Author's Note: Praise Dumbledore, I'm back!!! It seems like forever and I hope you all didn't go insane with the lack of updates. ;) However, I must admit I am a bit disappointed. I came home to find only 4 reviews! It's been 10 days people, I was expecting a bit more. But, no matter, you all will just have to redeem yourselves by reviewing like mad on this chapter. So, here we go!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
"No way?!" Ron shouted flabbergasted.
Harry nodded with a proud smile plastered across his face.
"You've got to be kidding me! Really?"
"Yes, Ron!" Harry answered with a tiny tinge of annoyance.
Arra had just come back to the Great Hall for dinner when she noticed Ron and Harry sitting at the table, obviously incredibly happy about something. Interested, she sat down next to them. "What's going on?"
"Harry's made the House Quidditch team!"
"What? I thought McGonagall was going to throw you out of Hogwarts for sure!"
"I thought that as well, but before I knew what was happening, she was introducing me to the team captain and telling me that I was the new 'seeker'".
"You're a seeker! But first years never get put on House teams! Something like this has never happened." Arra said with surprise. "Wow, that is just…just great, Harry." She said as she flashed him a rare smile.
"Why aren't you upstairs packing your bags, Potter?" The drawling voice of Draco Malfoy said from behind them.
Ron turned to Malfoy with a smug smile on his face. "No way Malfoy. Why would Harry leave now? He's just been placed on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."
Malfoy's smile instantly fell flat. "How could someone like you be placed on a Quidditch team?!? You're as much of a muggle as Granger is!"
"I am a wizard, Malfoy, if you haven't noticed. And I have just as much right to be on the Quidditch team as anyone else--I earned it."
"No you didn't! You wouldn't even be on the team if it wasn't for me! And I'm a much better flyer than you ever will be, Potter!"
"Actually Malfoy, you're right. I wouldn't be on the team if not for you. So, thank you," Harry said with a huge smile. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"
Malfoy looked ready to explode before finally calming down his face and saying, "Yes, in fact there is." Harry's face fell. "Tonight, midnight, in the trophy room. I challenge you to a Wizard's Duel."
Harry was obviously confused and had no idea what Malfoy was talking about but Ron quickly covered him. "Absolutely. I'm his second. Who's yours?"
Malfoy hastily sized up his lackeys. "Crabbe." He decided. They were about to leave when he addressed Arra. "Aren't you coming?"
Arra hadn't even known he knew she was there. She glanced at Ron and Harry before following Draco out of the Hall. "Are you really going to fight him? You know as well as I that he probably doesn't stand a chance against you. I mean, did you see his face? He clearly had no idea what you were talking about back there." Arra said hurriedly because as much as she wanted to, for some reason, she could no longer hate that scar-faced Gryffindor.
Malfoy snickered. "Of course I'm not going to fight him Arra!" She looked confused as he continued. "I'm going to tip Filch off that someone is in the Trophy Room. And if him getting caught out of bed past curfew doesn't get him thrown out of here, I don't know what will!" He finished as he laughed at his brilliant plan.
Soon, the two went back to their respective dormitories. As Arra walked back to the tower, she wondered to herself. I want to support Draco, but what he's going to do is dishonorable. A Wizard's duel is supposed to be a respected tradition and to use it as bait for Potter is just wrong. On one hand, Draco is my best friend and if I side with Harry, I'm sure to lose him. But on the other hand, Harry's walking into a trap and has no idea.
And before the end of the night, Arra had come up with a plan.
At 11:15 that night, Arra headed down to the common room. She knew that it was a good thirty minute walk to the trophy room and she wanted to make sure that she caught Harry and Ron before they left. She sat down on the couch and waited for the two boys. About a half-hour till midnight, they walked down the stairs quietly. They didn't notice the ex-Slytherin until she stood up.
"Bloody hell, Black!" Ron scolded as the two jumped in surprise.
"What are you doing down here?" Harry asked.
"I, uhhh…" she paused, for she was not entirely sure how she should relay her information. "Are you guys really going to the Trophy Room to fight Draco?"
"Yes." Ron said with a frown. "And we would really appreciate it if you would just stay out of our business." They tried to maneuver their way around the girl but she just followed their steps, blocking their way.
"It's a trick." She finally blurted out. Harry and Ron stared at her, then at each other, and then back at her. She continued, "Draco is setting you up, he's going to call Filch to get you two caught."
"How do you know?"
"He told me."
"Why are you telling us then?" Harry asked with genuine interest.
"Because," said Arra, "even though I would be extremely happy if you two left Hogwarts forever, this isn't the way I want it to happen. It's not fair for Draco to use a Wizard's duel as bait."
Harry seemed as if he was really listening to her and was possibly believing her. He opened his mouth to say something when the redhead cut him off.
"Are you mad? You think we're going to listen to you? You're probably just telling us this so that we won't go and then we'll look like scared idiots to Malfoy!" Ron shouted accusingly.
"I am not!" Arra argued back.
"Well if you don't believe me," she said as she went to stand next to the angry redhead, "I'm coming with." Ron looked at her with surprise. "I want to prove myself right."
"I can't believe you're actually going!" Said the angry voice of Hermione Granger from the stairs.
"You!" Ron yelled. "What are you doing here? Go back to bed!"
"The three of you are being so selfish! Do you even realize how many points you're going to lose for Gryffindor if you go through with this?"
Arra then got up in her face so close she could see the beads of nervous sweat starting to form on Hermione's brow. "We don't need your opinion. If we did, then we would have asked. But, a mudblood's opinion doesn't matter to me. Now, if you don't mind, we'll be leaving now." She said as she turned to the door.
"Buh-bye," Harry said sarcastically as he waved goodbye and the two boys followed Arra to the door, obviously not so upset about her presence anymore.
However, Hermione soon began to scramble out of the portrait hole behind them. Ron looked back and rolled his eyes. "What are you doing?"
"I just want you all to know that if you get caught and get Gryffindor in trouble, everyone will be mad at you and you'll lose all of your friends as well!" She said defiantly.
"Does that mean you won't talk to us anymore?" Harry said with mocking sadness.
"Aw, what a shame!" Arra said playing along with Harry's mood.
Hermione's eyes narrowed at them as she turned on her heel to go back into the common room but soon noticed that she wouldn't be able to. "The fat lady! Sh-sh-she's gone!"
"Not our problem."
"Don't care."
"We're going to be late." The three said as they left the muggle-born witch standing at the picture in shock. A few short moments later, a set of running footsteps came up to them.
"It seems the fat lady has gone on one of her nighttime visits and she won't be back for a while, so I guess my only choice is to go with you and make sure that you don't get into any trouble for Gryffindor." Hermione said as the other three groaned at her presence.
"Ok, I just wanted to prove to Harry and Ron that I was right and that I'm not lying--I didn't want this to turn into a little Gryffindor nighttime bonding session!" Arra said exasperated. Just as she said this, a figure came walking around the corner, obviously scared, for a soft whimpering could be heard.
"Oh thank goodness I've found you!" Neville Longbottom said with relief. "I've been wandering out here for hours because I couldn't remember the password."
"The password is pig snout, but it's no use to you now, the fat lady's not there." Harry said. "But we've actually got somewhere to be so we'll see you later Neville." They turned to leave.
"No! Don't leave me!" Neville whined. "Can't I just come with you?"
At this Arra drew the line. "No! It's bad enough that I'm going to have to tolerate the beaver, but we are not bringing Fatbottom too!"
"It's Longbottom," Neville said in a small voice.
"I don't care," Arra said dismissively without even sparing him a glance.
"Well we can't just leave him here, Arra." Harry explained.
"Whatever, but if either of you get us caught, I will make your life a living hell." Arra said aggressively as they continued on to the trophy room. They finally reached their destination as Arra gestured to the grand empty room. "See! I wasn't lying!" Harry and Ron looked a bit embarrassed as Hermione tapped her foot impatiently waiting for them to leave.
"Keep sniffing around my sweet, they've got to be around here somewhere." The voice of Filch said from the other side of the door. The five Gryffindors looked at each other before running down a back hallway in an attempt to escape Filch.
"I told you!" Arra mouthed at them as they looked even more embarrassed at their obvious lack of trust in her.
They slowly tried to back up to get away from the oncoming caretaker and his cat when Neville accidentally walked straight into a suit of armor and sent it crashing to the floor.
"RUN!" Harry shouted as the five first years took off out of the corridor. They ran until they were too tired to go on, but they could still hear Filch coming, so they hid in the nearest door to them. When Ron tried to open the door, it was locked and Arra suddenly knew just where they were--the forbidden door on the third floor corridor. Dumbledore had made strict rules at the beginning of the year that a sure and certain death would ensue to whomever entered.
"It's locked!"
"Oh, move over!" Hermione shouted. "Alohamora!" Immediately, the door became unlocked and they ran inside. As soon as they shut the door, they held their breaths in silence and waited until they were absolutely sure that Filch was gone. Suddenly, a giant drop of drool landed right on Ron's shoulder.
"Yuck!" He said as he looked at it disgustingly. Arra's face morphed into a sickening appearance and then she instantly froze--hot breath was blowing on her neck. She turned slowly as to not frighten the others if it turned out to be nothing and her eyes suddenly met 6 eyes staring at her with menace. She couldn't even hear the others talking to her.
"Arra?" Harry's voice said with a tinge of worry. "Ar--" He cut off as he too turned and saw the sight. The others turned too and then--
"AHHHHHHH!!!" They screamed as they took off out of the door and sprinted back to Gryffindor tower. They recited the password to the Fat Lady before scrambling through the portrait hole and flopping down on the furniture in the common room. No one talked for at least a full five minutes before a strange sound was heard. It was…laughing? Yes, it was. And it was coming from Arra.
Hermione faced her with her scowling face until Arra noticed all the rest of them looking at her with confusion.
"What?" She asked.
"Is something funny?" Hermione said shortly.
"Yes! Not even two months at Hogwarts and we've already had our first life threatening experience!" Arra said with pure excitement.
"You thought that was exciting?" Hermione said with disbelief.
Arra's face turned stern. "Yeah, it was. You just need to learn to lighten up a little bit, Granger." Hermione immediately shrank back into her chair and Ron and Harry couldn't help but smile at how the ex-Slytherin intimidated the know-it-all.
Hermione stood up and headed to the dormitories. "Well, I don't think it was at all. And if you all don't mind, I'm going to bed before you get us all killed, or worse--expelled." And with that, she walked away.
Neville had gone to bed as soon as they had come back. Obviously, the experience was just a bit too traumatic for him. Soon, the three remaining kids stood up to leave.
"Arra?" Harry said as she was about to go up to bed.
"Yeah?"
"Umm, thanks, I guess." He said, trying to find the right words. "You know, for trying to…help us not get caught by Malfoy. I'm sorry we didn't believe you."
Arra looked back with eyes wide momentarily. "Err, you're welcome…I guess." Harry smiled back at her and then left with Ron before Arra too retired to bed.
Author's Note: Cute, I know. Please remember to review! The updates depend on them! I wrote lots of chapters while on vacation, so the more reviews, the faster the updates. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, keep reading!
-Maverick