The next morning, Harry found himself sleeping on the floor with a blanket spread over him. He sat up and yawned, blinking groggily at Draco's hazy figure which seemed to be standing in front of the entrance.

"Open," Harry heard him mutter. "Open up, you foul thing." Draco gave the door one swift kick and yelped out in pain as he held his foot and jumped up and down.

Harry chuckled as Draco whipped around hastily.

"The door won't be able to hear you, Malfoy," Harry said with amusement.

"About time you got up, Potter," Draco mumbled distastefully. "Slept like a baby, you did."

"Good morning to you too."

"Just so you know, I've been trying to get us out," Draco turned back to the marble door. "That one twin, George Weasley, right? Anyway, he was uttering some pretty fancy words similar to the one engraved above this door."

Harry rose to his feet and stood next to Draco, "They're not gonna keep us in here forever. They're not that cruel."

"Yeah but—"

"It's all right, Malfoy. Give it a rest."

"Hey, at least I'm trying! I bet you don't wanna stay in here any longer, do you?" Draco turned back to the door and shouted, "Open up, you evil slab of marble!"

"Call the door names, and it won't open," Harry muttered. "Leave it to you to make things worse."

"Shut up, Potter," Draco snapped. "At least I'm trying. Those friends of yours are probably not even thinking about helping us. I bet they're all having a good laugh right now."


Meanwhile in the Great Hall, Fred and George were doubling over with laughter. Ron looked anxious and nervous while Hermione narrowed her eyes. She looked so enraged; her hair was practically crackling with electricity.

"You two have really crossed the line this time!" she slammed her fists on the table. "I am a prefect. I could report this!"

"On the contrary, my dear future sis-in-law," Fred grinned. "You can't report this—"

"—Not when it was Dumbledore himself who suggested to lock the two in together," George finished for his brother. "Quite the genius, that man."

"Dumbledore suggested it himself?" Hermione shrieked. "That's insane! He would never!"

"He overheard us complaining about Harry and Malfoy arguing every free moment," George said.

"He only told us in passing," Fred added in.

"In passing, meaning, pulling us aside—"

"—Telling us the whereabouts of the room—"

"—And telling us the password—"

"—What a man—"

"—What a mastermind," George pretended to wipe a tear from his face.

Hermione continued to stare at them with an expression of pure astonishment, "A little more explanation. And no more riddles!"

"Fine," Fred looked defeated as he turned to Ron. "You've got a firecracker on your hands there."

"Yep, I'm lucky," Ron grinned as he looked at Hermione rather proudly.

"You win, Hermione," George scribbled something on a piece of parchment and handed it to her. "Decipher it."

On the parchment, it read: Devlos ersilla erofeb gniv aelon siereth.

"It's what's engraved above that door," Hermione blinked. She stared at it and scratched her chin with the tip of her quill. "What language is it in? Is it Latin?" she drummed her fingers on the table and sighed. She paused for a while as her eyes widened. "Goodness! It's so simple! It says There is no leaving before all is resolved."

Ron's jaw dropped, "Bloody hell, Hermione! You understood that?"

"Read it backwards, Ronald."

Ron looked it over and let out a sound that was between a laugh and a snort, "Well, will you look at that!"

"And here's the password," Fred slid another piece of parchment over towards her.

"Streah rieht laeverniad sidriehtd newon," Hermione read. "Now end the disdain, reveal their hearts. Brilliant! So simple yet so… brilliant."

"I know, isn't it?" Fred said. "So now you know."

"And now you'll let them out."

"Wrong, Hermione. We can't let them out. They have to let themselves out."

She snatched up the paper, "Then I'll just have to tell them the password."

"Haven't you been paying attention, you silly girl?" George shook his head and sighed. "Hermione, Hermione, Hermione. Devlos ersilla erofeb gniv aelon siereth, meaning, There is no leaving before all is resolved. Isn't that of any importance to you?"

"Meaning… they can't leave. At least not yet," Fred said. "They've just gotta settle things on their own. This time, it will be without their Gryffindor comrades and their Slytherin cronies."

"Just them. Alone. Free to tear each other's eyes out, if they must."

"And there's nothing you can do about it!"

With that, the twins leaned back in their chairs and cackled evilly.


Harry and Draco sneezed simultaneously.

They looked at each other and frowned, "Somebody's talking about us."