Ok, I know this is a bit short but I'm having a bit of writers-block and so
I just did the best I could... Please r&r! Oh, ja, the beginning and middle
might be a bit boring, but I think the end is more exciting...
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"I challenge you!" and a discovery...
In the morning, just like the one before, a big flock of owls flew in through the windows, delivering letters or merely stooping by to nibble their owner's ear and to get a bite off ham like Hedwig did. This morning was different however, as Hedwig landed on Harry's shoulder and held out her foot. Tied to it was a small note, which Harry carefully untied.
Dear Harry, (it read, in messy writing) I know that you have Friday afternoon off and I hope that you'll care to drop by to tell me how your first week went. Cheers!
Hagrid
Turning the bit of parchment over Harry scribbled a hasty reply with Ron's quill.
Ok, see you then! –Harry
"Hermione!!!" Eleanor said rushing in, face pink from running, "Guess what!"
"What?" Hermione replied curiously, it was not often that she found Eleanor running for no good reason.
"Cho!" Eleanor grasped, clutching her stitch.
"Cho, what?" Hermione asked again.
"CHO'S HERE AT HOGWARTS!!!" she shouted excitedly, "CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?!"
"REALLY!!!" Hermione said happily, "Oh! That is SO great!!!"
"I met her near the entrance when I went to get my books!" Eleanor said excitedly, "We saw each other at the same time, and we practically screamed! I couldn't believe my eyes! Everyone stared at us and we just laughed our head off!"
"Who's Cho?" Harry asked.
"She was her best-friend in Primary!" Hermione answered rolling her eyes at Eleanor, "We went to the Bath Academy for The Magical Lessons! It's a prestige school, we went there with Cho!"
"I never believed her to be a witch!" Eleanor exclaimed, "I mean she was just like all the everyone else, only really smart and pretty!"
"Hmmm..." Hermione replied, "But I thought it was a bit strange when she didn't tell us her exact location of her new College... and there was that time when she fell off that monkey-bar, I swore she broke her neck! But she was fine!"
"If it was a school for the 'Magical Lessons'," Harry asked curiously, "Then why didn't they all the Muggles suspect something?"
"Well," Hermione explained, "you see 'Magical Lessons' doesn't mean real magic, it just means that the lessons taught there are very good! It's a really strict private school, where only children from well-to-do familys' can go. It's strange... because somehow, lots of the witches and wizards children attend it, and I bet that less than half off them were Muggles."
"Yeah," Eleanor said, "We never knew who was one and who wasn't. All we knew was that we weren't allowed to say a thing, about magic, we just learned what every normal muggle child would have learned. All our teachers were witches or wizards though and a few of the muggles that graduated went to Hogwarts."
"Come to think off it..." Hermione wondered, "I think that they hand-select the muggle children, like they did with us, who have the potential to become a witch or wizard, and help and coach them along the way, without us noticing. As well as teaching the children of magical heritage."
"I heard off a school like that," Ron said interested, "My parents wanted to send me there so that I could mix with other witches and wizards, but when they saw the fee, they decided to send me another school instead."
"Anyway," Eleanor continued, "Cho said we should meet her on Friday afternoon in the Library, she said that we don't have lessons then and that she'll love to see you!"
After leaving the Gryffindor table Harry felt many eyes and whispers follow him as he walked to his lessons. The day before he hadn't really noticed them, due to the rushing and excitement. But today it really stood out.
"Over there!"
"Where?"
"Next to that girl with black hair and that red-head!"
"Wow!"
"So that's REALLY him!"
"Yeah, did you see his face?"
"and his scar?"
Conversations like this followed Harry everywhere. People pointing, staring and whispering. Some girls actually bumped into him on purpose, blushing and excusing themselves trying to make friends with Harry. It made him feel sick, sick, sick. He nearly even thought of getting Eleanor to link arms with him so that it hopefully stop. He never imagined it being like this. Eleanor noticed it too, obviously, but only said "Just leave it Harry, it'll die down eventually." Ron looked like he was rather enjoying it; Hermione just ignored it and pretended she saw nothing.
"Transfiguration is one of the most complex arts of the magical world," professor McGonagall taught her pupils, the Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs, "Therefore I'll stand no nonsense or misbehavior. Those who choose to fool around with be dealt with severely!"
"Now does anyone know anything about Transfiguration?" She asked. Hermione's hand speared the air in response. "Miss Granger?"
"Transfiguration is the art of changing or transfiguring one thing to another. It is quite simple to transform a small object, and it gets harder and harder if you try bigger ones."
"Excellent Miss Granger!" professor McGonagall exclaimed, "Two points to Gryffindor!" Hermione looked smugly around her before settling down, causing Ron to roll his eyes.
"Are there any other things you know about Transfiguration?" Eleanor put her hand up. "Go ahead Miss Granger!"
"I heard... that there are people who can turn themselves into animals at wish, without the aid of a wand or spell. They are called animagus, I think." Eleanor said.
"Well done!" her teacher said, "That is all correct, we will be learning more about the subject when you are in your fourth year. Another two points to Gryffindor!"
The class flew by quickly as they were trying to transform a beetle to a button. Neville blasting his beetle to pieces, scorching a hole in the desk; Ron squashing his, with his wand; Harry's beetle dodging his spell and running away; and Hermione's and Eleanor turning into bright copper buttons.
Soon they found themselves sitting in the Great Hall helping them to a warm lunch. "So Potter had fun in detention?" Malfoy sneered walking past flanged by his cronies.
"I don't know what you're talking about Malfoy." Harry said not even bothering to turn around, "So just go away and go talk nonsense to someone else!"
Malfoy's eyes widened, "Surely you got detention after what you did!"
"No, he didn't!" Eleanor replied, "So just stroll off! If you're lost, look for other people with the same colour tie as you!" "Feeling overconfident are we?" Malfoy said softly, "We'll see about that!"
"I challenge you to a duel!" he said, "A proper wizarding duel, you know? Or doesn't the famous celebrity Harry Potter not know what a wizarding duel is?" Seeing Harry's confused face.
"Of course he does!" Ron said.
"What time?" Harry replied coolly, ignoring Hermione's "No Harry! Don't accept! Don't do it!"
"Midnight, in the astromy tower!" Malfoy said.
"I'm his second!" Ron said firmly, Malfoy turned around and looked at his orangutan pals, "Goyle's mine!" and he walked off.
"Umm... Ron?" Harry asked when Malfoy and his gang were well out of earshot, "What's a wizarding duel like and what do you mean by you're my second?"
"A wizarding duel is where you throw spells and curses at your enemy." Ron explained, "And I'm your second, as in take over if you die."
"But that won't happen, as both of you don't know any spells well enough to cause any damage of much concern." He added seeing Harry gulp at the 'if you die' bit.
"Harry!" Eleanor said seriously, "Malfoy is more likely to know more spells and curses than the entire first year put together! He comes from a pureblood wizarding family. His father was a follower of Voldemort!" Ron and Hermione's flinching at the mentioning of the Dark Lord's name, "Malfoy is bound to know some curses at least. I doubt his daddy would let him come to Hogwarts without a good amount of spells ready to use when the occasion arises." Eleanor continued ignoring their flinches.
"But yesterday you told him he probably didn't know any spells!" Ron said forgetting his crush, "You're just contradicting yourself!"
"Yes, I am," Eleanor admitted, "Because now when I think about him challenging Harry to a duel, he's bound to know some spells! What's the point of challenging someone when you know any!" she said causing Ron to blush with embarrassment and go quite.
Now it was Hermione's turn to nag... "Harry, I think it's very selfish of you to do this!" she said, "Think of the points you'll loose for Gryffindor if you get caught!"
"He won't!" Ron snapped.
"And just after Eleanor and I got those points in Transfiguration!" Hermione continued ignoring Ron, "Wouldn't you like to see the House Cup ours this year? Doing this doesn't help it in anyway!"
The rest of the day didn't go on as pleasantly as it started, with Ron's constant hints, such as "Try any spell you know, and if it doesn't work throw your wand aside and punch him in the face or something." "Try stand at the opposite side of the stairs to that Malfoy or Goyle can't push you down the stairs." making his stomach lurge with nerves.
Hermione also chose not to give up persuading Harry not to go, "It's just stupid Harry! Malfoy probably didn't even expect you to accept!" "You'll get into SO much trouble if you get caught! One for being out of bed and two for dueling with Malfoy!" Eleanor just didn't say anything; Harry supposed she disagreed with him, just worrying about his safety more than the points that could get lost in the process.
When Ron and Harry left went to bed they left their clothes on and waited silently for the clock to tick twelve. Finally they heard the soft ding- dong in the common room and they got up to leave. Everything was quite and dark, the fires had been extinguished in the common room, the armchairs and tables casting deranged shapes across the floor.
"So still going, are we?" a cold girls voice asked.
"God! Hermione!" Harry said shocked,
"and Eleanor." Eleanor said turning around in her chair.
"What are you two doing here?" Ron asked shocked, "Go back to bed!"
"Not unless you go!" Hermione said angrily, "I think it's really, really selfish of you! You know how high the chances are that you'll get lost, get into trouble or get hurt are?" she said following them out of the portrait hole.
"Not only that," Eleanor added, "What if you get caught by Percy, Ron? I can guarantee that you'll get a red envelope next morning! Just don't go Harry! Don't go!" she said with pleading eyes.
"Will you just shut-up and go back!" Harry finally hissed.
"Fine we will!" Hermione snapped, "But don't say we didn't warn you!" The two girls turned around to re-enter, but found themselves staring at an empty painting. "Damn!" Eleanor swore. "Well see you two in the morning!" Ron said and walked off with Harry.
"Wait! Don't go!" Eleanor said, "You're not leaving us here, we'll follow you! I can help with some spells!" Excitement flashing across her face. "If we get caught," Hermione said crossly, "I'll tell them exactly what happened!" "Fine!" Ron said, "Just shut up!"
When they reached the Astronomy Tower at ten past twelve, they found it deserted. "I knew it!" Hermione said crossly, "It was all a stupid trick!" Harry realized with a sinking stomach that she was probably right.
"Damn that Malfoy!" Ron cursed.
"Be quiet!" Eleanor whispered, "Both of you! If this is a trick, he must have told a teacher that you two would be out off bed, so just be quiet, if you don't want a weeks worth of detention!" They all stood with their backs against the cold stonewall, shaking and shivering at the sounds of the night.
"So are we just going to stand here until day?" Ron asked sarcastically, "Or are we going to try and get back?"
"Follow me!" Eleanor replied and she led them down another set of stairs, "This way they won't find us!"
"Shhhh!" Harry hissed, "I think I hear something." They all froze all strained their ears, soon enough they heard a distinct mocking voice of no- other than Peeves.
"Eeeeh! Ickly Firsties out off bed!!!" He said, "What are you doing here? Got lost on the way to the loo?"
"Peeves, will you go away!" Harry begged.
"What's the magic word?" Peeves teased.
"This is no time for games Peeves!" Hermione said, "Just go away!"
"Well, you had your chance!" Peeves grinned, "STUDENTS OUT OFF BED!!!"
"Please, Peeves! Will you please be quiet and go away!" Eleanor pleaded, "Please?"
"Too late Missy!" Peeves replied, "STUDENTS OUT OFF BED!!!"
"RUN!!!" Harry yelled, and they all sprinted down another corridor just as Flich's greasy voice sounded around the corner.
"Peeves!" Flich said, "This better not be a stupid prank! Now where are they?"
"Peeves not telling unless he gets the magic word!" Peeves said bobbing up and down above the caretaker's head.
"This way!" Ron said and they ran down the staircase and down a small passageway. They reached a small door. "It won't open!!!" Harry said desperately. They heard footsteps near them.
"Alohamora!" Hermione said and the door opened with a click, they all rushed in and breathed a sigh off relief.
"What is this place?" Ron asked brushing a cobweb off his sleeve.
"H-harry..." Eleanor said softly, pulling Harry's sleeve, "l-l-look!"
Harry looked up and saw the most horrible, monstrous creature he has ever imagined. A big, no huge, dog was standing inches away from them. It's body took up the entire space from the floor to the ceiling. But that wasn't the worst thing, it three heads. Each head having a big smelly, dripping mouth with large protruding fangs, capable of ripping them up in a matter of seconds.
They only reason why it hadn't ripped them up yet, was that it was so surprised that dinner had suddenly appeared in front of it. It was slowly getting over that and Harry took the advantage off wrecking the door open and pushing them all through, slamming the door closed on it's three heads.
They ran all the way back to the Gryffindor tower, panting and huffing when they reached the Pink Lady, "Where have you youngsters been?" she asked.
"Pig snout!"
"Why the heck would they keep such a thing locked up in a place like that?" Ron said once the were safely back in the common room, "I mean the least they could do is give it a bit off exercise and sunlight, look at it!"
"Didn't you look at what it was standing on?" Eleanor asked.
"Well, no!" Harry said crossly, "I was just a bit busy looking at his heads, what about you?"
"He or it was standing on a trapdoor!" Eleanor said matter-of-factly, "Do I need to spell it out for you? That dog is guarding something!"
"WELL!" Hermione said, getting over her shock and becoming moody and cross again, "I would like to go to bed now! Before any of you think of any more crazy ideas that could get us killed, or even worse, expelled!" and she turned around and walked back to her dormitory.
"Geez! She's talking as if we dragged her along or something!" Ron said, "She has a major problem!"
"Hmmm..." Harry replied, "Well, night Eleanor." Wondering why she hadn't followed Hermione.
"Good-night!" she replied, "I wanted Hermione to sleep before me, so she wouldn't stay up the night talking about it and making Lavender and Parvrati suspicious." And she too retired for the night.
The week flew by quickly and soon Harry and Ron, (Hermione and Eleanor choose to ignore them pretend they didn't exist after the three-headed doggy incident) found themselves sitting in Hagrid's hut, helping themselves to Hagrid's rock-cakes.
"Urrgghh!" Ron exclaimed biting into one off them, "What did you put in them?"
"I'm not absolutely sure, Ron!" Hagrid replied cheerfully, "What? Do they taste bad?"
"No, just different," Harry quickly replied, "I'm just a little full, from lunch." He lied as he gave Hagrid back the rock like muffin; the truth was that tey tasted like cardboard.
As Ron and Hagrid talked about all the trouble Fred and George managed to get into, Harry noticed a newspaper article lying on the tea table. He picked it up and read it. It was about a break-in at Gringrotts the wizarding back in Daigon Alley on the 31st of July.
"Hey Hagrid?" Harry asked holding up the article, "Weren't we at Gringrotts on my birthday?"
"Yes... Hagrid slowly replied, "I think we were... why?"
"Because there was a break-in, in the fault we went to," Harry continued, "Not mine but the one where you took the package from."
"Well... that's non of yer business Harry," Hagrid said gruffly, "it's Hogwarts business!"
Ron and Harry tried to get it out of Hagrid, but gave up and changed the subject to Snape.
"I just don't get it!" Harry said, "Why does he hate me so much? I never did anything to him!"
"I don't know, Harry!" Hagrid said, "I think he must have bin in a foul mood!"
Ron snorted, "For the whole week? Nah, I think he just hates all the Gryffindors!"
"Ah! Minerva!" Albus Dumbledore exclaimed, "I have been expecting you to pop in sometime."
"Good evening!" she replied, "I think you'll know why I'm here." "To tell me how your first week went?" Dumbledore guessed.
"Well yes... and no..." McGonagall said, "It's about one of my students. I saw her... I mean I taught her a few times this week."
"Miss Granger?"
"Yes, she really puzzles me!" she said, "She looks so familiar and she is so different from her sister!"
She's smart and gets all the spells I teach her right in the first shot. She's smart like her sister, but in a different way."
And what haunts me the most is that smile. I have seen it before, that pleased smile that I got when I awarded Gryffindor two points, the smile that makes me feel young and that makes me feel that she is a good and honest girl."
"I see what you mean..." Dumbledore said, "But I haven't seen it during this week so I can't say, but I must admit that she looks very familiar, not only her smile but her eyes. It reminds me of one that died so long ago."
"You don't think?" she grasped, "No it can't be!"
"I don't think so either Minerva..." Professor Dumbledore said, "But we'll know in time..."
"I mean they're really dead! Aren't they?" she persisted.
"Yes... they are." Dumbledore said sadly, "Good night!"
"Good night!"
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"I challenge you!" and a discovery...
In the morning, just like the one before, a big flock of owls flew in through the windows, delivering letters or merely stooping by to nibble their owner's ear and to get a bite off ham like Hedwig did. This morning was different however, as Hedwig landed on Harry's shoulder and held out her foot. Tied to it was a small note, which Harry carefully untied.
Dear Harry, (it read, in messy writing) I know that you have Friday afternoon off and I hope that you'll care to drop by to tell me how your first week went. Cheers!
Hagrid
Turning the bit of parchment over Harry scribbled a hasty reply with Ron's quill.
Ok, see you then! –Harry
"Hermione!!!" Eleanor said rushing in, face pink from running, "Guess what!"
"What?" Hermione replied curiously, it was not often that she found Eleanor running for no good reason.
"Cho!" Eleanor grasped, clutching her stitch.
"Cho, what?" Hermione asked again.
"CHO'S HERE AT HOGWARTS!!!" she shouted excitedly, "CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?!"
"REALLY!!!" Hermione said happily, "Oh! That is SO great!!!"
"I met her near the entrance when I went to get my books!" Eleanor said excitedly, "We saw each other at the same time, and we practically screamed! I couldn't believe my eyes! Everyone stared at us and we just laughed our head off!"
"Who's Cho?" Harry asked.
"She was her best-friend in Primary!" Hermione answered rolling her eyes at Eleanor, "We went to the Bath Academy for The Magical Lessons! It's a prestige school, we went there with Cho!"
"I never believed her to be a witch!" Eleanor exclaimed, "I mean she was just like all the everyone else, only really smart and pretty!"
"Hmmm..." Hermione replied, "But I thought it was a bit strange when she didn't tell us her exact location of her new College... and there was that time when she fell off that monkey-bar, I swore she broke her neck! But she was fine!"
"If it was a school for the 'Magical Lessons'," Harry asked curiously, "Then why didn't they all the Muggles suspect something?"
"Well," Hermione explained, "you see 'Magical Lessons' doesn't mean real magic, it just means that the lessons taught there are very good! It's a really strict private school, where only children from well-to-do familys' can go. It's strange... because somehow, lots of the witches and wizards children attend it, and I bet that less than half off them were Muggles."
"Yeah," Eleanor said, "We never knew who was one and who wasn't. All we knew was that we weren't allowed to say a thing, about magic, we just learned what every normal muggle child would have learned. All our teachers were witches or wizards though and a few of the muggles that graduated went to Hogwarts."
"Come to think off it..." Hermione wondered, "I think that they hand-select the muggle children, like they did with us, who have the potential to become a witch or wizard, and help and coach them along the way, without us noticing. As well as teaching the children of magical heritage."
"I heard off a school like that," Ron said interested, "My parents wanted to send me there so that I could mix with other witches and wizards, but when they saw the fee, they decided to send me another school instead."
"Anyway," Eleanor continued, "Cho said we should meet her on Friday afternoon in the Library, she said that we don't have lessons then and that she'll love to see you!"
After leaving the Gryffindor table Harry felt many eyes and whispers follow him as he walked to his lessons. The day before he hadn't really noticed them, due to the rushing and excitement. But today it really stood out.
"Over there!"
"Where?"
"Next to that girl with black hair and that red-head!"
"Wow!"
"So that's REALLY him!"
"Yeah, did you see his face?"
"and his scar?"
Conversations like this followed Harry everywhere. People pointing, staring and whispering. Some girls actually bumped into him on purpose, blushing and excusing themselves trying to make friends with Harry. It made him feel sick, sick, sick. He nearly even thought of getting Eleanor to link arms with him so that it hopefully stop. He never imagined it being like this. Eleanor noticed it too, obviously, but only said "Just leave it Harry, it'll die down eventually." Ron looked like he was rather enjoying it; Hermione just ignored it and pretended she saw nothing.
"Transfiguration is one of the most complex arts of the magical world," professor McGonagall taught her pupils, the Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs, "Therefore I'll stand no nonsense or misbehavior. Those who choose to fool around with be dealt with severely!"
"Now does anyone know anything about Transfiguration?" She asked. Hermione's hand speared the air in response. "Miss Granger?"
"Transfiguration is the art of changing or transfiguring one thing to another. It is quite simple to transform a small object, and it gets harder and harder if you try bigger ones."
"Excellent Miss Granger!" professor McGonagall exclaimed, "Two points to Gryffindor!" Hermione looked smugly around her before settling down, causing Ron to roll his eyes.
"Are there any other things you know about Transfiguration?" Eleanor put her hand up. "Go ahead Miss Granger!"
"I heard... that there are people who can turn themselves into animals at wish, without the aid of a wand or spell. They are called animagus, I think." Eleanor said.
"Well done!" her teacher said, "That is all correct, we will be learning more about the subject when you are in your fourth year. Another two points to Gryffindor!"
The class flew by quickly as they were trying to transform a beetle to a button. Neville blasting his beetle to pieces, scorching a hole in the desk; Ron squashing his, with his wand; Harry's beetle dodging his spell and running away; and Hermione's and Eleanor turning into bright copper buttons.
Soon they found themselves sitting in the Great Hall helping them to a warm lunch. "So Potter had fun in detention?" Malfoy sneered walking past flanged by his cronies.
"I don't know what you're talking about Malfoy." Harry said not even bothering to turn around, "So just go away and go talk nonsense to someone else!"
Malfoy's eyes widened, "Surely you got detention after what you did!"
"No, he didn't!" Eleanor replied, "So just stroll off! If you're lost, look for other people with the same colour tie as you!" "Feeling overconfident are we?" Malfoy said softly, "We'll see about that!"
"I challenge you to a duel!" he said, "A proper wizarding duel, you know? Or doesn't the famous celebrity Harry Potter not know what a wizarding duel is?" Seeing Harry's confused face.
"Of course he does!" Ron said.
"What time?" Harry replied coolly, ignoring Hermione's "No Harry! Don't accept! Don't do it!"
"Midnight, in the astromy tower!" Malfoy said.
"I'm his second!" Ron said firmly, Malfoy turned around and looked at his orangutan pals, "Goyle's mine!" and he walked off.
"Umm... Ron?" Harry asked when Malfoy and his gang were well out of earshot, "What's a wizarding duel like and what do you mean by you're my second?"
"A wizarding duel is where you throw spells and curses at your enemy." Ron explained, "And I'm your second, as in take over if you die."
"But that won't happen, as both of you don't know any spells well enough to cause any damage of much concern." He added seeing Harry gulp at the 'if you die' bit.
"Harry!" Eleanor said seriously, "Malfoy is more likely to know more spells and curses than the entire first year put together! He comes from a pureblood wizarding family. His father was a follower of Voldemort!" Ron and Hermione's flinching at the mentioning of the Dark Lord's name, "Malfoy is bound to know some curses at least. I doubt his daddy would let him come to Hogwarts without a good amount of spells ready to use when the occasion arises." Eleanor continued ignoring their flinches.
"But yesterday you told him he probably didn't know any spells!" Ron said forgetting his crush, "You're just contradicting yourself!"
"Yes, I am," Eleanor admitted, "Because now when I think about him challenging Harry to a duel, he's bound to know some spells! What's the point of challenging someone when you know any!" she said causing Ron to blush with embarrassment and go quite.
Now it was Hermione's turn to nag... "Harry, I think it's very selfish of you to do this!" she said, "Think of the points you'll loose for Gryffindor if you get caught!"
"He won't!" Ron snapped.
"And just after Eleanor and I got those points in Transfiguration!" Hermione continued ignoring Ron, "Wouldn't you like to see the House Cup ours this year? Doing this doesn't help it in anyway!"
The rest of the day didn't go on as pleasantly as it started, with Ron's constant hints, such as "Try any spell you know, and if it doesn't work throw your wand aside and punch him in the face or something." "Try stand at the opposite side of the stairs to that Malfoy or Goyle can't push you down the stairs." making his stomach lurge with nerves.
Hermione also chose not to give up persuading Harry not to go, "It's just stupid Harry! Malfoy probably didn't even expect you to accept!" "You'll get into SO much trouble if you get caught! One for being out of bed and two for dueling with Malfoy!" Eleanor just didn't say anything; Harry supposed she disagreed with him, just worrying about his safety more than the points that could get lost in the process.
When Ron and Harry left went to bed they left their clothes on and waited silently for the clock to tick twelve. Finally they heard the soft ding- dong in the common room and they got up to leave. Everything was quite and dark, the fires had been extinguished in the common room, the armchairs and tables casting deranged shapes across the floor.
"So still going, are we?" a cold girls voice asked.
"God! Hermione!" Harry said shocked,
"and Eleanor." Eleanor said turning around in her chair.
"What are you two doing here?" Ron asked shocked, "Go back to bed!"
"Not unless you go!" Hermione said angrily, "I think it's really, really selfish of you! You know how high the chances are that you'll get lost, get into trouble or get hurt are?" she said following them out of the portrait hole.
"Not only that," Eleanor added, "What if you get caught by Percy, Ron? I can guarantee that you'll get a red envelope next morning! Just don't go Harry! Don't go!" she said with pleading eyes.
"Will you just shut-up and go back!" Harry finally hissed.
"Fine we will!" Hermione snapped, "But don't say we didn't warn you!" The two girls turned around to re-enter, but found themselves staring at an empty painting. "Damn!" Eleanor swore. "Well see you two in the morning!" Ron said and walked off with Harry.
"Wait! Don't go!" Eleanor said, "You're not leaving us here, we'll follow you! I can help with some spells!" Excitement flashing across her face. "If we get caught," Hermione said crossly, "I'll tell them exactly what happened!" "Fine!" Ron said, "Just shut up!"
When they reached the Astronomy Tower at ten past twelve, they found it deserted. "I knew it!" Hermione said crossly, "It was all a stupid trick!" Harry realized with a sinking stomach that she was probably right.
"Damn that Malfoy!" Ron cursed.
"Be quiet!" Eleanor whispered, "Both of you! If this is a trick, he must have told a teacher that you two would be out off bed, so just be quiet, if you don't want a weeks worth of detention!" They all stood with their backs against the cold stonewall, shaking and shivering at the sounds of the night.
"So are we just going to stand here until day?" Ron asked sarcastically, "Or are we going to try and get back?"
"Follow me!" Eleanor replied and she led them down another set of stairs, "This way they won't find us!"
"Shhhh!" Harry hissed, "I think I hear something." They all froze all strained their ears, soon enough they heard a distinct mocking voice of no- other than Peeves.
"Eeeeh! Ickly Firsties out off bed!!!" He said, "What are you doing here? Got lost on the way to the loo?"
"Peeves, will you go away!" Harry begged.
"What's the magic word?" Peeves teased.
"This is no time for games Peeves!" Hermione said, "Just go away!"
"Well, you had your chance!" Peeves grinned, "STUDENTS OUT OFF BED!!!"
"Please, Peeves! Will you please be quiet and go away!" Eleanor pleaded, "Please?"
"Too late Missy!" Peeves replied, "STUDENTS OUT OFF BED!!!"
"RUN!!!" Harry yelled, and they all sprinted down another corridor just as Flich's greasy voice sounded around the corner.
"Peeves!" Flich said, "This better not be a stupid prank! Now where are they?"
"Peeves not telling unless he gets the magic word!" Peeves said bobbing up and down above the caretaker's head.
"This way!" Ron said and they ran down the staircase and down a small passageway. They reached a small door. "It won't open!!!" Harry said desperately. They heard footsteps near them.
"Alohamora!" Hermione said and the door opened with a click, they all rushed in and breathed a sigh off relief.
"What is this place?" Ron asked brushing a cobweb off his sleeve.
"H-harry..." Eleanor said softly, pulling Harry's sleeve, "l-l-look!"
Harry looked up and saw the most horrible, monstrous creature he has ever imagined. A big, no huge, dog was standing inches away from them. It's body took up the entire space from the floor to the ceiling. But that wasn't the worst thing, it three heads. Each head having a big smelly, dripping mouth with large protruding fangs, capable of ripping them up in a matter of seconds.
They only reason why it hadn't ripped them up yet, was that it was so surprised that dinner had suddenly appeared in front of it. It was slowly getting over that and Harry took the advantage off wrecking the door open and pushing them all through, slamming the door closed on it's three heads.
They ran all the way back to the Gryffindor tower, panting and huffing when they reached the Pink Lady, "Where have you youngsters been?" she asked.
"Pig snout!"
"Why the heck would they keep such a thing locked up in a place like that?" Ron said once the were safely back in the common room, "I mean the least they could do is give it a bit off exercise and sunlight, look at it!"
"Didn't you look at what it was standing on?" Eleanor asked.
"Well, no!" Harry said crossly, "I was just a bit busy looking at his heads, what about you?"
"He or it was standing on a trapdoor!" Eleanor said matter-of-factly, "Do I need to spell it out for you? That dog is guarding something!"
"WELL!" Hermione said, getting over her shock and becoming moody and cross again, "I would like to go to bed now! Before any of you think of any more crazy ideas that could get us killed, or even worse, expelled!" and she turned around and walked back to her dormitory.
"Geez! She's talking as if we dragged her along or something!" Ron said, "She has a major problem!"
"Hmmm..." Harry replied, "Well, night Eleanor." Wondering why she hadn't followed Hermione.
"Good-night!" she replied, "I wanted Hermione to sleep before me, so she wouldn't stay up the night talking about it and making Lavender and Parvrati suspicious." And she too retired for the night.
The week flew by quickly and soon Harry and Ron, (Hermione and Eleanor choose to ignore them pretend they didn't exist after the three-headed doggy incident) found themselves sitting in Hagrid's hut, helping themselves to Hagrid's rock-cakes.
"Urrgghh!" Ron exclaimed biting into one off them, "What did you put in them?"
"I'm not absolutely sure, Ron!" Hagrid replied cheerfully, "What? Do they taste bad?"
"No, just different," Harry quickly replied, "I'm just a little full, from lunch." He lied as he gave Hagrid back the rock like muffin; the truth was that tey tasted like cardboard.
As Ron and Hagrid talked about all the trouble Fred and George managed to get into, Harry noticed a newspaper article lying on the tea table. He picked it up and read it. It was about a break-in at Gringrotts the wizarding back in Daigon Alley on the 31st of July.
"Hey Hagrid?" Harry asked holding up the article, "Weren't we at Gringrotts on my birthday?"
"Yes... Hagrid slowly replied, "I think we were... why?"
"Because there was a break-in, in the fault we went to," Harry continued, "Not mine but the one where you took the package from."
"Well... that's non of yer business Harry," Hagrid said gruffly, "it's Hogwarts business!"
Ron and Harry tried to get it out of Hagrid, but gave up and changed the subject to Snape.
"I just don't get it!" Harry said, "Why does he hate me so much? I never did anything to him!"
"I don't know, Harry!" Hagrid said, "I think he must have bin in a foul mood!"
Ron snorted, "For the whole week? Nah, I think he just hates all the Gryffindors!"
"Ah! Minerva!" Albus Dumbledore exclaimed, "I have been expecting you to pop in sometime."
"Good evening!" she replied, "I think you'll know why I'm here." "To tell me how your first week went?" Dumbledore guessed.
"Well yes... and no..." McGonagall said, "It's about one of my students. I saw her... I mean I taught her a few times this week."
"Miss Granger?"
"Yes, she really puzzles me!" she said, "She looks so familiar and she is so different from her sister!"
She's smart and gets all the spells I teach her right in the first shot. She's smart like her sister, but in a different way."
And what haunts me the most is that smile. I have seen it before, that pleased smile that I got when I awarded Gryffindor two points, the smile that makes me feel young and that makes me feel that she is a good and honest girl."
"I see what you mean..." Dumbledore said, "But I haven't seen it during this week so I can't say, but I must admit that she looks very familiar, not only her smile but her eyes. It reminds me of one that died so long ago."
"You don't think?" she grasped, "No it can't be!"
"I don't think so either Minerva..." Professor Dumbledore said, "But we'll know in time..."
"I mean they're really dead! Aren't they?" she persisted.
"Yes... they are." Dumbledore said sadly, "Good night!"
"Good night!"