Chapter Fifteen - Too Close To Call

Hundreds of students watched on the perimeter of the enchantments as Argus Filch drew nearer, the only indication to his presence being the light of the lantern he was holding. Every student held their breath, not daring to utter a word, their only hope was that someone would come up with the ultimate plan to escape.

"Alrigh' there, Argus?" Filch jumped as Rubeus Hagrid emerged from the darkness. "I thought I told you to stop comin' round 'ere. There ain't no Quidditch match goin' on. Do ya understand?"

Skye's eyes widened as she realised Filch must have overheard some students talking about the match. He could have been coming out here to check the pitch for months for all they knew.

"Mrs Norris is agitated, Hagrid. She's been fidgeting all night. I know those brats are out here," the man sneered.

"Look 'ere Filch. I'm the groundskeeper and I think I'd know if the 'ole school were running 'round. Now, get out of 'ere." The giant of a man ordered.

Slowly, the bright light of the lantern faded back to a speck, until it vanished completely. Hagrid himself watched it for a while, before heading in the direction of his hut. Collectively, there was a whoosh as the entire school remembered to breathe again.

"There's no way Filch will give up. We need to get back to our dormitories before he comes back," Toby ordered everyone loudly.

"Champions first." Captain Snake Man, as many had come to known the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, strutted past, his Quidditch team following his lead as he exited the boundary of the enchantments. Toby yelled at him to wait, but his boldness had sparked a mass exit from the Slytherins. Panicked, the other houses followed.

"Oh, brilliant. That's not obvious at all. Just a couple of hundred students all walking the halls at the same bloody time," Toby muttered, voice drenched in sarcasm.

"Well, just look at the bright side," Fred started brightly.

"And what's that?" Toby asked bluntly.

"They can't catch us all," George finished.

XxX

Skye was starting to think it was some sort of miracle that the teachers weren't aware that the whole school was wondering around the corridors. Their group, now consisting of Skye, Tabitha, Lee, Fred and George, had managed to run into three groups of students so far. Fred and George almost seemed gleeful when they ran into them, as if they had done it on purpose. Skye scowled as they laughed at her startled expression, convinced her heart was going to give out at any second from shear stress.

"Are they crazy? If I didn't have to help you guys put the damn balls back, I would have ran to the common room before you could say Gryffindor," she whispered.

"Come on, Skye. Live a little. Enjoy the view," Fred told her.

"I like the view from the common room, thank you very much," she muttered.

Back in Madam Hooch's office, Skye watched as George slid the case back in place and proceeded to close the cabinet, a light click indicating that they had completed their mission. Having returned the case to its rightful place, Skye was slightly relieved as she, Fred and George exited the room. She could just picture her comfy double bed and dreamed about snuggling down in her sheets. However, as Tabitha came running around the corner, her bed had never before seemed so far away.

"Snape's coming!" She panted, clearly out of breath.

"Snape?" Skye squeaked.

"Quick, get into the office," Tabitha commanded, pushing Skye half way through the door.

"Err guys, what are we going to do about that?" Lee asked, indicating a set of muddy footprints leading into the office, clearly left by two filthy twins, who still donned their Quidditch robes.

"Idiots. You probably lead him right to us," Tabitha hissed.

Skye's gut twisted as she heard approaching footsteps in the far distance. With a panicked look towards Tabitha, Skye saw her friend's chocolate brown eyes hardening in determination.

"Get into the office," she told her, fishing out her wand from her robes.

"Are you crazy? What are you going to do?" She shrieked, panicked.

Fearing that Tabitha was about to do something very, very stupid, Skye did her best to drag her friend into the office. Tabitha retaliated, giving her a glare as she shook her off. Eyes focussed on the floor, Tabitha broke free, brandishing her wand with a flourish.

"Scourgify," she muttered.

Skye stood there open-mouthed as the footprints vanished. Before she knew it, she was being pulled into the office with a sharp tug. Skye stared at the door feeling extremely stupid. Realising this wasn't the time, she joined the group at the door, ears pressed against it as they listened out for Snape. His footsteps could be heard instantly and appeared to stop somewhere close. Skye could just picture him reaching for the door handle…

"Professor Snape, I've just seen some Ravenclaw students in the corridor," came the voice of Filch, shouting from afar from what Skye could gather.

"Then, why did you not follow them?" Snape sneered, his footsteps now heading in a different direction.

The group could hear Filch's staggered apologies as they walked away. George nodded at the group, indicating it was time they head out. With a quick peer around the door, they ducked out, the minutes ticking by as they headed towards their common room, as quickly and stealthily as they could.

"Are you guys going to explain what was happening back there?" Fred asked them, as he dropped back from peering over George's shoulder.

"Well, my plan was to clear the floor by trying out one of my dad's cleaning spells. What did you think I was trying to do, Skye?" Tabitha questioned her, eyebrows raised.

Skye stuttered, feeling her face turn the colour of beetroot. George proceeded to tuck something back into his Quidditch robes, waiting for them to catch up and, clearly, waiting for Skye's answer.

"I, I… Um, I didn't mean." She took a deep breath. "I thought Tabitha was going to duel Snape, or, or knock him out, or something."

"Oh, Skye. You flatter me," she drawled, resting her hand on her cheek and raising her shoulders, as if complimented.

The group began to laugh, comforted by the home stretch to the Gryffindor common room. Rounding the corner, the group stalled at they saw Mrs Norris, beady yellow eyes fixed on their group as she sat below the portrait that was their point of safety. The cat began to circle, her mews echoing off the corridor walls, calling out to her owner.

"Petrificus Totalus," Skye called, brandishing her wand that had been stuck up her sleeve.

"Oh Merlin…"

"Did you just?"

"Bloody hell."

The boy's reactions were instantaneous, their shock evident by their wide eyes and dropped jaws. From her side, Skye heard a familiar creak as the entrance to the Gryffindor common room opened. Many students were peering out, each of them a witness to Skye pointing her wand at an immobilised Mrs Norris, flat on her back, looking like a stuffed animal.

"That… was awesome." Tabitha complimented her with a pat on the back.

"What are we going to do? We can't just leave a paralysed cat outside the Gryffindor common room." She shrieked, shocked at what she had done.

"It's fine. It's a temporary spell. It shouldn't last too long. Now, are you guys going to get in here, or hang around waiting for Filch?" Asked Charlie, arm folded as he stood staring at them from inside the common room.

Getting their priorities in order, the group climbed through the portrait into the Gryffindor common room. Skye could already feel the flush on her cheeks as word spread around about what had just happened for anyone that couldn't see. Embarrassed, she found herself wondering if her flush could work in her favour, allowing her to blend in with the red furnishing.

"I can't wait to tell Mikey you took out Mrs Norris," Tabitha grinned.

"I didn't mean too! I just wanted her to shut up," Skye whined, embarrassed.

"What, and 'silencio' wouldn't have worked?" Fred laughed.

Blank faced, Skye's mouth formed an 'o' shape as she realised how much of a better plan that would have been.

"Skye, you're my hero," George chuckled with an affectionate ruffle of her hair.

"Well, you guys are my heroes." She smiled at the three friends that stood before her. "I never would have gone back to that Quidditch pitch if you hadn't have done this for me. I don't know how I can thank you enough."

In that moment, Skye truly realised what she had done that night. She had conquered her fear and defied premonition. Tears welling up in her eyes, she wrapped them all in a loving embrace.

"Well, you could take out Mrs Norris for us…" George joked, the blush on his ears slowly fading away.

"Oh, wait. You already did that," Fred mused.

"I am never going to hear the end of this, am I?" She asked with a shake of her head.

"I'm sure people will forget once they hear what I've got planned for us next year," Tabitha teased, causing Skye to groan.