DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter although I often wish I did.
Sorry to those of you who were waiting for Chapter 3 to come out. I got one of those bouts of laziness. :) I hope you enjoy this. I really, really hope you do. And if you don't, it's because I'm an amateur so you can't blame me. MUAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!
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Malcolm Baddock, a second year student, made his way back to the Slytherin dormitory. He had a contented smile on his face. He had just won a bet with Pansy Parkinson (how many Butterbeers before Crabbe throws up). He wondered what he was going to do with his 10 Galleons. He was just about to turn the corner to the Slytherin dormitory when he heard unfamiliar voices. He stopped in his tracks and listened intently to the conversation (if you could call it that).
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"Black serpent … rotten pumpkins … twiddle-dee-do?"
"Ron, it's no use trying to guess the password," Hermione snapped from where she sat. Ron shrugged at her.
"It wouldn't hurt, would it?" he said turning back towards the portrait. "Erm … … … SsssssSssSsssSssssSss?" Ron attempted Parsel Tongue.
"That can't be right, Ron," Hermione said standing up from where she had waited the last 5 minutes for a Slytherin student to pass. She went and stood beside Ron facing the portrait.
"You're right. That's a bit silly." Ron agreed. "How about … … … SssSssssSssssSssSssssss?" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"That's what you just said!" Hermione exclaimed impatiently.
"No, it's not," Ron protested. "See, the first time I tried it, I let the first syllable linger a bit …"
Harry was sitting on the floor beside the portrait. He listened to Ron and Hermione's bickering for a while before their voices were drowned out by his thoughts. Getting the password would be harder than he thought. He couldn't imagine any Slytherin eagerly giving him the password ("Hey, Harry! What? You want the Slytherin password? Sure, I'll give it to ya!"). HIM. Of all people!
Maybe he could bribe them. A few Galleons might do the trick. A couple of Butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks during their next trip to Hogsmeade or maybe offer him/her a treat at Honeydukes Sweetshop. Yes, those seemed like reasonable gestures to get the password. Now the only problem was to get a Slytherin student to accept his offer. This would have been a hard task if Harry was not jinxed at the moment. Unfortunately, he was. It was going to be an impossible task.
"What are you three doing here?" an inquisitive voice broke his thoughts. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at Malcolm Baddock who stood near the corner. "How did you find this entrance?"
The trio exchanged apprehensive glances. "Er …" Ron and Hermione began.
"What entrance?" "We stumbled upon it!" They said at the same time. They looked at each other, panic starting to build up, as they said, "I mean …"
"Trying to get in, are you?" Malcolm questioned them with confidence. He had noticed their dread of being caught red-handedly up-to-no-good. "Wouldn't be too much of a task, now, would it? Once you have the password, I mean …" He smiled cunningly. Trying to keep the tension from rising anymore, Ron laughed half-heartedly at Malcolm's accurateness.
"What would make you think that *we* want the password?" Ron said with nervous laughter, which slowly died down as he figured he was not helping the situation.
Harry had stood up. He gave his friends a look that said, "Now's our chance, right?" They nodded knowingly. Harry put on his sweetest smile (or at least, a voluntary face muscle action which he only *thought* was sweet) and turned to face Malcolm Baddock.
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Oh, my God, what are they doing? Malcolm thought. The three Gryffindors were facing him. Harry was in front with Ron close behind to his left and Hermione behind his right. They were advancing slowly towards him – sardonically masochistic (A/N: NOT the dirty meaning, okay, people?) smiles plastered across their faces. His confidence slowly withered away. He backed away from them.
"Wha-what do you want from me?" Malcolm stammered.
"Nothing, nothing at all, er, Michael," Hermione answered sweetly.
"It's Marty … I think," Ron whispered to Hermione. To Malcolm, he said, "Marty, old pal! How are ya?"
"It's Malcolm and whatever it is you're going to do to me, I'll … I'll tell Snape!" Harry flinched slightly at the name. The idea of ditching his friends now lingered for a moment on his mind before he reluctantly brushed it aside.
"I told you it was Malcolm," Hermione hissed at Ron before saying to the Slytherin boy who was most uncomfortable about their manner, "Malcolm, of course, was that not what I said just now?"
Malcolm shook his head. "You said Mic-"
"But that's not the point, Mervin," Ron snapped. Then in a lighter tone he said, "We need to ask you to do us a favour."
"Err …"
"You see, we need the password to the Slytherin dormitory and word around says that you have it," Hermione said feeling smug about what she had just said.
"Wh-why do y-you wanna get inside our d-dormitory?" Malcolm asked, cautious of their every move.
"Um, because …" Hermione looked at her friends for help.
"Er, Hermione left her Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5 inside," Ron cried out. "And she really, really needs it for … for her homework!"
"No, I finished my ho-" Harry slapped his hand on Hermione's mouth before she could blurt out something that would give them away.
"What's her book doing in the Slytherin dormitory?" Malcolm asked, puzzled.
"Er, she lent it to–"
"Look, we'll give you a Firebolt if you tell us!" Hermione said after pulling away Harry's hand. Malcolm brightened a bit after hearing this and considered.
"Really? Where are you going to get one?"
"From … the Gryffindor Seeker!"
Harry smacked his forehead.
"What?!" Ron cried out. "He's not going to give it to us!"
"Why not?" Hermione said. "I reckon if we asked him nicely-"
"D'you know how much a Firebolt costs, Hermione? Of course he's not going to give it away! He loves it too much to give it away!" Ron interrupted her. Hermione fought back ("Oh, yeah?! But what are friends for, then?") and she and Ron started another petty argument.
Malcolm recollected his view on reality. Horrified that he actually considered giving Harry Potter and Friends the Slytherin password and sure that they weren't paying attention to him anymore, he briskly walked away.
Harry looked up just as Malcolm was turning the corner. He motioned to his friends that Malcolm was getting away but Ron and Hermione didn't seem to notice Harry. He let out an impatient sigh and went after Baddock.
In a few seconds, Harry was right behind him. He reached out to tap Baddock's shoulder but was interrupted when Ron and Hermione came rushing towards him.
"Hey! Wait for us!" Ron and Hermione cried. When Baddock heard this, he took a look around, saw Harry behind him and ran. Harry gave his friends an irritated look and ran after Baddock. Ron and Hermione followed.
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After a few hundred metres, Malcolm slowed down. He passed Draco Malfoy with a nod. Crabbe and Goyle were behind him (Crabbe looked a slight tinge of green). He turned the corner.
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Harry turned the corner and stopped abruptly causing Ron and Hermione to crash into him and send the trio falling to the ground. Harry got up hurriedly. He had seen Draco, Crabbe and Goyle standing some 50 metres ahead looking at a statue.
"Malfoy and Crabbe and Goyle, oh my!" Ron cried (A/N: Sorry, readers, I couldn't resist!). Harry quickly pulled him and Hermione up and hastily they turned around.
"Now, what?" Ron asked.
"We go back to the Slytherin dormitory entrance!" Hermione answered.
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When Malcolm was sure he wasn't being followed, he walked back to the Slytherin dormitory, slowly catching his breath. When he reached the portrait, he whispered, "Peachy keen." The portrait swung open. He was about to enter when …
"Milford! There you are!" Ron cried out happily. "Boy, are we relieved we found you! You know for a moment there, we thought we'd – "
THUD.
Malcolm fainted at the sight of them. His sanity could only take so much.
"Oh, dear," Hermione said. "Shall we take him to Madam Pomfrey?"
"Nah, I think we should just enter the dormitory," Ron replied. As they entered the entrance, he muttered to his friends, "If you ask me, he should stay away from those Butterbeers …"
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If you ask me, that sucked. Big time. So sorry you had to go through that. Flames welcome! I thought I'd have a barbeque this Sat!
Oh, and if JK Rowling mentioned anything about the Slytherin dormitory entrance in one of her books before, I can't remember and therefore I can't care.
