Thursday's morning had been terrible. If Snape wasn't the friendliest teacher of Hogwarts, it seemed that being in presence of both Potters made him simply unbearable. Rohini had paired up with Harry and tried to ignore the degrading comments made by their teacher. Somehow, not answering to his provocation had made them loose more points than ever and everybody seemed to hold them responsible for that.
"I hate him! God, do I hate him!" Rohini shouted angrily, ignoring the portraits shushing her as they left the donjon. Padma gave her a sympathetic smile but said nothing, probably sensing that Rohini would calm down on her on. They parted with the Gryffindors that were going to have their first flying lessons, and headed towards the greenhouses for their Herbology class. Lisa wasn't with them, apparently decided to stay with Zachariah and his group of friends instead.
"Sorry about that." Rohini apologised to Padma, but the Patil twin assured her she didn't mind.
"You can't be held responsible for someone's jealousy." She said and Rohini thought she was quite mature for her age.
Xxx
"You what?!" Rohini said, baffled as she stare at Harry.
"He became the Gryffindors' seeker! It's wicked!" Ron said with admiration and Harry gave her the brightest smile she had ever seen on his face. Rohini's face was grave.
"But first years aren't supposed to be in a Quidditch team!" she squealed. "What if you fall? What if you break a bone, or worst?!"
"Rohini, calm down. I'll be fine." Harry said, looking embarrassed as a few students glanced at them.
"He'll be the youngest Quidditch player in a century!" Ron said with a frown, "you should be proud!"
"I am proud." Rohini snapped, "But I'm his sister and it's my job to worry about him!"
"Quidditch is in your blood, he'll do great." Hermione cut them and they gave her a puzzled look. "Follow me."
Hermione leaded them to the trophy case on second floor and pointed at a plaque of Quidditch players. The Potter twins exchanged a dumbstruck look and Ron gasped.
"Harry, you never told me your father was a Seeker, too!" He said, pointing at the plaque reading 'James Potter'.
"I-I didn't know." Harry said. Rohini stared at the engraved letters in silence. It was the first time she learnt something about their father. For a moment, she felt jealous of Harry for following their parents' footsteps. At least, he had something in common with them except for the eye colour.
They were heading back to the first floor when Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, crossed the way.
"Piss off, Malfoy." Rohini said between her teeth and the boy threw her a nasty glance before smirking at Harry.
"Enjoyed your last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"
"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly.
"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy, stepping closer to Harry. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only—no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizards duel before, I suppose?"
"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"
Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.
"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."
As soon as Malfoy and his bodyguards were out of sight, Rohini slapped the back of Harry's head, furious.
"A duel? A duel? Are you kidding me, Harry James Potter?"
"I couldn't say no and let Malfoy win!" Harry grimaced. Then, Rohini turned to Ron and slapped his arm, too.
"And you- you had to encourage him, heh? You idiots! Come Hermione, I don't want to catch their stupidity." She said, grabbing the witch by the wrist and leading her away, grumbling about duels and Quidditch. Hermione was smart enough not to interrupt her venting.
"Promise me you'll try to stop them." Rohini asked her before they parted ways. Hermione seemed to hesitate and Rohini reminded her Gryffindor would lose points if they were caught, which seems to convince Hermione.
Thursday's afternoon went better for she had both Transfiguration and Charms which where her favourite classes. She stayed at the end of McGonagall's lesson to ask her if it was careful to let Harry play a Quidditch match. McGonagall raised an eyebrow and asked if Rohini doubted her decision. "Perhaps you should join a club too, Miss Potter." McGonagall suggested and Rohini nodded, ready to leave before stopping.
"Professor McGonagall?" She asked, timidly looking away. "Did you teach my parents?"
"I did, yes." McGonagall said, and if Rohini didn't know better she'd thought there was some fondness in her voice. "Your mother was quite a talented witch and particularly good at Charms and Transfiguration. So was your father. An excellent seeker too."
"I see… thanks Professor." Rohini said before leaving. If Harry was going to follow their father's footsteps, then she will do the same, even if it didn't include riding a broom and catching a ball. Sitting next to Padma, she gave her full attention to Flitwick for the rest of the hour, taking more notes than necessary.
Rohini didn't join Harry after dinner. Instead, she stayed in the Ravenclaws' Common Room reading her magic spells book until her eyes were closing on their own and went to bed.
Xxx
"Rohini?"
Harry's voice waked her up and Rohini sat up with a gasp when she realised she was lying on the ground again. Kneeling next to her were Harry, Ron and Hermione. They were staring at here worriedly and Rohini realised she must have sleepwalked again.
"You're ok?" Harry asked and she nodded, forgetting for a second that she was supposed to be upset at him.
"Why are you here?" She asked, turning to Hermione, "I told you to stop them!"
"I tried!" Hermione said, crossing her arms and glancing angrily at the two boys. "They didn't listen!"
"Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there."
"We should go back to bed, then. He probably tricked you and warned Filch." Rohini said with a groan and just as they began to leave, they heard someone speak a few steps away.
"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."
"Oh no, I was right." Rohini moaned as they recognised Filch's voice. Horror-struck, Harry waved at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward another door, away from Filch's voice.
"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor. They could hear Filch getting nearer.
Then, when they were sure the old man couldn't hear them, they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead, without any idea where they were or where they were going—they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.
"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. "Let's go."
It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when Peeves materialised in front of them with a delighted smile.
"Pot Pottey and his friends!"
"Shut up, Peeves—please—you'll get us thrown out." Ron said, waving his hands to chase him.
Peeves cackled. "Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."
"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."
"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."
"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves—this was a big mistake.
"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"
Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door—and it was locked. Rohini felt like the setting was familiar, which was odd; she had never come to this part of the castle.
"This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!"
They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves's shouts.
"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, "Alohomora!"
The lock clicked and the door swung open—they piled through it, shut it quickly, and waited.
"He'll probably think this door's locked." Ron said, his ear stuck to the door.
"It was locked." Rohini and Hermione pointed out.
"And for a good reason." Harry said, his voice shaking. Rohini turned around—and froze.
"Oh no…" She wept, eyes wide opened in terror. They weren't the only one hiding inside the room.
They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. A dog with three heads. Growling with drool dropping from its mouths that showed threatening shining fangs, the beast stood up.
"AAAAAAAH!" They shouted in unison before Harry opened the door and pushed them all out of the room.
They had to slam the door shut all together for the dog heads slammed against it, and they ran.
"What do they think they're doing? Keeping a thing like that locked up in a school." Ron said between two loud breaths.
"You don't use your eyes, do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Hermione said and Ron gave her an annoyed look.
"I wasn't looking at its feet! I was a bit preoccupied with its heads. Or maybe you didn't notice, there were three!"
"It was standing on a trap door. Which means it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something."
"Guarding something?" The twins repeated, glancing at each other. Guarding something…
"That's right. Now, if you two don't mind, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed...or worse, expelled!" Hermione said dryly before leaving them behind.
"She needs to sort out her priorities!" Ron said and Rohini was too exhausted to defend Hermione. She hurried to go back to the Ravenclaw's dorm and sighed when she finally slipped under her blankets, Thranduil purring and rubbing his tiny head against her cheek.
"Glad to be alive." She told him with a tired smile before falling asleep. She dreamed that she was riding a broomstick and chased by a huge dog, that night.
Xxx
Hermione seemed to be ignoring Harry and Ron the next day, probably holding them responsible for their troubles. Malfoy had made a funny face when he saw them the next morning for he probably expected them to have been expelled. Vengeful, Rohini had enchanted his map during Astronomy class so that every time he would look at it, the map will roll back. It was petty, but oh so enjoyable.
In the middle of the afternoon, she waited for Harry at the main gate to go to Hagrid's place. Ron wanted to come and so the three of them headed towards the small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door and Rohini wondered if Hagrid was a hunter.
When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang—back."
Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.
"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."
He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound. Rohini squealed and kneeled in front of the dog who drooled on her robe as she scratched his enormous head.
There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.
"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid.
"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.
"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."
The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth and Rohini politely declined when she saw Ron's face after he tried one.
Hagrid asked them about their first week, and the three of them were delighted to hear him call Filch "that old git''
"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime."
"Animals reflect their masters." Rohini said and Hagrid raised an eyebrow before glancing at Fang that was now drooling on Harry's laps.
"Aye, I suppose yer right."
Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson and Rohini pointed out that he seemed to hate them more than any other students.
"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?" though he didn't quite meet their eyes when he said that.
"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot—great with animals."
The conversation took a pleasant turn as Charlie apparently worked with dragons. They had to leave not long after for they still had one hour of DADA left. As they headed towards the classroom, Rohini slowed up Harry by pulling on his sleeve.
"I was thinking… do you think that last night, what the dog heads were guarding… maybe it was the thing Hagrid picked up at Gringotts, that day?"
Before Harry could answer however, an older student -Oliver Wood- stopped them to tell Harry he will have his first Quidditch practice the next day. Rohini's worries about Harry crashing his broom or being injured came back and the mysterious package was forgotten.