Chapter 8: The Midnight Duel

I don't own Digimon or Harry Potter

Harry, Ron, and Daisuke entered the Great Hall, quickly finding somewhere to sit at their house table and they began eating dinner. People were whispering and some giving Harry a few glances or glares making the boy look down at his food. "Ignore them, Harry. Whatever they have to say about what happened earlier doesn't matter." Daisuke reassured him.

Harry nodded and dug into his piece of pie quietly, a few moments later, someone none of them wished to see turned up, it was Malfoy flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. "Having a last meal Potter, when are you getting the train back to the Muggles?" he asked.

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you." Harry replied, looking up at Malfoy with a cool gaze. As the high table was filled with teachers, all Crabbe and Goyle could do was crack their knuckles and scowl at him, Ron, and Daisuke.

"I'd take you on all on my own." Malfoy said. "Tonight, if you want, a wizard's duel, wands only no contact." He continued, Harry raising an eyebrow causing him to smirk. "Don't tell me you've never heard of a wizard's duel before."

"Of course, he has." Ron spoke up, glaring up at Malfoy. "I'm his second, whose yours?"

Malfoy looked at his two flunkies, sizing them up and smirked. "Crabbe. Midnight alright? We'll do it in the trophy room, that's always unlocked. See you then." He told Harry and Ron, the three Slytherins walking off leaving the two boys looking at each other while Daisuke held her hand to her face.

"What's a wizards duel? And what do you mean you'll be my second?" Harry asked his friend.

"Well, a second is there to take over in the duel if you die." Ron answered, Harry turning paling and gulping. "But don't worry, you and Malfoy only just started learning magic, the most you'll do is fling sparks at each other." He quickly added.

"And if I wave my wand and nothing happens?" Harry asked.

"Throw it away and punch him in the nose?" Daisuke piped up, both boys looking at her as she shrugged. "Works in a normal fight, should work in this one." She continued before something came to mind. "Though how did he know the trophy room would be unlocked?" she then asked them.

Before either could answer her, another voice spoke up. "Excuse me." They all looked up to see Hermione looking at them.

"Can't a person eat in peace today?" Ron asked only for Hermione to ignore him and look directly at Harry.

"I couldn't help but overhear what you and Malfoy were saying." She began.

"Bet you could." Ron muttered, Daisuke giving him an elbow to the side gently with a small frown.

"And you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor and you're bound to be caught, and it's really very selfish of you." Hermione continued.

"And it really isn't any of your business." Harry told her, the bushy haired girl frowning before she turned and stormed off with a huff.

"That could have gone better." Daisuke mumbled, finishing her dinner before the three headed off to Gryffindor Tower.

Daisuke was unable to sleep that night, how could she? Her two friends were about to go wandering the castle at night to duel Malfoy and his cronies, no doubt they'd be caught by Filch or Mrs Norris at some point. And the events of the day playing out like they did made her greatly concerned.

She looked at Salem, the cat sleeping at the foot of her bed and she nervously shuffled over to him. "Salem are you awake?" she whispered, the cat opening his eyes and yawning softly.

"What's wrong Daisuke?" he asked, stretching his body while Daisuke bit her lip, trying to think of how to tell him.

"You remember that dream I had? The one about the brooms and Neville being hurt?" She asked him.

"I do, why do you ask?"

"Because it came true, everything in my dream happened today." She told him, his eyes going wide in shock.

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yes. Madam Hooch told us to mount our brooms and when she blew her whistle, we were to just hover off the ground for a moment or two." Daisuke explained, the cat walking over and curling up in her lap.

"I take it, that isn't what happened?" he asked.

"No, before she even blew the whistle Neville was in the air and his broom went out of control. No matter what he tried the broom wouldn't go back down and it began trying to shake him off before it flew past a statue he got caught on and fell from it and when he landed, he broke his wrist, Madam Hooch said it was broken when she took him to the Hospital Wing." Daisuke told him.

"That doesn't mean anything Daisuke." Salem tried to reassure her.

"Yes, it does, I dreamt it and it happened. I'm worried, what if it happens again? What if the dream is worse?" Daisuke asked in a scared tone, the young girl feeling tears form in her eyes before the cat purred and began nuzzling her gently.

"If it happens again, we'll handle it. I'm sure you can tell Jun or send a letter to your parents, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's true." Daisuke answered with a smile. "Thanks Salem." She whispered and he nodded with a purr, it was then Daisuke noticed the clock on the wall had reached 11:30 and she tensed. "I'll be back, Harry and Ron are planning to sneak out. I have to go and make sure they don't get hurt." She told her pet before putting on her dressing gown and scooping up Demi-Veemon who mumbled in her arms.

"What's happening?"

"Come on Vee, we're going exploring." She whispered with a smile and this made her partner perk up and instantly wake up, Daisuke held him in her arms as she walked down the spiral staircase to the common room.

A few embers were still in the fireplace flickering dimly, casting the armchairs and sofa in the room with a dark shadow, they also spotted a lamp was turned on and thanks to the light they saw Hermione, Ron and Harry standing there all in their dressing gowns too.

"What's going on here?" Daisuke questioned, looking at the three curiously as they all jumped and looked at her.

"Daisuke, what're you doing up?" Harry asked her.

"What does it matter, both of you go back to bed!" Ron whispered loudly at the two girls.

"I almost told your brother, Percy, he's a Prefect, he'd put a stop to all this." Hermione said, hands on her hips while frowning at him and Harry. "Daisuke, tell them this is a bad idea." She told the girl who remained silent.

"I'm going with them, this way I can keep them out of trouble. Besides nothing I would say would stop them." She then spoke up as Harry opened the portrait hole and stepped through with Ron following him, Hermione rushing after them and Daisuke followed also.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves? You'll lose us all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about switching spells." Hermione continued, hissing at Harry and Ron like an angry goose.

"Go away!" Ron hissed back, glaring at the bushy haired girl.

"Alright fine, I will. But don't come crying to me when you get yourselves detention or expelled for this." She huffed, turning back to the portrait hole only to see the Fat Lady was gone leaving her portrait empty and leaving Hermione locked out of the tower. "Now what am I going to do?" She asked shrilly.

"That's your problem. We've got to go." Ron told her, walking off with Harry. Daisuke gives her friends a look before turning to Hermione with a reassuring smile.

"Come on, stick close to me. Demi and I will keep ya safe." She told the girl before walking off after Ron and Harry, Hermione hesitating a few moments before rushing off after her down the stairs.

"I'm only doing this so I don't get caught by Mr Filch, if he finds all four of us you can back me up when I say I was trying to stop you."

"I doubt he'd believe that." Daisuke replied, the two girls and Digimon catching up to Ron and Harry as they turned a corner and came to a stop making the girls share a look. "What is it?"

"Mrs Norris?" Ron answered yet it also sounded like a question, squinting his eyes looking through the dark. As they walked down the corridor, they saw instead of Mrs Norris, Neville curled up against the wall fast asleep, the unfortunate boy waking with a start as they crept closer.

"Thank goodness you're here. I've been locked out for hours, I couldn't remember the new password." He said quickly.

"Keep your voice down Neville." Harry hissed. "The password is pig snout, but it won't do you any good now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere. How's your arm?" he then asked.

"Oh, Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute." Neville chirped with a bright smile.

"Well, that's good news." Daisuke said, relieved the boy wasn't in pain anymore. "We'll see you shortly Neville, we have to head somewhere now."

"Don't leave me!" Neville pleaded, jumping to his feet, and grabbing her sleeve. "The Bloody Baron's been by twice already, can't I stick with you?" he asked.

Ron glared at him and Hermione before checking his watch. "If either of you get us caught, I won't rest until I've learned how to do the curse of the bogeys Professor Quirrell told us about and then used it on you." He warned them.

Hermione huffed and the five of them walked off, Demi-Veemon riding on Daisuke's head as they headed to the third floor and towards the trophy room, the corridors illuminated by the moonlight coming through the high windows.

"Hold up!" Demi-Veemon whispered quickly, the five stopping just outside the door to the trophy room when the Digimon perked up.

"What's wrong?" Daisuke asked, looking up at the dragon as he sniffed the air, his eyes widening in shock.

"I smell Mrs Norris!" he whispered, making their eyes go wide as they heard a voice from inside the trophy room.

"Sniff them out my sweet, they're probably hiding in the corners." It was Mr Filch, they could hear his footsteps as he walked through the room, Harry cautiously pushing open the door to peek inside and saw the man's lantern reflecting off some of the cups, shields, and plaques.

Harry made a shooing motion with his hand and the five of them began to back away from the door, once they were away from it, they turned and began heading off when a meow echoed in the corridor. They spun around and saw Mrs Norris poking out of the slightly open door.

"Run!" Daisuke hissed, pushing Neville and Hermione gently and they ran off, Demi-Veemon holding onto his partner's hair for dear life as they could hear Mr Filch begin to chase after them.

"How did he know we'd be there?" Ron asked.

"Talk later, run now!" Harry answered, they ran up a flight of stairs, turned down corners and then tore through a tapestry hanging over a door which they pushed open and shut behind them quickly and held it shut, all five panting heavily and waiting to see if Filch was still following.

"I think we lost him, and I think he didn't see us either." Daisuke said relieved, sliding down the door to catch her breath.

"Malfoy set us up." Ron grumbled after a moment, it was the only explanation as to why Mr Filch would be in the trophy room at midnight, he must have been tipped off they would be there.

"And just why would he do that?" Hermione huffed with a frown.

"Do you want that list in alphabetical or categorical?" Demi-Veemon replied with an innocent smile, Daisuke grinning and taking him into her hands as she walked down the corridor.

"This is the forbidden corridor on the third floor, isn't it?" she then asked, looking around the dark, dusty and cobweb ridden hallway.

"We're not supposed to be here." Neville whimpered.

"Of course not, it's forbidden." Hermione hissed. "We're going to get in so much trouble."

"Oh, shut up." Ron grumbled, the redhead walking down the corridor. "Let's try this door, maybe it's a passage that won't get us caught by Filch." He suggested, grabbing the door, and pulling only for the door not to budge. "Locked."

"Oh, move over." Hermione said, pushing him aside and drawing her wand. "Alohomora!" she said, waving her wand and the lock on the door clicked open and she opened the door, the others following her into the room.

"Alohomora?" Ron asked her.

"Standard Book of Spells, Chapter Seven. It's the unlocking spell." Daisuke answered with a smile, Hermione nodding with her own smile.

"Why was that door locked, you'd think they were hiding something." Ron then muttered.

"And for good reason." Neville squeaked, the others looked at the boy standing beside Harry, both slowly backing away.

"Oh my…" Daisuke whispered, there in front of them currently asleep was a massive three headed dog whose body filled most of the room, the three heads all began to yawn and slowly wake up from a long nap.

"The door…quick the door." Harry whispered as to not alert the dog to their presence. The three headed dog slowly stood up, towering over them and sniffed around before all three heads narrowed their eyes at the students.

"Out now!" shouted Daisuke, pushing the others through the door as the giant dog growled and tried to grab her with its jaws but she made it through, and they began pushing the door closed.

"Push, push!" Harry shouted.

"We are pushing!" Daisuke shouted back, one of the dog's heads pushing through the opening and snapping its jaws at them. "Demi!"

"Right!" the Digimon shouted, jumping off Daisuke's head as her D-3 she kept on her always began glowing and beeping loudly. "Demi-Veemon digivolve too…Veemon!" he shouted, glowing brightly before he became his Rookie form.

The other four kids looked at him surprised before he ran towards the monster's head. "Vee-Headbutt!" he rammed headfirst into the snout of the dog pushing it back into the room allowing the five kids to shut the door and lock it again.

"Nice work." Daisuke said, panting slightly from the effort of pushing the door closed and her partner grinned.

"No prob." He chirped, the two partners bumping fists before Daisuke turned to the others.

"Come on let's head back to Gryffindor Tower, we've been gone way too long. We need to make sure we don't get caught now we just escaped certain death."

The others nodded and quickly, they all rushed back to their house. The Fat Lady who had returned from her nightly visit to another painting looked at them all startled. "Where have you lot been? Do you have any idea what the time is?"

"Pig Snout!" the five of them said quickly, the woman frowning before she obliged, and the portrait swung open allowing them to enter the common room.

"So rude." She huffed, the portrait closing behind them as they hurried to their rooms.

"What were they thinking, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" Ron whispered as they walked up the spiral staircase.

"You don't use your eyes, do you. Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Hermione huffed, the others looking at her in disbelief.

"I wasn't looking at its feet, I was looking at its heads, I don't think you noticed, there were three!" Ron hissed angrily.

"I was standing on a trap door; it means it was put there for a reason. It's guarding something." Hermione continued as they reached the doors to their rooms.

This made the others stop and share a look. "Guarding something?" Harry asked, looking at her as she nodded.

"That's right. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed, before either of you find another way to get us all killed; or worse expelled." Hermione said, walking into the girl's room without another word.

"See you guys in the morning." Daisuke told her friends with a smile. "Goodnight Neville, I'm glad your wrist is better." She then said to the other boy who smiled at her shyly and waved as she and Veemon walked into the girl's room as well.

"Come on let's go to bed." Harry told Ron and Neville, the three walking into their dorm room and quickly climbing into bed and falling asleep, exhausted from the night's events.

The end of the chapter

Read and review