Disclaimer: See chap. 1
I'm going to start thanking some of my more common reviewers! Well, if my brain lets me remember. I have the attention span and short-term memory of a goldfish.
Bluegirl18: If I didn't have any suspense, how could I keep people reading?
The Unicorn and the Stag
Chapter 13
Rose was sitting at the desk in her office, listing ways that the Malfoys could have gotten into Gryffindor Tower. She had listed eighteen so far, and crossed out seventeen. The only possible way was that there was a traitor in Gryffindor. Someone must have told them the password. The two older Malfoys must have Apparated to somewhere just outside of the Hogwarts grounds and flown into the castle.
Her auburn hair brushed the ink again. Rose impatiently tossed it over her shoulder and stood up. Enough with the writing. She needed to get back to the common room and see if the professors were there yet. She grabbed a large, flat box from her closet and raced through the portrait hole.
Professor Snape had revived Draco and had performed the full Body-Bind and was tying him up. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy had also been revived. Professor Dumbledore was speaking to them, and Professor McGonagall was talking to the Golds about what had happened. Harry was attempting to tell the story without telling her that Sirius had been in Rose's room. He was currently explaining why they had been in Rose's room.
"We heard Mrs. Malfoy scream, and it sounded like she was in Professor Creek's room. We all went down there to see what had happened, and we saw them lying on the floor. Professor Creek said she'd caught them in her room so she'd Stunned them. She told us to tie them up and get each of you."
Professor McGonagall frowned. "You have no idea how they got into Gryffindor Tower?"
Rose stepped forward. "There is only one possible way, Professor. We must have a traitor in Gryffindor."
Everyone jumped. They had thought Rose was still in her office. Professor McGonagall did not look pleased. "Rosemary, may I speak to you for a moment?" Rose nodded and walked over to a corner.
"What really happened?" McGonagall asked.
"We were sitting in the common room when we heard someone coming. Everyone but Harry and I hid under the chairs and couches. We followed the Malfoys up to the prefects' room, but they just turned around and went to the fifth year boys' dorm. They didn't do anything there, either. After that it was the fifth year girls', but they left there, too. Then they went down to my room. Sirius was there. He Stunned them, but Narcissa Malfoy screamed before he did. That and me yelling at Sirius brought the other Golds down. I told them to tie up the Malfoys and get you professors."
McGonagall frowned again. "Rose, who would betray Gryffindor?"
Rose shrugged. "You're the head of house. You tell me."
"I have no earthly idea! And Rose, I want you to get some sleep! You've got a big day tomorrow!"
She nodded gratefully and walked down to her room. She was going into an enchanted sleep. Without any dreams.
*~*~*
The next day was October the seventeenth, Rose's birthday. Harry had bought her a gift several weeks ago, just to be prepared. He grabbed it, got dressed, and walked down to the Great Hall. He looked everywhere for Ron, but apparently he and Hermione had already gone to breakfast.
When he got to the Great Hall, he saw Ron and Hermione sitting next to her. That was unusual. Harry usually sat between them. As he got closer, he picked up the conversation they were having.
*Ron, where are we going?*
*It's a surprise.*
*Ronald Weasley, I demand you tell me where we are going!*
*I'll give you a hint. Broomsticks.*
*The Three Broomsticks?!*
* I've just gotta give the clue to the smartest of my friends.*
Are you insulting me?* Harry said with fake indignity.
Ron and Hermione whirled around. "Harry!" they said simultaneously. He grinned.
"Are you two going on a date?" he asked.
"No. We're joining the ranks of Voldemort," Hermione said.
"Don't say his name! Now Harry's got you infected!" Ron hissed.
"Lighten up, Ron. You'll scare her away," Harry said. "What'd you buy for Rose's birthday, anyways?"
"Same thing I bought you," Ron said.
"Another copy of the family history book I made you and four other books, too," Hermione said proudly.
"I got her a new magical music player and five CDs," Harry said.
"Ooo, I haven't seen one of those yet," Hermione squealed. "Mum and Dad won't give me enough money."
Harry looked up. "Oh, the mail's here."
A large tawny owl landed in front of him. It was carrying a Daily Prophet. At the sight of the large article on the front page, his jaw dropped.
MALFOY FAMILY BREAKS INTO GRYFFINDOR TOWER
Last night, Saturday the sixteenth of October, Lucius Malfoy, his wife Narcissa, and son Draco were caught in Gryffindor Tower. Witnesses say that they searched the Gryffindor rooms without actually taking or harming anyone or anything. When they proceeded into the personal room of Professor Rosemary Lillian Creek, they were Stunned by the professor herself. Nine young wizards and witches heard Mrs. Malfoy's scream and rushed into the room, wands out, ready to save their professor. The professor told them to tie up the Malfoys and get the headmaster. Professor Creek herself did not do any of these things herself, however, instead using the students to tie up the dangerous wizards and witch.
Mr. Lucius Malfoy has been fired from his post at the Ministry of Magic for currently unknown reasons. Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy has been fired from St. Mungo's Hospital, and their son Draco Malfoy has been expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for breaking into the common room of another house and entering the personal room of a professor without express permission.
The witnesses of this incident are names that many of us have heard before. The identical twin American Beaters from the national team, Alexa and Alice Bernard were here to visit their friend and former teammate, Professor Creek, a Ravenclaw and her Gryffindor twin set, Padma and Parvati Patil, the Weasly twins Fred and George Weasly, their younger brother Ronald Weasly, Muggle-born Hermione Granger, and none other than Harry Potter, the boy who lived.
-Rita Skeeter
The trio was speechless. Rita Skeeter, report something with no exaggeration? This was a first. And they had other things to rejoice about.
"Malfoy's been expelled!" Hermione shrieked.
"Forget Rose's birthday, we could throw a party just for that!" Harry yelled.
Every Gryffindor made a rush for the nearest Daily Prophet. Apparently, Malfoy hadn't been too popular with any of the Gryffindors. Hermione hid her wand under the table and sent out red and gold sparks. Harry looked at Malfoy, who was eating his last meal at Hogwarts. He was looking even more surly than usual. Harry saw the Weasley twins grin and pull out their wands. Harry grinned, too. He knew what they would do; he'd seen them practicing. They had pointed their wands at Malfoy and muttered something under their breath. Suddenly, Malfoy's hair started flashing red and gold. Everyone in the Great Hall laughed, even the teachers. Even Snape.
I'm going to start thanking some of my more common reviewers! Well, if my brain lets me remember. I have the attention span and short-term memory of a goldfish.
Bluegirl18: If I didn't have any suspense, how could I keep people reading?
The Unicorn and the Stag
Chapter 13
Rose was sitting at the desk in her office, listing ways that the Malfoys could have gotten into Gryffindor Tower. She had listed eighteen so far, and crossed out seventeen. The only possible way was that there was a traitor in Gryffindor. Someone must have told them the password. The two older Malfoys must have Apparated to somewhere just outside of the Hogwarts grounds and flown into the castle.
Her auburn hair brushed the ink again. Rose impatiently tossed it over her shoulder and stood up. Enough with the writing. She needed to get back to the common room and see if the professors were there yet. She grabbed a large, flat box from her closet and raced through the portrait hole.
Professor Snape had revived Draco and had performed the full Body-Bind and was tying him up. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy had also been revived. Professor Dumbledore was speaking to them, and Professor McGonagall was talking to the Golds about what had happened. Harry was attempting to tell the story without telling her that Sirius had been in Rose's room. He was currently explaining why they had been in Rose's room.
"We heard Mrs. Malfoy scream, and it sounded like she was in Professor Creek's room. We all went down there to see what had happened, and we saw them lying on the floor. Professor Creek said she'd caught them in her room so she'd Stunned them. She told us to tie them up and get each of you."
Professor McGonagall frowned. "You have no idea how they got into Gryffindor Tower?"
Rose stepped forward. "There is only one possible way, Professor. We must have a traitor in Gryffindor."
Everyone jumped. They had thought Rose was still in her office. Professor McGonagall did not look pleased. "Rosemary, may I speak to you for a moment?" Rose nodded and walked over to a corner.
"What really happened?" McGonagall asked.
"We were sitting in the common room when we heard someone coming. Everyone but Harry and I hid under the chairs and couches. We followed the Malfoys up to the prefects' room, but they just turned around and went to the fifth year boys' dorm. They didn't do anything there, either. After that it was the fifth year girls', but they left there, too. Then they went down to my room. Sirius was there. He Stunned them, but Narcissa Malfoy screamed before he did. That and me yelling at Sirius brought the other Golds down. I told them to tie up the Malfoys and get you professors."
McGonagall frowned again. "Rose, who would betray Gryffindor?"
Rose shrugged. "You're the head of house. You tell me."
"I have no earthly idea! And Rose, I want you to get some sleep! You've got a big day tomorrow!"
She nodded gratefully and walked down to her room. She was going into an enchanted sleep. Without any dreams.
*~*~*
The next day was October the seventeenth, Rose's birthday. Harry had bought her a gift several weeks ago, just to be prepared. He grabbed it, got dressed, and walked down to the Great Hall. He looked everywhere for Ron, but apparently he and Hermione had already gone to breakfast.
When he got to the Great Hall, he saw Ron and Hermione sitting next to her. That was unusual. Harry usually sat between them. As he got closer, he picked up the conversation they were having.
*Ron, where are we going?*
*It's a surprise.*
*Ronald Weasley, I demand you tell me where we are going!*
*I'll give you a hint. Broomsticks.*
*The Three Broomsticks?!*
* I've just gotta give the clue to the smartest of my friends.*
Are you insulting me?* Harry said with fake indignity.
Ron and Hermione whirled around. "Harry!" they said simultaneously. He grinned.
"Are you two going on a date?" he asked.
"No. We're joining the ranks of Voldemort," Hermione said.
"Don't say his name! Now Harry's got you infected!" Ron hissed.
"Lighten up, Ron. You'll scare her away," Harry said. "What'd you buy for Rose's birthday, anyways?"
"Same thing I bought you," Ron said.
"Another copy of the family history book I made you and four other books, too," Hermione said proudly.
"I got her a new magical music player and five CDs," Harry said.
"Ooo, I haven't seen one of those yet," Hermione squealed. "Mum and Dad won't give me enough money."
Harry looked up. "Oh, the mail's here."
A large tawny owl landed in front of him. It was carrying a Daily Prophet. At the sight of the large article on the front page, his jaw dropped.
MALFOY FAMILY BREAKS INTO GRYFFINDOR TOWER
Last night, Saturday the sixteenth of October, Lucius Malfoy, his wife Narcissa, and son Draco were caught in Gryffindor Tower. Witnesses say that they searched the Gryffindor rooms without actually taking or harming anyone or anything. When they proceeded into the personal room of Professor Rosemary Lillian Creek, they were Stunned by the professor herself. Nine young wizards and witches heard Mrs. Malfoy's scream and rushed into the room, wands out, ready to save their professor. The professor told them to tie up the Malfoys and get the headmaster. Professor Creek herself did not do any of these things herself, however, instead using the students to tie up the dangerous wizards and witch.
Mr. Lucius Malfoy has been fired from his post at the Ministry of Magic for currently unknown reasons. Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy has been fired from St. Mungo's Hospital, and their son Draco Malfoy has been expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for breaking into the common room of another house and entering the personal room of a professor without express permission.
The witnesses of this incident are names that many of us have heard before. The identical twin American Beaters from the national team, Alexa and Alice Bernard were here to visit their friend and former teammate, Professor Creek, a Ravenclaw and her Gryffindor twin set, Padma and Parvati Patil, the Weasly twins Fred and George Weasly, their younger brother Ronald Weasly, Muggle-born Hermione Granger, and none other than Harry Potter, the boy who lived.
-Rita Skeeter
The trio was speechless. Rita Skeeter, report something with no exaggeration? This was a first. And they had other things to rejoice about.
"Malfoy's been expelled!" Hermione shrieked.
"Forget Rose's birthday, we could throw a party just for that!" Harry yelled.
Every Gryffindor made a rush for the nearest Daily Prophet. Apparently, Malfoy hadn't been too popular with any of the Gryffindors. Hermione hid her wand under the table and sent out red and gold sparks. Harry looked at Malfoy, who was eating his last meal at Hogwarts. He was looking even more surly than usual. Harry saw the Weasley twins grin and pull out their wands. Harry grinned, too. He knew what they would do; he'd seen them practicing. They had pointed their wands at Malfoy and muttered something under their breath. Suddenly, Malfoy's hair started flashing red and gold. Everyone in the Great Hall laughed, even the teachers. Even Snape.