swung open – they piled through it, shut it quickly and pressed their ears against it, listening.
"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."
"Say 'please'."
"Don't mess me about, Peeves, now where did they go?"
"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying sing-song voice.
"All right – please."
"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!" And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.
"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be OK – get off, Neville!" For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's dressing-gown for the last minute.
"What?" Harry turned around – and saw, quite clearly, what.
For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare – this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far. They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden. They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog which filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.
It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant. Harry groped for the doorknob – between Filch and death, he'd take Filch.
They fell backwards – Harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared – all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.
"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their dressing-gowns hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.
"Never mind that – pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward.
They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling into armchairs. It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.
"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally.
"If any dog needs exercise, that one does."
Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"
"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was a bit busy with its heads."
"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something." She stood up, glaring at them. "I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed – or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."
Harry and Ron watched her leave before finally taking notice of the two girls sitting on the couch in the Common Room. Ron squeaked and took a step back as Coralie and Athena both stood up to stare at them with raised eyebrows.
"So, that was rather interesting," Athena remarked while her fingers twirled the end of her long braid idly. Harry winced while Ron moved past frightened to defensive.
"What's it to you? You're just a pair of slimy snakes," Coralie scoffed and rolled her eyes, "How'd you even get in here?"
"Wouldn't you like to know Ickle Ronniekins?" Harry and Ron whirled around to see the twins and Lee standing on the staircase, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Ron gaped at his older brothers and looked back over at the girls for a split second.
"You let them in?! They're Slytherins!" He shouted, pointing accusingly at Coralie and Athena.
"Good job, Ron, you have eyes," Lee jibed as he descended from the stairs and walked over to Coralie and Athena. "Now, ladies, shall we?"
Coralie laughed and looped an arm through Lee's, Athena following suit a second later. "I believe we shall. Goodnight, boys."
Harry and Ron watched with matching scowls as they walked up to the third-year boys' dormitory, whispering to each other all the while. Once they were out of sight, the two boys shook their heads and went up to their own rooms, the need for sleep overpowering any disapproval or thoughts about the three-headed dog.
XXXXXX
The next morning, Coralie and Athena were rather surprised to find themselves still inside the Gryffindor dormitories. More specifically, on the floor between their best mates with various games spread out around them. Athena sat up, wincing as she felt a gobstone piece wedged under her leg.
"Ouch," She muttered while removing the piece. Athena stretched while Coralie slowly stretched out with a grumble and barely-open eyes.
"Tina? What time is it?" She asked before curling back in on herself. Athena looked over at the clock that hung on the wall.
"Just after eight, which means there's plenty of time for us to sleep." Fred and George mumbled their agreement, the former wiggling closer to Coralie. Athena slumped back down onto the floor.
"What are you doing, Fred?" Coralie yawned. She looked over her shoulder at the redhead.
"You're warm," He mumbled before falling back to sleep. Coralie shook her head and followed suit, her eyelids heavy as she drifted away.
CRASH. All five of them sat up, limbs flailing and hair sticking in many different directions. "What was that?"
No one responded to Lee's question, instead scrambling to their feet and gazing about the room worriedly. Athena reached out and grabbed her dressing gown, wrapping it around herself tightly. Coralie slowly padded over to the door to the stairway and opened it to reveal a lot of shouting from the Common Room.
"C'mon Seamus!" Athena, the twins and Lee frowned as Dean shouted from downstairs. Coralie shrugged and continued listening. "Why does this always happen?"
"It's not my fault! I was just trying to-"
"Yeah, yeah you wanted to try turning the water to whiskey," The twins burst into cackles at the accusation, tears forming in their blue eyes as they clutched at their sides. "But that doesn't mean making the water explode!"
"I'll figure it out eventually," The Irish boy muttered at his friend before storming upstairs. Coralie quickly shut the door and let out several giggles of her own as she looked back at her friends.
"I don't know about you guys," Fred wiped a stray tear from his eyes as he spoke. "But I definitely can't go back to sleep after that."
"Indeed, brother dear," George stretched and walked over to his wardrobe, "I believe we are in need of an adventure." Coralie and Athena averted their eyes as he started changing into one of his Weasley jumpers and a pair of jeans.
"Well, where shall we go?" Fred asked, turning his attention to the two girls. Coralie looked over at Athena.
"It's a bit chilly for the Lake, but we could try the Forest!" She suggested. Lee grinned and nodded excitedly.
"Yeah guys, c'mon! We haven't been able to explore the Forest nearly enough, and today's got good enough weather for it." Coralie nodded and grabbed a spare jumper from George with a thankful grin. She pulled it over her sleepshirt and grabbed a pair of leggings she had hidden in Fred's wardrobe.
"How are we going to get down there without being caught?" Coralie asked as she changed out of her pajama bottoms. Athena frowned while retrieving her own clothes from underneath a loose floorboard.
"We could always go around the Lake to that thick brush area, no one would see us go to the Forest there," She pointed out while pulling on a flannel shirt and a pair of jeans. "Besides, most of the students will be inside anyways as will the teachers."
"You've got a point there," Lee admitted while tugging a shirt over his head. Fred walked over to the mirror and ran his fingers through his hair a few times before shrugging and plopping don on his bed to tie his shoes. George followed a second later, not even bothering to try to fix his bed head as he laced up his trainers.
By the time the five of them were all dressed, Harry and Ron had made their way down to the Common Room and were struggling to complete their Charms homework. They looked up as the third-years descended the staircase.
"Were you with them all night?" Ron shrieked, scandalized at the two Slytherin girls. "What would Mum say?"
"That you should stay out of our business Ickle Ronniekins!" George snapped. Fred nodded solemnly.
"I wouldn't want to see a spider infestation appear in your bed tonight," He said with an evil glint in his eyes. George high-fived his twin while Lee continued whispering to Coralie and Athena.
"Don't you dare, Fred! I'll tell Mum if you do!" Harry watched his best friend shout at his brothers and wondered idly if his relationship with the twins was truly that far off from his with Dudley. George promptly proved him wrong, though.
"Cool it, Ronniekins, Mum already knows about Cora and Tina and I'm not going to put a spider nest in your bed. We're much better off putting it in Malfoy's bed, I'm sure," Harry watched as the twins looked over at Coralie and Athena with a suggestive smile. They rolled their eyes.
"And what, George Fabian Weasley, will we get in return for such an arduous task?" Coralie asked while sauntering over to stand in front of the taller redhead. He scowled at the use of his full name, but threw an arm around her shoulder and started steering her from the Common Room.
"How about unlimited access to our creative genius?" Athena rolled her eyes.
"We've already got that," She pointed out. "How about you cover our Butterbeers for the first Hogsmeade weekend?"
George pondered this for a moment before nodding. "You ladies drive a hard bargain, but I accept in the name of torturing one of the many gits that inhabit this castle."
"Done, now we just need a spider nest," Coralie grinned and rubbed her fingers together as the five of them lept from the portrait hall and dashed down the halls of Hogwarts. Harry and Ron watched them leave before turning back to each other.
"Is his middle name actually Fabian?" Harry asked slowly. Ron sighed and nodded.
"Mum gave us all long names. William Arthur for Bill, Charles Edward for Charlie, Percival Ignatius for Percy, Frederick Gideon and George Fabian, and then there's me with Ronald Billius and Ginny's full name is Ginevra Molly." Harry winced in pity for several of Ron's siblings, rather glad his name was simple.
"Any particular reason why?" Ron pulled out a deck of Exploding Snap cards.
"It's a big thing with families that have a huge legacy of being magical," Harry took his hand of cards while listening to Ron's explanation. "Take their friend Cora for example. Her and Guinevere's family is part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, which are some of the oldest families in the magical community."
"Is that like a club or something?"
"I mean, sort of? You have to be able to prove your ancestry really far back to be part of it, but also you need to prove something else." Harry frowned as Ron trailed off, but didn't comment in favor of playing Exploding Snap.
XXX
Coralie carefully weaved between the tall grass and brush at the edge of the Lake as Athena led them closer to the Forest. Fred was bringing up the rear with George, while Lee stood between them and Coralie. Occasionally one of them would wince as a sharp branch or blade of grass brushed against any exposed skin. Finally, they arrived at the border of the forest.
"So, what are we looking for?" Athena asked, turning to her friends. Fred pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment from his jean pocket.
"We need a spider nest for Malfoy, some beetles and nettles, and if we're really lucky we might be able to find some nightshade," He listed.
"You forgot the knotgrass," George reminded him. Fred quickly jotted down a note with an old, broken quill from his other pocket.
"Well, we might be able to find most of that," Athena said. Coralie nodded and rolled up her sleeves before pulling an elastic off of her wrist to tie her hair back.
"Then what are we waiting for? Onwards!" Lee cheered before sprinting into the forest. The twins let out a loud whoop and ran after him, grabbing the girls on the way. They laughed as they ran, taking deep breaths of the cool air that whistled between the leaves and ruffled the grass beneath their feet. Eventually, they stopped to take a look around, their fingers combing through moss and plants in search for their desired items.
"I found some fluxweed, if that's any help," Coralie shouted. Fred ran over and inspected the plants.
"It's not on our list, but hey, it couldn't help to have more," He decided before carefully plucking the plants and putting them into the small pouch he had sewed into his jeans. Coralie nodded and stood up once all the plants were harvested.
"Hey guys, I think I see some knotgrass!" The two of them followed Athena's shout and ran several feet to where she was crouching with George and Lee. Fred leaned over his shoulder and shook his head.
"Nope, just a weed. Sorry George," He said. His twin sighed and stood up.
"Well, we'll just have to keep going," Lee and the girls nodded and started peering at the nearby earth.
"It'll have flowers on it, most likely," Fred said while crawling through some brush to get a better look at some more plants. Athena stood up and led Coralie to the east for a short while, occasionally bending over to inspect the foliage, until they heard a shout from Lee.
"Like this?" The other four ran over to Lee, hovering behind him to look down at the plant he was pointing to. Fred and George nodded.
"Yeah, that's it!" George said. Lee nodded and crouched down to harvest the plants, only to stiffen as they heard a branch crack. The two girls straightened and pulled out their wands while Lee hastily shoved the plants into George's pouch.
"Did you guys hear that?" Coralie asked softly, her wand extended before her. Athena scanned the surroundings with narrowed eyes, only to flinch as another branch cracked. The two of them looked up as several smaller cracks echoed from above them. Fred followed their gaze and gasped as a large branch broke and tumbled down to them.
"Move!" George shouted, pushing his twin and Lee out of the way while Athena and Coralie ran several steps away from the offending chunk of wood. It landed with a loud crash, followed by a hum of clicking sounds. The five of them slowly approached the branch, grinning when they were close enough to see the multitudes of beetles swarming the branch.
"Well, well, well, aren't we lucky?" Athena joked. Fred and George laughed and leaned in to start collecting the insects from the cracked bark of the branch. Lee followed suit a moment later, while Coralie continued to look around for plants.
"You sure you don't want to carry some of these little guys, Cora?" George asked, dangling a beetle in her direction. The blonde wrinkled her nose and gagged slightly.
"Absolutely not," She decided. George shared a look with Fred, Athena and Lee before lunging at the blonde and pinning her to the ground. The two redheads laughed as Athena and Lee dangled a beetle above Cora, eliciting many a scream and curse word from their best mate.
"Get off me!" She shouted, screeching as the beetle came ever closer. Her mouth opened for another scream, just as Athena lost her grip on the beetle. Coralie choked on the little insect as it dropped into her mouth before spitting it out and coughing violently. The twins released her with a wince as she tried scrubbing her tongue free of the beetle taste.
"Oops…" Athena whispered as her friend gagged and spat at the ground. Lee and the twins nodded in agreement and stood up.
"Cora? You okay?" Lee asked, taking a few steps over to her. The blonde turned to glare at the boy and gripped her wand tightly.
"You four better run," She snapped before standing and firing off jinxes. "Tarantellegra! Anteoculatia!"
Lee yelped as his feet started wildly dancing, his legs soon following as he tried to run from the angry witch. Fred was the next to let out a screech as antlers began erupting from his head. George watched in shock but kept running with Athena, but he wasn't fast enough.
"Titillando!" He burst into loud laughter as invisible fingers and feathers began tickling him wildly, sending him straight into a bush as he lost his footing. Athena winced and kept running, deeply regretting that stunt with the beetle in retrospect. It was in that moment, she felt her feet suddenly stop moving and her face collide with the ground.
"Seriously?" She shouted, looking over her shoulder at her best friend. "Colloshoo? C'mon Cora!"
Coralie grinned at her friends. "Are you guys sorry?"
"Yes!" The five of them shouted as they pleaded with her to release them from the various jinxes and hexes. She waved her wand and cast the counter-curses, much to their relief as they found themselves able to move normally, and entirely without any extra appendages.
"Remind me," George gasped for air as he was finally relieved from the endless tickling, "Never to get on your bad side, Cora."
"I think what just happened was plenty of a reminder," Athena admitted, rolling her ankles and stretching her feet as she made her way back over to her best friend. Fred nodded quickly and winced as he rubbed his skull.
"Couldn't agree more, Tina," He agreed. Lee had yet to stand, but held up his hand with a thumbs up.
"I'm with Tina on this one," He said before slowly pushing himself off of the forest floor. Cora laughed as they walked back and hugged them tightly.
"Don't worry, I forgive you guys," The twins grinned and hoisted her onto their shoulders. Athena shook her head and smiled at them while Lee tried to stretch his legs back out and force him to follow them as they started walking.
"I think we all need a snack after that," George decided as they made their way closer to the edge of the Forest.
"Truer words have never been spoken, Georgie," Fred replied.
"Well then, shall we head to the kitchens?" Athena asked. Coralie nodded with a grin.
"Then, onwards my friends! For food and good company!" The five of them burst into laughter after Lee spoke and enjoyed their walk back to the castle, despite their lack of spider nest and nightshade. After all, they had tomorrow to go on another trip.
Hello again! I hope you are all enjoying this story as much as I like writing it (a looooooot). We should have another chapter coming out soon, it just depends on how busy online school makes me. Thank you for understanding and I can't wait for the next chapter of The Golden Serpents! Bye!
