Chapter 9: The Midnight Duel
At dinner, Harry told everyone what had happened. "A SEEKER? First years NEVER—you must be the first player in at least..."
"A century," finished Harry proudly.
"Wow." Said Ron.
"Hey..." Lexine began, looking at Kay who was eating some mashed potatoes. "Did Malfoy ever come back from where you threw him?"
Kay shrugged as she worked on her chicken wings. "Pie, pie, pie, pie, pie..." she rambled. Suddenly the doors to the Great Hall burst open and Malfoy, led by Hagrid, entered. Kay slowly turned away from them, her face turning white. "Don't move," she warned through clenched teeth. "Maybe—they won't—see us." So the three girls sat very still.
"SHE did this." Malfoy hissed, sounding very much like a snake. Hagrid went over to Kay and clasped a very large hand on her shoulder. Kay whimpered at Hagrid's rough voice. "Come with me. We have some business teh take care of."
Kay blinked. "Whoa. Wiggy-master. Wuzzup?"
The psi-mage stood and followed Hagrid and Malfoy into the corridor. "Now." Hagrid turned to face Kay. "Only one person could have done his." He looked at her menacingly. "And I can't IMAGINE who that person might be. Mmmmm?" He bent down so that he was eye-level with her. Kay looked at the wooden puppet version of Malfoy and sighed heavily. "All RIGHT." She growled. "I did it. IT WAS MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" she let out a maniacal laugh and bopped each of them on the head (or in Hagrid's case, on the knee as she only reached his waist and barely). THUMP Hagrid bopped Kay back on the head with his large fist. "Ow!" Kay snapped. She glared at the half- giant and then, getting the hint, pointed a finger at Malfoy and ZAP. The wood on Malfoy's arms and legs turned back into flesh and his nose returned to its normal snubness. "Hehe...snubby nose, snubby nose, snubby nose..."
Malfoy snarled as they entered the Great Hall again. Kay went to sit down again. Malfoy then approached Harry with a smug expression on his face. He didn't realize that Harry hadn't been expelled and figured he would be gone the next morning. "So. Enjoying your last meal, Potter? I suppose you have all of your stuff packed for the train tomorrow?"
Harry rolled his eyes as Ron broke in, "Why didn't you keep those wooden arms and legs, Malfoy? They suited you perfectly. And for your information, Harry HASN'T been expelled."
Malfoy snorted, smoothing his hair. "Okay, Potter. Think you're so tough? Prove it! We'll have a wizard's duel tonight in the trophy room. Wands only—no contact."
Kay nearly spit out a mouthful of the water she had been drinking and stared at Harry, waiting for his reply.
"All right." Said Harry, nodding. "You're on. What time?"
"Midnight. And you'd better not chicken out." Malfoy turned on his heel and stormed back to the Slytherin table. Hermione turned to the two boys, her face as sour as a lemon. "I couldn't help but overhear what you and Malfoy were saying."
Ron snorted. "Bet you could."
Hermione rolled her brown eyes at Ron. "You CAN'T go wandering around the school at night. IMAGINE how many points you'll loose for Gryffindor if you're caught! I don't want Slytherin to loose the house cup, and you'll loose all of the points I got for knowing about Switching spells!"
"Switching spells?" asked Kay with a cocked eyebrow. "Yo hon. Why don't you mind your own business for a change? Go stick your nose in WAR and PEACE or something."
Hermione's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish with shock as Harry began "She's right. It's really none of your business what we're up to."
"Good bye." Said Ron.
"A wizard's duel?" cried Erin later that night as the group sat in the common room. Harry and Ron paused from their Charms homework and looked up. Kay put her hands on her hips and looked from one boy to the other. "I should probably accompany you guys. I'm not sure if Malfoy's actually all that powerful, but you never know."
"Yeah...his Dad is supposed to know a lot about the Dark Arts."
"Could you come with us?" asked Harry hopefully.
"I could."
"We're going too!" Lexine broke in with a pout on her face.
"You won't," Kay protested.
"But there is strength in numbers," Erin added. "SYNERGIZE."
Lexine burst into giggles as Harry pointed out "But we'll have a bigger chance of getting caught if we go in a larger group. Unless you two can be as quiet as church mice."
Lexine nodded, rubbing her hands together. "We'll be quiet. I promise."
"Okay."
"Yaaaaaay!"
Kay grimaced, touching her ear with her hand. "Ahhh...decibels!" she sobbed.
At about 11:30 that night, the duel group congregated in the Gryffindor common room. Erin and Lexine were still in their night gowns and bathrobes as were Harry and Ron. They made it through the portrait hole only to be stopped by Hermione Granger. "You!" said Ron. "Go back to bed!" he looked at the sleepy-eyed girl in a fluffy pink bathrobe and slippers.
"I almost told your brother—Percy," Hermione began. "He's a prefect—he'd put a stop to this! I can't believe you're going to go through with it!"
"Go away." Said Harry as Kay raised an eyebrow.
"All right. But I warned you. Don't be surprised if you're on the train back home tomorrow. You're so..." what they were they never found out. Hermione went to go back into the common room but found the Fat Lady missing. "Oh no!" she cried. "She's gone! Now what am I going to do?"
"That's your problem." Ron replied.
"Shhhh!" Harry pointed to the corner where he was suddenly aware of a figure laying there. He moved towards it, using the end of his wand as a flashlight. "Neville?" he asked, getting cloer. In deed it was. Neville sat up and his face lit up when he saw the group. "Oh..." he gasped, standing. "Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours...I couldn't remember the password to get back inside."
Roon shook his head. "The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now...the fat lady's gone."
So much to Harry and Ron's disgust, Hermione and Nevill tagged along to the trophy room. Lexine was suddenly hit with a realization and nudged Erin's arm. Erin turned and mouthed "What?"
"Remember this part in the book? The whole duel-thing is rigged!" Lexine whispered.
"Shhh!" Harry hissed, looking back. They reached the trophy room at five of twelve and Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. Ron sighed. "Maybe he chickened out."
"Or MAYBE," began Hermione, "he stood you up."
"Will you shut up?" Ron snapped angrily.
Kay ran her fingers through her hair, blowing out her breath. "If that's the truth, I'll kill Malfoy."
They froze at the sound of footsteps not far away. "We'll find them my sweet." A voice loomed out of the darkness. "They can not have gone far."
Ron grabbed Harry's arm. "It's Filch!" he hissed. "RUN!"
The group bolted away till they came to a locked door. "Oh no..." Neville sobbed, tugging on the knob. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh move OVER," she said, pushing her way to the door. She lifted her wand and said the word "Alohamora." click the lock came undone and the group fell into—a corridor. They soon found out why the door to this particular corridor was locked. "It's the forbidden third floor corridor!" Hermione told Harry.
Harry let out a small squeak. "And for good reason..." he whispered, pointing. In front of them lay an ENORMOUS beast...a dog with three heads that nearly took up every inch of space in the corridor. Kay's breath caught in her chest at the sight and suddenly the three-headed dog's eyes opened. They were yellow and bloodshot—as soon as it saw them, it lifted its heads and began growling.
"ARGHHHHHH!" Everyone screamed and fought each other to get back out first. "Ahhhhhhh!" Lexine screamed as she and Erin tried to force the door to the third floor corridor shut. When the door had been locked again, they tore back to the Gryffindor tower and were relieved to see that the Fat Lady had returned. "Where on Earth have you all been?" she asked in her thick British accent.
Ron gasped "Never mind that—'pig snout!' 'pig snout!'"
The portrait hole opened and they fell in panting as they each hit the floor in the common room.
"Oh my God," sobbed Erin, clutching a stitch in her side. "Did you SEE that thing?"
Hermione looked at Harry and Ron with her hands on her hips as Ron said "What are they thinking keeping a thing like that locked up in a SCHOOL?"
She sneered. "You don't use your eyes do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?" she asked.
Harry shook his head. "The floor? I wasn't paying attention to it's feet...I was too busy with it's heads!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "It was standing on a trap door...it's guarding something."
"Wow," said Ron sarcastically.
"Well! I DO hope you all are pleased with yourselves! Now...if you don't mind, I'M going to bed before either of you come up with another CLEVER idea for getting us killed...or worse, EXPELLED." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed back upstairs to the girl's dormitories.
Ron watched her with disbelief before looking at Harry. "She NEEDS to sort out her priorites!"
Kay sniggered.
Before hey knew it the rest of them (well with the exception of Neville who went up to the boy's dormitory) spent most of the night discussing their adventure and ended up falling asleep on the common room's comfortable armchairs.
At dinner, Harry told everyone what had happened. "A SEEKER? First years NEVER—you must be the first player in at least..."
"A century," finished Harry proudly.
"Wow." Said Ron.
"Hey..." Lexine began, looking at Kay who was eating some mashed potatoes. "Did Malfoy ever come back from where you threw him?"
Kay shrugged as she worked on her chicken wings. "Pie, pie, pie, pie, pie..." she rambled. Suddenly the doors to the Great Hall burst open and Malfoy, led by Hagrid, entered. Kay slowly turned away from them, her face turning white. "Don't move," she warned through clenched teeth. "Maybe—they won't—see us." So the three girls sat very still.
"SHE did this." Malfoy hissed, sounding very much like a snake. Hagrid went over to Kay and clasped a very large hand on her shoulder. Kay whimpered at Hagrid's rough voice. "Come with me. We have some business teh take care of."
Kay blinked. "Whoa. Wiggy-master. Wuzzup?"
The psi-mage stood and followed Hagrid and Malfoy into the corridor. "Now." Hagrid turned to face Kay. "Only one person could have done his." He looked at her menacingly. "And I can't IMAGINE who that person might be. Mmmmm?" He bent down so that he was eye-level with her. Kay looked at the wooden puppet version of Malfoy and sighed heavily. "All RIGHT." She growled. "I did it. IT WAS MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" she let out a maniacal laugh and bopped each of them on the head (or in Hagrid's case, on the knee as she only reached his waist and barely). THUMP Hagrid bopped Kay back on the head with his large fist. "Ow!" Kay snapped. She glared at the half- giant and then, getting the hint, pointed a finger at Malfoy and ZAP. The wood on Malfoy's arms and legs turned back into flesh and his nose returned to its normal snubness. "Hehe...snubby nose, snubby nose, snubby nose..."
Malfoy snarled as they entered the Great Hall again. Kay went to sit down again. Malfoy then approached Harry with a smug expression on his face. He didn't realize that Harry hadn't been expelled and figured he would be gone the next morning. "So. Enjoying your last meal, Potter? I suppose you have all of your stuff packed for the train tomorrow?"
Harry rolled his eyes as Ron broke in, "Why didn't you keep those wooden arms and legs, Malfoy? They suited you perfectly. And for your information, Harry HASN'T been expelled."
Malfoy snorted, smoothing his hair. "Okay, Potter. Think you're so tough? Prove it! We'll have a wizard's duel tonight in the trophy room. Wands only—no contact."
Kay nearly spit out a mouthful of the water she had been drinking and stared at Harry, waiting for his reply.
"All right." Said Harry, nodding. "You're on. What time?"
"Midnight. And you'd better not chicken out." Malfoy turned on his heel and stormed back to the Slytherin table. Hermione turned to the two boys, her face as sour as a lemon. "I couldn't help but overhear what you and Malfoy were saying."
Ron snorted. "Bet you could."
Hermione rolled her brown eyes at Ron. "You CAN'T go wandering around the school at night. IMAGINE how many points you'll loose for Gryffindor if you're caught! I don't want Slytherin to loose the house cup, and you'll loose all of the points I got for knowing about Switching spells!"
"Switching spells?" asked Kay with a cocked eyebrow. "Yo hon. Why don't you mind your own business for a change? Go stick your nose in WAR and PEACE or something."
Hermione's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish with shock as Harry began "She's right. It's really none of your business what we're up to."
"Good bye." Said Ron.
"A wizard's duel?" cried Erin later that night as the group sat in the common room. Harry and Ron paused from their Charms homework and looked up. Kay put her hands on her hips and looked from one boy to the other. "I should probably accompany you guys. I'm not sure if Malfoy's actually all that powerful, but you never know."
"Yeah...his Dad is supposed to know a lot about the Dark Arts."
"Could you come with us?" asked Harry hopefully.
"I could."
"We're going too!" Lexine broke in with a pout on her face.
"You won't," Kay protested.
"But there is strength in numbers," Erin added. "SYNERGIZE."
Lexine burst into giggles as Harry pointed out "But we'll have a bigger chance of getting caught if we go in a larger group. Unless you two can be as quiet as church mice."
Lexine nodded, rubbing her hands together. "We'll be quiet. I promise."
"Okay."
"Yaaaaaay!"
Kay grimaced, touching her ear with her hand. "Ahhh...decibels!" she sobbed.
At about 11:30 that night, the duel group congregated in the Gryffindor common room. Erin and Lexine were still in their night gowns and bathrobes as were Harry and Ron. They made it through the portrait hole only to be stopped by Hermione Granger. "You!" said Ron. "Go back to bed!" he looked at the sleepy-eyed girl in a fluffy pink bathrobe and slippers.
"I almost told your brother—Percy," Hermione began. "He's a prefect—he'd put a stop to this! I can't believe you're going to go through with it!"
"Go away." Said Harry as Kay raised an eyebrow.
"All right. But I warned you. Don't be surprised if you're on the train back home tomorrow. You're so..." what they were they never found out. Hermione went to go back into the common room but found the Fat Lady missing. "Oh no!" she cried. "She's gone! Now what am I going to do?"
"That's your problem." Ron replied.
"Shhhh!" Harry pointed to the corner where he was suddenly aware of a figure laying there. He moved towards it, using the end of his wand as a flashlight. "Neville?" he asked, getting cloer. In deed it was. Neville sat up and his face lit up when he saw the group. "Oh..." he gasped, standing. "Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours...I couldn't remember the password to get back inside."
Roon shook his head. "The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now...the fat lady's gone."
So much to Harry and Ron's disgust, Hermione and Nevill tagged along to the trophy room. Lexine was suddenly hit with a realization and nudged Erin's arm. Erin turned and mouthed "What?"
"Remember this part in the book? The whole duel-thing is rigged!" Lexine whispered.
"Shhh!" Harry hissed, looking back. They reached the trophy room at five of twelve and Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. Ron sighed. "Maybe he chickened out."
"Or MAYBE," began Hermione, "he stood you up."
"Will you shut up?" Ron snapped angrily.
Kay ran her fingers through her hair, blowing out her breath. "If that's the truth, I'll kill Malfoy."
They froze at the sound of footsteps not far away. "We'll find them my sweet." A voice loomed out of the darkness. "They can not have gone far."
Ron grabbed Harry's arm. "It's Filch!" he hissed. "RUN!"
The group bolted away till they came to a locked door. "Oh no..." Neville sobbed, tugging on the knob. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh move OVER," she said, pushing her way to the door. She lifted her wand and said the word "Alohamora." click the lock came undone and the group fell into—a corridor. They soon found out why the door to this particular corridor was locked. "It's the forbidden third floor corridor!" Hermione told Harry.
Harry let out a small squeak. "And for good reason..." he whispered, pointing. In front of them lay an ENORMOUS beast...a dog with three heads that nearly took up every inch of space in the corridor. Kay's breath caught in her chest at the sight and suddenly the three-headed dog's eyes opened. They were yellow and bloodshot—as soon as it saw them, it lifted its heads and began growling.
"ARGHHHHHH!" Everyone screamed and fought each other to get back out first. "Ahhhhhhh!" Lexine screamed as she and Erin tried to force the door to the third floor corridor shut. When the door had been locked again, they tore back to the Gryffindor tower and were relieved to see that the Fat Lady had returned. "Where on Earth have you all been?" she asked in her thick British accent.
Ron gasped "Never mind that—'pig snout!' 'pig snout!'"
The portrait hole opened and they fell in panting as they each hit the floor in the common room.
"Oh my God," sobbed Erin, clutching a stitch in her side. "Did you SEE that thing?"
Hermione looked at Harry and Ron with her hands on her hips as Ron said "What are they thinking keeping a thing like that locked up in a SCHOOL?"
She sneered. "You don't use your eyes do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?" she asked.
Harry shook his head. "The floor? I wasn't paying attention to it's feet...I was too busy with it's heads!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "It was standing on a trap door...it's guarding something."
"Wow," said Ron sarcastically.
"Well! I DO hope you all are pleased with yourselves! Now...if you don't mind, I'M going to bed before either of you come up with another CLEVER idea for getting us killed...or worse, EXPELLED." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed back upstairs to the girl's dormitories.
Ron watched her with disbelief before looking at Harry. "She NEEDS to sort out her priorites!"
Kay sniggered.
Before hey knew it the rest of them (well with the exception of Neville who went up to the boy's dormitory) spent most of the night discussing their adventure and ended up falling asleep on the common room's comfortable armchairs.