Chapter 11
When Hermione was satisfied that they were completely alone, she whispered to her two concealed friends that they would be free to talk as soon as she finished discussing matters with Katherine. Until then thought, they had to remain silent, she didn't want to risk them getting caught.
Soon after this conversation took place, Hermione caught sight of a cloak, worn by a figure who was seated in a window's ledge. She stepped over, holding her lantern high to cast light over.
Katherine looked up, giving a grin, "Hey, seems Fenton passed on the message properly, eh?"
Hermione nodded, smiling. "Where exactly do I need to be patrolling tonight?"
Katherine thought a moment, pulling a knee up to rest her arm on it. "Hmm. well why don't you take the lower floor, alright? Just patrol til around 2:00, then come back and let me know that you are heading in for the evening. I think following you is my own shift. Does that sound alright?"
Hermione nodded once more, "Alright, is there anything else I should know?"
Katherine replied, "No not really, just you might want to be on the eye for Peeves, according to Fenton, that stupid poltergeist gave him quite a difficult time this evening."
"Okay then, well have a nice night, I'll be getting started now I guess." Hermione said cheerily.
"Alright," Katherine answered happily, but then paused, her voice taking on a serious tone, "Be careful tonight."
Hermione gave a nod and started off down the hall, her lantern guiding the way down into the dark corridors. Katherine's eyes followed her the entire way, until she turned a corner out of sight.
Once Hermione descended down the stairs, she whispered to Harry and Ron that it was safe to talk.
"Was wondering when you'd say that." Ron said with a slight inflection of an attitude.
"Hey it was your decision to come out here with me, I doubt anything exciting is going to happen, well maybe just a run in with Peeves, but that's about all." Hermione answered sighing. She lifted her lantern a bit, "Guess we can start down this hall then."
There was a brief moment of silence until Harry perked up, "So, what exactly are we supposed to be looking for?"
"I've explained this before, students out of bed, things that seem out of place, something ya know, that just doesn't seem right." Hermione said.
"Oh. So nothing really in particular," Harry said.
"No not really much, it's a great time to be out in the castle though. with it all dark and mysterious, without crowds of students running around and making noise. It's rather peaceful." Hermione mused.
"Rather boring if I do say so myself." Ron said, yawning.
Down the corridor the sounds of footsteps were quickly approaching them. "Shh, I heard something up ahead." Hermione hissed. She held up her lantern and called out, "Who goes there?"
Out of the shadows a cat streaked out at them, it was mottled brown and had reddish brown eyes. It mewled and circled them.
"Mrs. Norris?" Hermione said looking at the cat, whom was busy staring straight at Harry and Ron.
Underneath the cloak, the boys balked at the sight of the cat, it always seemed to see right through the disguise.
Up ahead, the owner of the footsteps stepped out, holding a lantern himself. "Hah! Caught yuh!" It was Filch, the guard/security manager at Hogwarts. He always got a kick out of catching students in the act of misbehaving. He had an old fashioned sense of discipline; luckily Dumbledore assured Filch that his methods of punishment were out of date.
Filch stared hard at Hermione, about to chide her for being out after hours, but then his eyes caught sight of the Prefect badge. He snorted in disappointment and stomped off, calling after his cat. Who delayed a bit before trotting after her master.
Hermione let her shoulders drop in relief, seriously that had been rather close. Luckily, Filch had been in such a huff that he hadn't noticed that Mrs. Norris was staring at nothing very intently.
The three continued on her way and after a bit, Ron started laughing, "Did you see the look on Filch's face?! He was sooo disappointed that he couldn't bag another student for breaking rules."
"That cat almost got us caught though." Harry said, "But I'll have to agree, his appearance was really funny."
The two shared a laugh and Hermione rolled her eyes, "Sure a few points and a detention isn't too bad, but I might lose my badge if I get caught with you guys." Ron reached out and flicked Hermione's ear, which caused her to squeal and jump. "Knock it off!" she yelled.
Behind them a small clicking sound came to their ears, sounding very much like nails on stone. Ron groaned, "Great, the Kitty is back."
But when the three turned, they made the discovery that there was no cat behind them, only a hulking form that had begun emitting a rumbling vicious snarl, its jaws slavering.
When Hermione was satisfied that they were completely alone, she whispered to her two concealed friends that they would be free to talk as soon as she finished discussing matters with Katherine. Until then thought, they had to remain silent, she didn't want to risk them getting caught.
Soon after this conversation took place, Hermione caught sight of a cloak, worn by a figure who was seated in a window's ledge. She stepped over, holding her lantern high to cast light over.
Katherine looked up, giving a grin, "Hey, seems Fenton passed on the message properly, eh?"
Hermione nodded, smiling. "Where exactly do I need to be patrolling tonight?"
Katherine thought a moment, pulling a knee up to rest her arm on it. "Hmm. well why don't you take the lower floor, alright? Just patrol til around 2:00, then come back and let me know that you are heading in for the evening. I think following you is my own shift. Does that sound alright?"
Hermione nodded once more, "Alright, is there anything else I should know?"
Katherine replied, "No not really, just you might want to be on the eye for Peeves, according to Fenton, that stupid poltergeist gave him quite a difficult time this evening."
"Okay then, well have a nice night, I'll be getting started now I guess." Hermione said cheerily.
"Alright," Katherine answered happily, but then paused, her voice taking on a serious tone, "Be careful tonight."
Hermione gave a nod and started off down the hall, her lantern guiding the way down into the dark corridors. Katherine's eyes followed her the entire way, until she turned a corner out of sight.
Once Hermione descended down the stairs, she whispered to Harry and Ron that it was safe to talk.
"Was wondering when you'd say that." Ron said with a slight inflection of an attitude.
"Hey it was your decision to come out here with me, I doubt anything exciting is going to happen, well maybe just a run in with Peeves, but that's about all." Hermione answered sighing. She lifted her lantern a bit, "Guess we can start down this hall then."
There was a brief moment of silence until Harry perked up, "So, what exactly are we supposed to be looking for?"
"I've explained this before, students out of bed, things that seem out of place, something ya know, that just doesn't seem right." Hermione said.
"Oh. So nothing really in particular," Harry said.
"No not really much, it's a great time to be out in the castle though. with it all dark and mysterious, without crowds of students running around and making noise. It's rather peaceful." Hermione mused.
"Rather boring if I do say so myself." Ron said, yawning.
Down the corridor the sounds of footsteps were quickly approaching them. "Shh, I heard something up ahead." Hermione hissed. She held up her lantern and called out, "Who goes there?"
Out of the shadows a cat streaked out at them, it was mottled brown and had reddish brown eyes. It mewled and circled them.
"Mrs. Norris?" Hermione said looking at the cat, whom was busy staring straight at Harry and Ron.
Underneath the cloak, the boys balked at the sight of the cat, it always seemed to see right through the disguise.
Up ahead, the owner of the footsteps stepped out, holding a lantern himself. "Hah! Caught yuh!" It was Filch, the guard/security manager at Hogwarts. He always got a kick out of catching students in the act of misbehaving. He had an old fashioned sense of discipline; luckily Dumbledore assured Filch that his methods of punishment were out of date.
Filch stared hard at Hermione, about to chide her for being out after hours, but then his eyes caught sight of the Prefect badge. He snorted in disappointment and stomped off, calling after his cat. Who delayed a bit before trotting after her master.
Hermione let her shoulders drop in relief, seriously that had been rather close. Luckily, Filch had been in such a huff that he hadn't noticed that Mrs. Norris was staring at nothing very intently.
The three continued on her way and after a bit, Ron started laughing, "Did you see the look on Filch's face?! He was sooo disappointed that he couldn't bag another student for breaking rules."
"That cat almost got us caught though." Harry said, "But I'll have to agree, his appearance was really funny."
The two shared a laugh and Hermione rolled her eyes, "Sure a few points and a detention isn't too bad, but I might lose my badge if I get caught with you guys." Ron reached out and flicked Hermione's ear, which caused her to squeal and jump. "Knock it off!" she yelled.
Behind them a small clicking sound came to their ears, sounding very much like nails on stone. Ron groaned, "Great, the Kitty is back."
But when the three turned, they made the discovery that there was no cat behind them, only a hulking form that had begun emitting a rumbling vicious snarl, its jaws slavering.