Authors Note: I DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT own any of the Harry Potter characters, names, places, things, etc. All of this belongs to the ever legendary J.K Rowling. Please Review, Favorite and Follow! I do own Hope though.

Thank you for all the follows, reviews, favorites and such! It means a lot to me! It really does! This chapter is a bit short, but I'm fixing the mistakes to the next chapter tonight so it should be up shortly! Thanks again guys! :D

Hermione didn't so much as have a sliver of curiosity of wondering what was in that package or why that dog was guarding it in the first place. That morning at breakfast I leaned against Hermione "Don't you just wonder what its guarding? It must be either very dangerous or really valuable! Or both!"

"Hope I honestly don't care what that dog is guarding. Now eat your toast so we can head to class." Hermione told me sternly.

"But how can we eat when that thing is down there just asking to be explored." I protested.

"First off that thing isn't asking to be explored. It can't speak. Just leave it alone, I'm sure Dumbledore has a very reasonable explanation for having it down there." Hermione rationalized.

"But it's literally a three-headed dog! In this very school! Our school! Aren't you at least a little bit curious?" I prompted.

Hermione leveled a look at me "Yes of course I'm interested, it's a Cerberus, but—"

"Great!" I chirped, cutting her off "We can talk about it with the others later."

"No Hope." Hermione groaned frustrated.

"Hey what's that?" I asked suddenly as the thrush of morning owls flew in.

"What's what?" Hermione questioned, swiveling in her seat to track where I was looking.

As all the owls flew in and started to fly to their respective owners, six large screech owls carried in a long, thin package and stared to hover over the Slytherin table. To everyone's amazement, as the package had acquired a lot of attention, the owls flew down and dropped it before Harry Potter. The package pushed his food to the floor and a very excited Theodore made a grab for it, but a separate owl came by with a letter, averting his attention. Harry slit open the letter and slapped away Theodore's hand, handing the letter to Daphne's creeping hands.

The three of them jumped up excitedly and made their way to the doors only to be stopped by Malfoy and his little monkeys. Malfoy grabbed the package and looked it over, throwing it back at him with a face mixed of jealousy and spite. Professor Flitwick walked by the group beaming, stopping shortly when Malfoy opened his big mouth and started to complain. Flitwick just nodded, clapping Harry on the back.

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I guess it's hard to realize I'd been at Hogwarts for two months already. It felt more like home than Privet Drive ever did. On Halloween morning we all woke to the smell of baking pumpkins wafting through the corridors. Even better, Flitwick had said we could begin making objects fly in charms today. Flitwick paired us into partners, I ended up getting Ronald Weasley while Hermione had gotten Neville Longbottom.

"Swish and Flick, remember, swish and flick. Saying the magical words properly is very important." Flitwick squeaked.

Ron had spent most of the lesson prodding the feather we were supposed to be sending skyward. Seamus Finnigan even managed to explode his feather much to the amusement of his partner Dean Thomas, they had to sheepishly ask for another. I flicked my wand and muttered under my breath "Wingardium Leviosa (1)."

The feather floated up a ways before I let it back down.

Ron gaped at me "How did you do that?"

"Just flick your wand with your wrist and say the incantation nice and clear." I instructed and watched as Ron's feather wobbled feebly "Close, try again."

"No Neville," Hermione's exasperated voice said from a few seats away "it's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa. Make the 'gar' nice and long."

"I can't do it, you do it." Neville groaned.

Hermione rolled her sleeve up and flicked her wand "Okay, Wingardium Leviosa."

Her feather flew high into the air, drawing the attention of Flitwick who clapped his hands wildly "Everyone see here! Miss Grangers done it!"

Ron looked at me "Don't you mind that she got all the credit when you did it first?"

I shrug "Eh, it don't matter really. I guess I'm used to it. Not come, try again."

Ron just gave me a knowing look. I guess being the brother of six wasn't as glammed up as others thought it to be. He flicked his wand again and the feather went up about a foot upwards before drifting slowly back down.

"You'll get it." I told him confidently.

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Dinner rolled around faster than you would think. My detention later all but flying from my mind as I watched the festive décor. Live bats fluttered around in thousands, flying around the tables and hanging from the bewitched ceiling. Large pumpkins sat on the ground while a few floated in the air, the candles in them shimmering. The food for this feast was almost as good as the one way back in September for the beginning feast.

I placed a baked potato on my plate and shoved a piece into my mouth when Professor Quirrell ran into the room, his turban slipping off his head and sweat clinging to his face. I scrunched up my nose and chewed slowly as he ran up to the head table. Fred and George, a few seats down, whispered furiously. Professor Quirrell, that excuse of a DADA professor, slumped up against the head table and cried "Troll in the dungeons—just thought you ought to know." And then the bloody idiot fell into a dead faint.

"Prefects! Please lead your house back to their dormitories and stay there!" Dumbledore yelled.

"Aren't the Slytherin dormitories in the dungeon?" I head a passing Ravenclaw ask her friend.

Percy Weasley, now in the zone, took command at once "Follow me! Stick together first years! Make way, follow my orders! Excuse me I'm a prefect!"

I'm pretty sure that when we passed a jumble of confused Hufflepuffs that I saw a flash of green heading in the wrong direction that looked suspiciously like Harry and Theodore, but I decided to ignore it in favor of thinking they weren't that stupid.

We were rustled and pushed through the confusion until we arrived safety in the Gryffindor dormitory and Percy and the other female prefect immediately tried to calm down all of the commotion.

Percy shot green sparks from his wand "Calm down! The rest of the food from the feast should arrive shortly. In the meantime, I advise you to do your homework."

"The teachers will dispose of the troll, so no worries." The female added kindly.

Fred and George Weasley had made their way towards me and Hermione and joined us in the 'finishing of the homework'. Hermione set to her homework at once while the twins had snagged me into helping them with future pranks. A little while later the food had arrived so the twins left to go eat with Lee, a few pranks now completed. Hermione sniffed disapprovingly at me so I flashed her an innocent smile. I couldn't help but remember, as I did my potions essay, that I had no detention tonight.

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The day after Halloween went by pretty much without incident. That morning at breakfast Dumbledore told us the troll had been taken care of and wasn't in the castle anymore. So I mean like nothing to worry about.

Except the fact that they had no clue how a twelve-foot mountain troll had managed to get into the castle and pleasantly walk down to the dungeons. But you know… nothing to worry about.

We heard nothing about what had happened that night, though the Slytherins had brought up the fact that they had lost five points, but had earned ten more that night. A few of the older students had even asked Snape about it, since he was the Head of House, but Snape just blinked at them and strolled away. I don't get that man and don't think I ever will.

Oh well, I have my third detention tonight so that ought to keep me busy… I can figure him out some other time. If that's even possible. He sure is a mystery.

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(1) Wingardium Leviosa- the levitating spell (official title will be added later)