Chapter 8

The trio continued to talk to Hagrid for a while. Time passed rather quickly and the time soon came for them to leave. They all said goodbye to their good friend and headed back to the castle.. As they walked into the castle Ron couldn't help but stare at Harry as if he was some special gift.

"Ron, why do you keep staring at me like that?" Harry asked.

"Well Harry do you realize you may be the first Gryffindor besides Hermione to have a chance of breezing through potions class."

"Ron!" Hermione spat and glared at him, she then turned to her other friend. " Harry don't believe him. You just can't pass thru class without doing the work."

"Ron, Hermione, Snape doesn't like me, and now he has even more of a reason to hate me. Even though I'm his son that doesn't change that."

Ron shook his head and tried to come up with a better plan, but couldn't. As the trio rounded the corner into a hallway an all too familiar meow came from behind them. They turned around and saw Mrs. Norris walking toward them. Soon afterwards they heard the caretaker calling out after his cat.

"What is it. Have you found students wandering the halls. Lead me to them." He yelled down the hall.

Harry, Ron and Hermione bolted down the halls trying to loose the cat. They ran toward the Gryffindor common room and came face to face with the portrait.

"Let us in please." Ron said urgently.

"Password please." Replied the fat lady in the portrait.

"Short snout." Harry replied in a hurry.

"Sorry, that password is incorrect." The lady replied.

Harry and Ron looked to each other panicked.

"Guys, it's the first of the month. The prefect changed the password." Hermione said ash she looked over her shoulder to see if Mrs. Norris had rounded the corner.

"Oh no. We are going to get caught." Ron yelled.

Harry looked to the fat lady. " The prefect never told us the password. Can we have a little hint?" He asked.

The fat lady shook her head no and crossed her arms.

"Guys, all the passwords this year have been the names of dragons. Start naming dragons." Hermione cut in.

"Hermione have you gone mad?" Ron said with fear.

They could hear Filch's yelling getting louder.

"Well it's worth a try right." Harry answered.

"Have you both gone mad, this is no times for games." Ron spat.

"Horntail, fireball, welsh green, opal eye. Longhorn" Harry said, but the portrait still refused access.

"Vipertooth?" Hermione asked.

"Ron your brother works with dragons. What have we missed?" Harry said in a hurried tone.

"Leading me to the Gryffindor tower I see." Came Filch's voice from down the hall.

"I don't know, Um. Ridgeback?" Ron replied.

Suddenly the portrait lady smiled.

"You may enter." She said and swung open.

"Finally." Ron answered.

The three hurried into the common room and over to a corner. They threw off their cloaks, picked up books and pretended to read. Filch burst into the common room a few seconds after them. He looked around the room and his evil gaze landed on the three.

"Have you three been out of this room?" He hissed.

"Um. No sir, we were just doing homework." Hermione replied in her most perfect tone. She glanced at Ron and nudged him. Ron rubbed his arm and noticed the book he was holding was upside down. He quickly righted it before Filch caught on.

"You wouldn't be lying to me, now would you? Dangerous things happen to those who lie."

"No sir, what use would it be to lie to you." Harry asked.

Suddenly the common room was rocked by a small explosion. Then the familiar laughing of the school poltergeist was heard.

"PEEVES!" yelled Filch. "I've got you this time. I swear it. If you've broken another suit of armor I'll make sure your confined to the dungeons."

Filch and Mrs. Norris quickly exited the common room to search for Peeves. Harry, Ron and Hermione all started to breath a sigh of relief.

"Thank you Peeves." Ron said as he relaxed into the sofa and put the book down.

"That's the first time I was glad that ghost caused trouble." Hermione said.

"It's not the first time I've been saved by him. I'm starting to believe I owe that ghost." Harry said.

"I wouldn't go there Harry, really I wouldn't." Said Hermione.

The three giggled and talked about their close call and about the events of the day long into the night.