Okay, seventh chapter. Wow, look at my guide, the Sorcerer's Stone, I'm half way there! I'm not sure how I'm going to fit Cassie into the end, when they are going to look for the Stone. I was hoping to put her in the middle of the action, but I want her to have a different experience since we all know what happens to Harry. I think I have to perfect idea, but I would need to change some of my other plans around. Then again, I don't mind.

Also, I've been using some of JKR's words and phrasing in this story because it was hard in the beginning to write this. I'm stopping after this chapter, but there will be a longer pause between chapters. Also, this is going to have way more of Cassie POV because She's my character, and she's easier to write for. Harry's parts have been written by JKR, so It's hard to make it original. So you'll be seeing Cassie's inner struggle more then Harry's.

As crazy as this sounds, I have this story all planned out. I just need to write it and stuff. I'm not sure if I'll separate each book into separate stories, but most likely not. I want to this be one huge and massive story that keeps bring in the goods. Plus, I'm thinking about skipping some filler stuff.

RATE: K+ - T

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HP. JKR DOES.

Chapter 7

Harry Potter just went flying for the first time in years. And he felt alive doing it.

Where had the time gone? It was like Cassie was there with him. He missed her alright. So much. But now was the time for living. And that's why he went flying.

And that's why he was going to read and look through those memories in the beautiful box.

And here he goes.

**

He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him; he had to jog to keep up. Now he'd done it. He hadn't even lasted two weeks. He'd be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would the Dursleys say when he turned up on the doorstep?

They would probably try to drown him in the ocean, see how he does not know how to swim.

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to him. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trotting miserably behind her.

Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.

"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"

Wood? thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use on him? He was used to beating from the Dursleys, but this would be worst, he was sure.

But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.

"Follow me, you two," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry.

"In here."

Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.

"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.

"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood — I've found you a Seeker."

Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.

"Are you serious, Professor?" He had a Scottish accent and seemed to be generally shocked at the fact that a first year could be his Seeker.

"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it.

Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"

Harry nodded silently. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but he didn't seem to be being expelled.

Thank Merlin.

Think about what would Cassie say.

Wait, she'll kill me anyway so it wouldn't matter.

"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."

Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once.

"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly.

"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.

"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him like a piece of meat. Harry liked Wood already.

"Light —speedy — we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor — a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."

Harry was now clueless. What was the difference? He'll just have to ask Ron or Cassie.

"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks…"

he had a feeling that McGonagall was not pleased with that.

Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry.

"I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you."

Then she suddenly smiled.

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

It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.

"Seeker?" he said. "But first years never — you must be the youngest house player in about —"

" — a century," said Harry, shoveling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."

Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Harry.

Cassie on the other hand was about to kill him.

"How can you go and do that Harry,' She said angrily. "What would have happened if you had fell, you could have killed yourself!"

"Cassie, the thing is, he didn't," Ron said.

"But he could have."

"But he didn't," Ron said after swallowing have of his kidney pie. "Besides, he's on the team now. It's all good."

"I start training next week," Harry interrupted.. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."

Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over.

"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too — Beaters."

Didn't Wood say that they were pretty much Bludgers themselves?

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"

Cassie bristled at this. Malfoy noticed this.

"Anyway, I hope your happy Connelly, that stunt you pulled nearly got me in trouble."

"You were doing that well on your own."

He sneered. Cassie's eyes narrowed. Harry hadn't seen Cassie at her limit, but he thinks that's now.

"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. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only — no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," said Ron, before Cassie could react. "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."

When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other.

"What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie.

Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."

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

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.

"Well you won't have to worry about that," Cassie said. "You're not going."

"Excuse me," Ron sputtered. "Of course we are."

"No you're not," I different voice spoke.

They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying —"

"Bet you could," Ron muttered.

"Ron don't be rude."

"I agree with Cassie over here. You mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"I was thinking more along the lines that they may get hurt," Cassie said thoughtfully. "But continue."

"It's really none of your business," said Harry.

"Good-bye," said Ron.

**

Harry sighed at this. Stupid. How could he fall for that?

That's what got him in the mess the first place. And also the first time Cassie risked her life for him.

Damn Malfoy. I mean come on, how could he have believed the smarmy git? Sure he's reformed in the past years, but he was still a git when he was eleven.

He sighed. Well that's what happened. And it got worst.

**

idiots.

The both of them, Cassie thought angrily. Go to a wizard's duel in the middle of the night. Can't even perform magic properly. How are they even going to get out of the Tower. The Fat Lady wouldn't...

"Half-past eleven," Ron muttered to Harry, "we'd better go."

They crept to the door. Then another voice joined them.

"I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."

A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown.

"You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"

Oh no she won't.

"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy — he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."

"Yes he would,' Cassie said stepping in. "Forget Percy, think about your Mum, Ron."

Ron went white. I hit the target.

"Come on," Harry said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.

Hermione and Cassie weren't going to give up that easily. The followed the two badgering them.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

'You'll get yourself expelled," Cassie said. She really believed that. The Lily side of her told her to stop them right now. But she couldn't. Hermione and her could not stop two boys who are stubborn as anything.

The Cassie side was excited. Maybe there would be a duel, and how would it go? Does Malfoy really know a lot of spells?

"Go away." That brought her back.

"No," Cassie replied. "Do you really think Malfoy is going to show? He's a chicken for Pete's sake."

"I don't know who Pete is, but I don't care," Ron said.

"It's a figure of speech," Hermione said.

"A figure of what?"

"never mind. Come on, you have to come back in.' Hermione turned aground. The Fat lady was gone. "How am I suppose to get in?"

"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."

They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.

"I'm coming with you," she said.

"You are not."

"Ron, I have no guilt," I told him. "I don't care if you curse me to the deepest pit of hell, I'm going to tell your Mum if you go."

"I'm going."

"Molly will be getting a long letter." And she will be. As soon as I send that letter to her about Fred and George.

"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. "I heard something."

It was a sort of snuffling.

"Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.

It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer.

"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."

"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."

He looked sad. Aw.

"How's your arm?" Cassie asked.

"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."

"Good — well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later —"

"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."

Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione Cassie, and Neville.

"If any of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you."

Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.

They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room.

Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. .

"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.

"Or maybe he's not showing up," Hermione hissed.

My God, Ron was right, she was interfering, Cassie thought. I want to see this!

The Lily side said to stop this. She must have been making a face because Harry looked concerned.

"Cassie, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak — and it wasn't Malfoy.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Horror-struck, Harry waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.

"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding."

"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. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armor.

The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.

"RUN!" Harry yelled, and the four of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following — they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, They ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted. .

"I —told — you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I — told — you."

Insufferable know it all.

She was just trying to help.

Like heck she was.

"For the love of Merlin could you shut up?" Ron asked. Again, the sound of someone's voice brought her back. For a minute she thought that he heard her internal struggle, but they were to busy looking for Flich.

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," Cassie said. Her heart was pounding. This was a bad idea. A really bad idea.

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you — Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."

Harry was silent.

"Let's go."

It wasn't going to be that simple. Peeves caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.

"Shut up, Peeves please, you'll get us thrown out."

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."

Cassie thought to warn them to never believe Peeves, but it was to late.

"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.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED! 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.

"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.

Hermione 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 pressed their ears against it, listening.

"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."

"Say 'please.'"

"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.

"All right —please."

"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!" And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.

"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay — get off, Neville!" For

Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute. "What?"

We weren't in a room.

We were in a corridor.

The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.

They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of yellow eyes, drooling mouth, and each had two rows of razor sharp teeth.

It was a really bad idea to come here.

The monster roared. Ron fumbled with the lock but managed to get it opened. The others ran out of there and didn't stop running until they reached Gryffindor Tower. Neville was near crying then, but Cassie didn't notice then. her heart was racing.

Part of her wanted to keep safe.

The other wanted to live it again. Find out what the dog was doing there.

Time to make a visit to Dumbledore.