A/N: I finally managed to get a chapter up! Woo-hoo!
CH27: Musical Mayhem
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was a quiet peaceful place. It was a castle conductive to learning and the nurturing of the young minds that passed through its halls. Like the ones that were sneaking down an aforementioned hall in the dead of night, intent on rescuing their friend from the clutches of an evil overlord. And stepping on each others' heals.
"I still say this is absolutely nuts," said Draco, finally breaking the silence. "Maybe Andy finally caught up with Dumbledore and they are off discussing ... lemon drops and socks right now, and we're just wandering down here for now reason – "
"Do you realize how utterly ridiculous that sounds?" Cho mumble offhandedly.
"You know I'm right, Draco," whispered Hermione.
"I know." He sighed. "I just wish ... but we'll get him back, won't we?"
Fred clasped his shoulder. "Of course we will," he said, oddly solemn.
"We have to," added George. The group lapsed into silence until they reached the door to the Third Floor Corridor. It was wide open.
"You're always right, Hermione," Draco said softly.
"Yeah, but I wish I wasn't."
Cho wiped at her eyes. "Stop talking like that!" The group looked her, shocked at the outburst. "You're talking about Andy like he's already – dead – and you have no right to – maybe he went down there to save the stone by himself – maybe ... whoever it is that is after the Stone has no idea how to get down there – maybe Andy is perfectly safe ... "She trailed off. "We have to have hope at least."
"Cho's right." Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Now," he changed the subject. "How are we going to get past that dog?"
George smirked, his face looking menacing in the dim light. "Just leave that up to Fred and me."
"Why did we agree to do this?" Fred moaned as he stared in horror at Fluffy's fangs.
"Because we are Gryffindors and brave and they need Hermione's brain for later," answered George. He swayed slightly from side to side and the dog's heads followed him. "I think we have its attention."
"Now what?"
"Do I have to think of everything?"
Fred scowled and tentatively took a step forward. "Knock, knock." Silence. He tried again, louder this time. "Knock, knock!"
"Who's there?" George said, catching on.
"A big, scary, three-headed dog."
"A big, scary, three-headed dog who?"
"That's what I want on my tombstone."
"That wasn't a very funny joke."
"I'm not feeling very funny right now!"
"Would you two stop bickering!" scolded Hermione. "What you are doing is obviously not working!"
"Then what would you have us do, oh great Queen of Knowledge?"
"I don't know – knock it out or put it to sleep or something!"
"You know, George," Fred mused. "That's not a half bad idea."
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Do you remember that song Bill used to sing to get Ginny to sleep when she was little?"
"Like it was yesterday, dear brother of mine."
"You are going to serenade the monster?" Draco clapped a hand to his forehead. "This I've got to see."
The Twins ignored him. "On three?" asked Fred.
"One," George began.
"Two."
"Three," they said together and then broke out in song. Complete with matching dance routine.
"Senor Don Gato was a cat.
On a high, red roof, Don Gato sat.
He went there to read a letter,
Meow, meow, meow!
Where the reading light was better, Meow, meow, meow!
'twas a love letter for Don Gato!"
Draco, Hermione, and Cho just stared in disbelief.
"The note was from a lady cat.
Who was fluffy, white, and nice and fat.
There was not a sweeter kitty,
Meow, meow, meow!
In the country or the city, Meow, meow, meow!
And she said she'd wed Don Gato."
Fluffy's six eyelids started to droop.
"Oh, Don Gato jumped so happily.
He fell off the roof and broke his knee.
Broke his ribs and all his whiskers,
Meow, meow, meow!
And his little solar plexus,
Meow, meow, meow!
'Ay Carumba,' said Don Gato."
The creatures legs started to give way and it sank to the floor.
"The doctors all came on the run.
Just to see if something could be done.
And they held a consultation,
Meow, meow, meow!
On how to help and saw their patient,
Meow, meow, meow!
On how to save Senor Don Gato."
The three friends' eyes widened at the sight on the almost unconscious dog.
"Though the doctors all tried and tried,
Poor Senor Don Gato up and died.
Oh it wasn't very merry,
Meow, meow, meow!
Going to the cemetery,
Meow, meow, meow!
For the ending on Don Gato."
Fluffy finally rested its heads on its paws. Fred motioned for them to head over to the trapdoor.
Draco shot them an incredulous look. "Who knew they had that kind of musical talent?" he quipped sarcastically.
Hermione shrugged. "You know what they say: Music soothes the savage beast."
As they crept around the massive tail, they listened to the last verse of the song.
"The funeral passed the market square.
Such a smell of fish was in the air.
Though the funeral was slated,
Meow, meow, meow!
He became reanimated,
Meow, meow, meow!
He came back to life Don Gato!"
When the last words had been spoken, Fluffy started to stir.
"You guys go on ahead without us," mouthed George and he and his brother broke into a very interesting version of "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes." Though not with those specific body parts.
Draco peered into the abyss below. "Well, here goes nothing." And he jumped in. Cho looked nervously over the edge, trying to get a glimpse of the blond-haired boy. At last, his voice drifted back up to them. "It's okay! There's something here to break your fall!"
When the girls had reached the bottom, Draco shuddered. "Can you believe those two?" He motioned to the small square of light far above them, from where a musical rendition of "There once was a girl Nantucket," was wafting down. "Those are mental images I don't need, thank you very much."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Let's get going. Andy's been missing for hours now." The mood turned somber again as they remember what this trip was for.
"What is this stuff anyway?" Cho patted the ground beside her, only to feel it ... moving? "Oh, no – Draco!"
While they were talking, the plant-they-had-fallen-on's tendrils had wound their way around Draco's legs. Hermione and Cho struggled against the bonds and moved to the side of the corridor.
"Help!" he cried. "Wait! This is Devil's Snare!" Hermione's declaration was not met with the gratitude she expected.
"Really, you don't say." Draco clawed at the vines that were now around his stomach. "How do you kill it?"
"Well, it likes the dark and damp, so ... "
"We need a fire!" Cho exclaimed. Then she looked despondent. "But we've got no matches."
Hermione harrumphed and pointed her wand at the plant, shooting out the same blue-bell flames that they had used to warm their hands by that winter.
Draco kicked away the charred plant-remains. "Death creature," he muttered.
"Or we could do that," said Cho, sheepishly.
"I now know who not to ask for advice in a crisis." Cho looked put-out.
"Come on." Hermione yanked their arms and pulled them down a dark passageway. "Don't worry, Andy," she said to herself. "The cavalry's coming."
A/N: Sorry, no Harry in this chapter.
