I don't own Harry Potter... I wish I did though... J.K. Rowling owns it...

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Chapter Seven- Of Flying and Three- Headed Dogs

Before Hollis had come to Hogwarts, she believed that she would never find a magical version of Dudley. But now, she knew that she had met a boy she hated almost as much as she hated Dudley and this rival came in the form of Draco Malfoy.

Normally, she was very tolerant of everyone around her but she couldn't stand Malfoy. Maybe it was his 'I'm better than you' attitude that drove her insane. Maybe it was his rudeness to others. Maybe it was the way he talked. Hollis thought it was a very odd mix of all three aspects.

But, she didn't have to deal with him very often, seeing how they only saw each other in Potions and were usually too busy working to throw insults at each other, though they did cast occasional glares at each other while fetching water.

Hollis thought that Potions would be the only class she would have to take with him. When she came back from Transfiguration at the end of the day, she noticed that the rest of the first years were crowded around the notice board.

"What do you think's happening?" Ron asked.

"No idea," Hollis answered truthfully. They pushed their way through the throng of people and read the notice.

"Oh no," Hollis said, her heart dropping into the pit of her stomach.

Flying lessons were due to begin on Thursday.

And the Gryffindors were with the Slytherins.

"Brilliant. I get to make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy. It's what I've always wanted," Hollis said darkly, saying the last bit sarcastically.

"You never know. You could have a natural aptitude for flying, so you don't know if you'll make a fool of yourself. But Malfoy does talk an awful lot about flying but I'm betting it's all talk," Ron said comfortingly.

Hollis nodded. Malfoy did spend an extraordinary amount of time talking about Quidditch to anyone that would listen. He seemed to pull stories out of thin air- Hollis wasn't entirely sure where he got the stories from- that all ended in narrowly avoiding Muggle helicopters.

Ron talked a lot about Quidditch as well. He told the entire house that he had run into a hang glider once on Charlie's old broom. Danny had, surprisingly, backed him up on that story by saying 'I remember that'. Danny himself liked Quidditch but had only said that he hadn't played it since he had run into a tree and got attacked by garden gnomes when he was nine. Ron was extremely passionate about Quidditch and had started an argument between him and Dean Thomas, a Muggle-Born who liked soccer. Hollis had actually seen Ron poke at the West Ham soccer team poster with his wand when Hollis had been up in the Boy's Dormitories to get the Charms homework.

And it wasn't just Ron who talked about Quidditch constantly. Anyone with magic in their family talked about Quidditch constantly.

Seamus Finnigan told all the first years over breakfast that he had spent most of his childhood zooming around on his Comet Two Sixty- Hollis had no idea what that was until Danny, who was now coming out of his shell a bit though was still particularly taken with Hollis, said that it was a type of broomstick.

Neville had tearfully explained that he had never been on a broom. His Gran wouldn't let him near one. Personally, Hollis thought Neville's grandmother had a point. Neville could manage a number of accidents that made your head hurt just by counting them with both feet on the ground.

However, people such as Hermione and Hollis, who had no magical relatives, either living or in existence, were feeling the same nervous attitude Neville was displaying. Hollis, following her logic, went to Danny and Ron who had both ridden a broomstick before and asked for tips. Hermione was a different story. She seemed appalled that Quidditch wasn't something you could learn by heart from a book or article. But she had tried to anyway.

She had taken out Quidditch Through the Ages and repeatedly read aloud tips until one of the three girls- mostly Hollis for Pavarti and Lavender hardly listened to Hermione- told her politely to shut up. Neville, who was desperate for any sort of help, went back to Hermione for the tips from the book and hung onto her every word.

On the night before the Flying Lesson, Hermione attempted to read the entire book aloud to the Gryffindor girls. Hollis, who had been doing a last minute Astronomy assignment, fell asleep as she tried to label Jupiter's sixteen moons while simultaneously trying to be polite and pretend to listen to Hermione. Pavarti and Lavender, while talking in undertones to each other, tried to wake Hollis, poking her with their eagle feather quills, not paying any attention Hermione in the least.

Hermione hadn't noticed that she was giving everyone a good cure for insomnia until Pavarti had told her, rather bluntly, that she was causing Hollis to nod off on her telescope during Astronomy when Professor Sinistra was helping Seamus locate Saturn.

The next morning, Hollis had been startled awake when Lavender shrieked when a spider crawled across her trunk. She had very nearly toppled out of her bed and judging by the thump across from her, Pavarti had fallen out of her bed. Hermione had already been awake and pulling on her uniform by that time and only gave a sniff. Hollis, the only girl who wasn't afraid of spiders, took the spider off of Lavender's trunk and put it on the sill.

Not wanting to be caught in the throes of one of Hermione's now infamous lectures, Hollis had dressed as quickly as she could and shot out of the dormitory like a bullet, hoping to find Ron and the other boys. After a short five minute wait, Ron, Hollis, Seamus, Dean, Danny and Neville made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Unfortunately for them, Hermione decided to bore them all stupid with those ridiculous tips.

Hermione was still reading Quidditch Through the Ages when the mail arrived.

"Thank God," Hollis muttered while casting her eyes upward. Ron raised his goblet slightly in a 'Hear, hear' gesture.

Hollis hadn't gotten anything since Hagrid's note and Malfoy, desperate for something to make fun of Hollis for, took note of this rather quickly. Whenever Hollis was looking his way, which wasn't often, he would open his packages from home like he was royalty.

An old looking horned owl dropped off the Daily Prophet to Ron. Seamus and Dean each got a letter from home. And surprisingly, Neville received something from a barn owl. Hollis and Ron looked over the top of the newspaper they were sharing and stared at Neville. Apparently, he was just as surprised as they were.

"It's from my Gran," he said while tearing open the envelope. He read the letter fairly quickly and then opened the small box that had come with the letter. He took out a marble sized glass ball that had billowing white smoke in it.

"Is that… a Remembrall, Neville?" Danny asked curiously. Neville nodded vigorously.

"Yeah. My Gran knows that I forget a lot of stuff so she must have sent it to help with that. You see, when the smoke turns red it means…. Oh," Neville explained just as the smoke in the ball turned scarlet. Hollis mentally completed the sentence in her head, seeing the look of concentration on Neville's face.

"What's this Longbottom?" Malfoy asked while snatching up Neville's Remembrall. He had seemingly come out of no where, a skill he had no doubt picked up from his favorite teacher, Snape. He had spooked Neville and had startled the rest of the first year boys including Hollis. Crabbe and Goyle were trailing behind him, a mockery of very ugly and stupid guard dogs. Ron and Hollis stood up, getting ready to make Malfoy give the ball back, but McGonagall spotted trouble faster than Aunt Petunia could spot dirt on her floors. She strode over to them.

"Is there a problem?" she asked briskly, looking directly at Malfoy. Malfoy pinked at the cheeks.

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor," Neville said quickly. Malfoy quickly shoved the glass ball back into Neville's hand. He wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight under a teacher's nose.

"Just looking," he muttered before walking away quickly, Crabbe and Goyle following him closely.

Hollis and Ron sat down, Ron looking slightly downcast. He had been hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy.

***

At three thirty on the dot, the first year Gryffindors walked out of the castle and onto the grassy grounds. The day was perfect; sunny, breezy, and not a cloud in sight.

They were met by a silver haired, orange eyed witch named Madam Hooch. She was the teacher that Hollis thought she felt vaguely like the wind. Now she knew why. The Slytherins were already there, waiting for them, near twenty or so broomsticks. Hollis dimly recalled Fred and George Weasley complain heartily about the school brooms. She remembered them saying that they'd vibrate if you went to high and that some of them would list to the left.

"Hurry up, get by a broom!" Madam Hooch barked. The Gryffindors hurried their pace. When they were all there and beside a broomstick, Madam Hooch began the lesson.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson. My name is Madam Hooch. Now, I want you to put your right hand over the broom and say 'Up'," Madame Hooch instructed.

"Up!" Hollis said firmly. The broom flew into her hand immediately. She briefly noticed both Ron and Hermione were giving her incredulous looks and that Madam Hooch was staring at her with a knowing look on her face.

Not everyone's broom had jumped into their hands at once. Many stayed stubbornly on the ground. Hermione's rolled around. Neville's didn't move at all.

When they all had their brooms in their hands, Madam Hooch continued.

"Now, mount your brooms, like this," she said while demonstrating. They did so- Hollis actually did it right the first time instinctually- and Madam Hooch walked around, sometimes correcting their grips or their mounts entirely. Ron and Hollis were delighted when Madam Hooch told Malfoy he had been doing it wrong since the start.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, I want you to kick off on the ground, hard. Hover in the air for a minute, lean forward slightly, and touch back down. On my whistle, three, two…" Madam Hooch started.

Neville had kicked off the ground before Madam Hooch brought the whistle to her lips. He had been so anxiety ridden, that he had jumped ahead. He kept floating higher and higher, his terrified yelps becoming more distant, quieter.

"Young man! Get down here this instant!" Madam Hooch barked. Neville's broom- Hollis was certain that Neville wasn't doing it- zoomed forward, sending him on a nightmarish roller coaster of zigzags, dips, and dives.

Neville started falling off. Hollis could see his pallid face as his legs slipped, his grip loosening. The broom jerked forward and Neville fell off completely. Luckily, he wasn't that high. But he did fall hard and everyone heard the sickening crack issuing from Neville's arm. The Gryffindors and Madam Hooch rushed over to the fallen Neville.

Madam Hooch was looking as pale as Neville was when she helped him into a sitting position.

"It's a broken wrist… poor boy… Come on, up you get," Madam Hooch murmured while pulling him to his feet and putting an am around him.

"Nobody is to move while I take this boy to the Hospital Wing. If I see one broom in the air, the one riding it will be out of here before they can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear," Madam Hooch said while leading Neville back to the castle.

Once they were gone, Malfoy burst out laughing. Hollis felt her temper start to rise.

"Did you see the look on his face, the great lump?" he laughed hysterically. The other Slytherins joined in, spurred on by Malfoy's outburst.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Pavarti said bravely. Pansy Parkinson, the pug-face girl, sneered at her.

"I didn't know you liked fat, cry babies, Pavarti," she teased. Pavarti turned red.

"Oh, look! It's that stupid ball that Longbottom's gran sent him," Malfoy said while bending down. The glass Remembrall glittered in the sun.

"Give that here Malfoy," Hollis said while holding out her hand, her broom in the other. Her voice was dangerously low and everyone had stopped talking and laughing to listen.

"No, I don't think I will. I'm thinking about leaving it somewhere for Longbottom to find," he said while mounting his broom.

"How 'bout up a tree?" he sneered while taking off. He hadn't been lying. He could fly well. Hollis made up her mind in an instant. She mounted her broom as well. Hermione grabbed her shoulder.

"Holly, no. Madam Hooch told us not to move! You're going to get us all in trouble," she snapped. Hollis ignored her. She took off.

Everything completely disappeared around her as she rose. This was amazing… this was absolutely wonderful… it was easy… it felt familiar, like she was being reunited with an old friend. She felt a shiver go up her spine as she felt the wind swirl around her hands. It was just her, the broom and the wind now.

She pulled herself back to reality and, wanting to push her limits, brought the tip of the broom up slightly, spurring it forward. She heard screams, gasps, and an admiring whoop- Ron's no doubt- below her. Malfoy was looking paler and more pinched than normal.

"Give that here or I'll knock you off that broom!" Hollis said.

"Oh yeah?" Malfoy said his voice full of bravado. Hollis wasn't fooled though. She could tell that he was worried.

Hollis leaned forward on the broom and it shot forward almost like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way. Hollis performed a tight U-turn, bringing her broom around to face Malfoy once more.

"There's no Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Hollis taunted. Malfoy seemed to realize this for he made a split second decision. He wound up his arm and threw the Remembrall as hard as he could.

Amazingly, the clear ball seemed to fall in slow motion. She urged her broom forward and she shot past Malfoy. She pushed the tip downward, going into a dive. She held out her hand, her fingernails just barely scraping the glass surface. She put on an extra burst of speed. The ground was getting awfully close now. She reached out for the Remembrall again and this time, her fingers closed around it.

She pulled up out of the dive and landed lightly on the ground. Ron was leading the Gryffindor first years that were running towards Hollis at top speed and she suddenly found herself surrounded by admiring fans and friends. She failed to notice a white lipped, strict looking witch make her way onto the grassy field.

"HOLLIS POTTER!"

Hollis felt her heart fall into her feet and her face pale. It was McGonagall and she looked furious. Her lips were stark white and she was trembling slightly.

"Come with me," McGonagall said in a low voice, mumbling things under her breath about 'breaking her neck' and 'never have seen flying quite like that'. Hollis felt like crying. She had barely lasted four weeks and she was already expelled. She tried imagining arriving back at the Dursley's trying to explain what had happened.

Surprisingly, they didn't go to the Transfiguration classroom like Hollis thought they would at first. They came to a stop at the Charms classroom. She opened the door and knocked on the frame politely.

"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick; may I borrow Wood for a moment?" McGonagall asked. Hollis stared at McGonagall's back confusedly. Was 'wood' a cane she was going to hit her with?

A moment later, a burly fifteen year old boy, whose name was Wood, exited the classroom. He looked curiously at Hollis and she just smiled nervously back to him. She didn't know what was going on but she really wanted to find out.

They went to the Transfiguration classroom where McGonagall forced Peeves out. She shut the door.

"Professor, what's all this about?" Wood asked.

"Wood, I've found you a seeker," McGonagall said, a happy and gleeful tone in her voice. Wood's mouth dropped open but he quickly shut it. Hollis stared quizzically at the both of them.

"You can't be serious, Professor. Her? She's only a first year," Wood said.

"I know full well who's a first year and who's not, Wood. But this girl's a natural. I've never seen anything like it before. She caught a Remembrall- hold it up Potter- out of a fifty foot, steep dive. She didn't even scratch herself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?" McGonagall said. Hollis nodded. She still didn't have any idea where this was going.

Wood looked excited now. "Have you ever seen a game of Quidditch?" Wood asked her eagerly. Hollis shook her head no, some feeling coming back into her legs. But what did Quidditch have to do with her? Then it clicked. Did… did they want her to play Quidditch for Gryffindor house?

"She's just the build for Seeker too… light, speedy, small… we'll have to get her a decent broom, Professor. A Nimbus 2000 or Cleansweep 7, I'd say," Wood continued, circling Hollis.

"I'll talk to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can bend the first year rule. Heaven knows we need a better team than last year. Steam rolled in the final match against Slytherin. I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks…" McGonagall said. Hollis felt her eyes widen in disbelief. They did want her to play Quidditch.

McGonagall looked at her sternly. "I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I might change my mind about punishing you," she said. Hollis nodded, a feeling of intense relief flooding into her veins.

McGonagall suddenly smiled. "Your father would have been proud. He was an excellent Quidditch player himself," she said softly.

Hollis felt her face redden and she looked down at her feet, but she knew that she would never hear any praise higher than that.

***

"No. Bloody. Way."

Hollis smiled broadly as she finished whispering her story in Ron's ear. The piece of steak that was halfway to his open mouth flopped back down on his plate pathetically.

"First years never make it on the House team. You must be the youngest Seeker in a…" Ron started.

"Century, I know. Wood told me. But don't tell anyone I got on the team. Wood wants to keep it a secret," Hollis warned. Ron nodded, a wide grin splitting his face. Hollis noticed that the Weasley twins were edging closer to where she and Ron were sitting. Hollis cocked a brow at them and they, knowing that they had been seen, walked at a normal pace the rest of the way.

They bent down to whisper something in Hollis's ear.

"Well done, Holly. Wood's just told us that you got on the team. We're on the team too, beaters," Fred said with a slight smile.

"You must be good, Holly; Wood was almost skipping when he told us. Well, we have to go now. Lee Jordan's claiming he found another secret passageway out of the school behind the statue of Jeremy the Smarmy that we found in our first week," George said. Fred gave Hollis a pat on the back and they left.

"Having a last meal, Potter?"

Hollis had been expecting this visit for quite sometime. She turned to face Malfoy, a cool expression on her face.

"You're a lot braver now that you're on the ground and your cronies are by you side," she said smoothly.

"I would and can take you on anytime on my own. How about tonight? A wizard's duel. No contact, only magic. You do know what a wizard's duel is, right?" Malfoy scoffed. Before Malfoy could read Hollis's confused look, Ron answered for her.

"Of course she has. I'm her second. Who's yours?" he said angrily. Malfoy looked slightly taken aback but Hollis noticed that he, nonetheless, started sizing up Crabbe and Goyle. Hollis thought it wouldn't make much a difference. They were equally as big and stupid.

"Crabbe," Malfoy said finally. "Meet us in the trophy room at midnight. The trophy room's always unlocked."

They stalked away. Hollis rounded on Ron.

"Ron, what is a wizard's duel? And what do you mean by second?" Hollis asked.

"A wizard's duel is a battle between two wizards. A second's there to take over if you die, but people only die in proper duels," Ron explained, adding the last part very quickly, most likely due to the shock and horror on Hollis's face. "The most you and Malfoy will be able to do is shoot sparks at each other."

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose, though I doubt that will happen."

Someone cleared there throat. Ron threw down his silverware, abandoning his dinner once more. "Can't anyone eat in peace in this place?" he asked loudly and agitatedly.

"I couldn't help but overhear you and Malfoy…" Hermione Granger started off, sounding slightly pompous. Ron muttered something that sounded like 'Bet you could'.

"You can't go sneaking around after curfew! Think about all the points you could lose if you're caught which is bound to happen. It's really selfish," Hermione said.

"And it's really none of your business," Hollis snapped, thoroughly irritated by Hermione's harping.

Ron nodded feverishly in agreement.

Hermione harrumphed, stuck up her nose and stalked away, not bothering to stay for desert.

***

Hollis waited until everyone was asleep before going down to the Common Room. Ron wasn't there yet. She sat down on a chair, wrapping her bathrobe securely around her thin body. It was bound to be frigid in the castle at this time of night.

She heard Ron come down the spiral stairs before she saw him. He looked distinctly ruffled and annoyed. Hollis highly suspected it was Hermione that was getting on his nerves.

"Come on let's go," Hollis whispered while getting up. They exited the portrait hole together and started down the Fat Lady's corridor. They heard the portrait hole open again. They whirled around, hoping to whatever higher being was listening that it wasn't Percy.

And it wasn't him.

It was Hermione. "I can't believe you're actually doing this, Holly," she said.

"You! You just couldn't keep out of our business could you," Ron hissed.

"I almost told your brother, Percy. He's a prefect. He wouldn't stand for this," Hermione said disdainfully. Hollis would have dearly loved to say 'How can you be so interfering' but decided on a glare.

Hollis turned and grabbed Ron's shoulder. "Come on," she whispered. But Hermione was persistent. She followed them, hissing in a way that reminded Hollis of an angry duck mixed with a cat.

"You don't care about Gryffindor do you? You only care about yourselves! You're are going to get caught and lose all the points Professor McGonagall gave me for knowing about switching spells!" she said angrily. Hollis was going to reply back with some smart aleck-y remark but her feet caught on something and she sprawled on the stone floor.

The thing she had tripped on was a slipper. A slipper attached to someone's ankle which was, in turn, attached to someone's leg.

It was Neville.

"Neville?" Ron asked as he helped Hollis to her feet. Neville woke up and looked at them, looking ready to kiss them.

"Oh, thank you for finding me!" he wailed thankfully.

"How's your wrist?" Hollis asked while holding out a hand. Neville took it and Hollis hauled him to his feet.

"Madame Pomfrey mended it in about a minute. I'm fine," Neville said.

"What are you doing out here though?" Ron asked.

"I was released from the Hospital Wing ages ago, but I couldn't remember the password into the Gryffindor Tower. So, I waited out here until someone would come along and let me in. But no one came and I've been stuck out here ever since," Neville explained.

"The password's 'Pig snout', but we can't let you into the Common Room right now, Neville. We, uh, have somewhere to be," Hollis said. Neville grabbed her arm.

"Don't leave me here! The Bloody Baron's been by here twice already!" he cried. Ron and Hollis looked at each other. Was it worth it?

"Alright, you can come with us. And will you just go back to bed?!" Ron said after a consenting nod from Hollis. Hermione had started squawking indignantly.

"Shut up!" Hollis hissed as they excited the Fat Lady's corridor and walked silently onto the landing of the Seventh Floor. Hermione was still muttering furiously to herself, looking half apprehensive half disapproving. It was quite a look. Neville was not talking at all, still clinging to Hollis's bathrobe, but looking slightly joyous to finally have someone to be with. Ron was looking particularly tense and alert, something that was extremely out of character for he was quite easy going. Hollis herself was very tense, and every muscle and tendon in her body was coiled and tight, her body ready to flee if there was a need to.

The managed to sneak into the Trophy Room- which was located on the second floor- with five minutes to spare. The four of them remained hidden in the shadows, waiting for any sign of a rustling cloak, whether it be a teacher's or Malfoy's. Midnight came and went.

"Where are they?" Ron whispered furiously in Hollis's ear. Hollis shrugged, her eyes straining in the darkness.

They heard someone stumble in the darkness and the soft patter of an animal's paws. They heard a muffled curse and then…

"Sniff around, my sweet… they're around here somewhere…"

Hollis felt her stomach turn to lead. It was the voice they had been dreading to hear ever since the first day, that same, oily greasy voice that had greeted them when they tried to force their way into the forbidden corridor.

Filch.

Hollis could see the dim outline of Mrs. Norris and her lamp like eyes cutting through the darkness like a knife through butter. She was very close to them. Hollis's heart hammered in her chest as she racked her brain for some, any, idea.

It wasn't needed.

The four of them heard several loud bangs and maniacal cackling. They knew immediately that it was Peeves, who was, for a change, up to no good.

"PEEVES!" Filch roared before he and Mrs. Norris bustled off to who knew where. Neville, Hermione, Ron and Hollis sprinted out of the Trophy Room and vaulted up the stairs.

They had met Peeves along the way.

"Oooh… what's this? Ickle Firsties out of bed?" Peeves laughed in his oily voice. Hollis felt her face pale. Whatever Peeves was planning, Hollis knew it wouldn't end well for them.

"Peeves… no…" Ron whispered. Hollis shut her eyes, her legs tensing in anticipation to run.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED! STUDENTS OUT BED! IN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!" Peeves screeched. They moved as one group, flinging themselves up the stairs to the nearest door.

And that nearest door happened to be the out of bounds one. They heard Filch's wheezing breath over Peeves's cackling. Hollis yanked at the handle, hoping that it would just burst open.

"Oh no, we're done for!" Ron moaned quietly. Hermione rolled her eyes and snatched Hollis's wand out of her hand.

"Move over! Alohomora!" she snapped. The door swung open and the four Gryffindors crowded inside.

They heard Filch's exchange with Peeves that ended with Filch cursing both the students and the poltergeist. They all breathed a sigh of relief. Hollis turned around, her back resting against the door. That had certainly been close. Hollis looked around, noticing a very dark shape in the forbidden corridor. Her mouth dropped open as she finally figured it out what it was.

"He still thinks this door is locked!" Ron said incredulously. Hermione rolled her eyes again.

"This door was locked," Hermione said impatiently.

"And for good reason," Hollis said, her voice squeaking. Neville, who was white and shaken to begin with as soon as Filch's voice had floated into the Trophy Room, went ash white. Ron paled to the color of puce. Hermione's lower lip trembled as she blanched.

There was a huge dog in the room with them. And it had three heads.

And it was waking up.

Obviously agitated by their unfamiliar scents, the dog growled menacingly, its bloodshot, yellow eyes narrowing in sudden aggression.

The four Gryffindors let out four bloodcurdling screams and bolted out of the door and locked it before the dog could figure out what to do with them. They sprinted up the stairs at top speed, and were not caught again by Filch or Peeves.

They came back to the Fat Lady's corridor where they sprinted the last lengths to the Portrait Hole. The Fat Lady gave a loud snort as their noise woke her.

"My, my! What are you all doing out?" she asked.

"Never mind that! Pig snout, pig snout, PIG SNOUT!" Hollis panted loudly. The Fat Lady swung open the Portrait Hole, looking aghast and slightly confused.

Once they were in the Common Room again, Ron seemed to have found his voice, though he was still very white.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in school? If any dog needs exercise, it's that one!" Ron said vehemently. Hermione, though still shaken, gave a pompous, all knowing snort.

"Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Hermione asked smugly as they walked up the spiral staircase to their respected Dormitories.

"I'm sorry, I was too busy looking at its heads! I didn't exactly have the urge to look at its feet when the thing itself has three heads!" Hollis snapped, her shock and terror getting the better of her.

"It was standing on a trapdoor which means it wasn't there by accident. It's guarding something," Hermione said while stopping at the Girl's Dormitories. Hollis and Ron looked at each other. Neville looked very confused.

"Guarding something?" Hollis repeated skeptically. It sounded far-fetched but Hermione did have a valid point.

"That's right. Now, I'm going to bed before either of you come up with another clever idea that could get us killed, or worse… expelled," Hermione sniffed while opening the door to the dormitories and closing it in Hollis's face, literally.

"She needs to sort out her priorities," Ron muttered as they parted, Hollis rubbing her sore nose furiously.

She opened the door to the Girl's Dormitories and saw that Hermione had already drawn the hangings around her bed. Hollis sighed and climbed into her own bed. What a night.

She'd have to draw that three-headed dog sometime.

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