Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter only Leo and Fawn

"Chapter 9 The Midnight Duel," read Narcissa.

"What did you guys do?" Lily asked disapprovingly.

"Nothing," said Harry and Leo at the same time knowing that she was asking them and not their other friends.

Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy.

"All Malfoys are rotten," said Sirius.

"I'm going to be a Malfoy once I graduate Hogwarts," said Narcissa offended.

"Cissy, you are always going to be a Black not a Malfoy," said Regulus.

Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put with Malfoy much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday- and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

"You're finally learning how to fly!" James squealed.

"Sucks that you can barely stay on a broom though, huh, Harry?" said Leo with a mischievous grin as James grew a look of horror.

'Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy"

"I refuse to believe that!" said James.

"It's true," said Harry. Leo had rubbed off on him, he enjoyed messing with people now because of him.

He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

"Probably doesn't even know how to hold onto a broom properly," Sirius scoffed.

Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about fist years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping muggles in helicopters.

"What a little liar!" said Andromeda.

He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan had told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom.

"Did you really?" Lily asked.

"No," said Ron with a sheepish smile. "Just wanted to impress people."

"I get that," Lily nodded.

Leo once mentioned that he loved to go flying with his cousin Tonks, but that was it, he didn't seem all that interesting in flying.

"Still not," said Leo with a shrug.

"Why not?" asked Sirius with a frown.

"I grew up flying Hippogriffs with Gramps, compared to a broom it's just boring," said Leo.

"I'm the same," said Fawn. "I'd rather ride a creature then a broom."

Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about soccer.

"What soccer?" asked Regulus.

"It's a muggle sport where they need to kick a ball into a goal," said Hermione.

Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only on ball where no one was allowed to fly. Harry had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move.

Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.

"I'm glad that Neville doesn't like flying," said Ginny. "He'd be injured every time he flew."

Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. This was something you can't learn by heart out of a book, Leo had explained to her- not that she hadn't tried.

"Flying is all about instinct," said Sirius.

At breakfast on Thursday, she bored them all stupid with flying tips she's gotten out of a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages. Neville was hanging on her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everyone else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.

Harry hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.

"Spoilt little brat!" growled James.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

"Is that a Remembrall?" Lily asked excitedly.

"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things- this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight and if it turns red- oh…' His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, 'You're forgotten something…"

"You've forgotten your robes, Neville," said Leo with a mouthful of bacon.

Everyone chuckled at Neville's forgetfulness.

"Please don't talk with your mouth full," said Fawn with a chuckle.

"Sorry," Leo said with a grin.

Neville was just about to stand up from the table to go get his robes when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.

"Little git!" said Sirius.

Harry, Ron, and Leo jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in school, was there in a flash.

"I should hope so," said Professor McGonagall.

"What's going on?"

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."

Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

"Just looking," he said, and sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

"He's had horrible manners!" said Narcissa with a frown. She would make sure that was fixed once the books were done.

At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, Leo, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

"Perfect day for flying!" James beamed.

Harry saw Leo staring at the forest with interest, but before he could ask what he was looking at he turned away.

"What were you looking at?" Harry asked his boyfriend.

"Just the forest," said Leo innocently.

"What were you thinking?" asked Ron with a knowing grin.

"How I could sneak into the forest," Leo chuckled.

The Slytherins were already there,

"How do the Slytherins beat us to class every time?" asked Leo.

His friends paused; they hadn't even realised the Slytherins were always earlier to class then they were.

"I have no idea," said Hermione flabbergasted.

"They're a bunch of nerds!" said Sirius with a smirk at his brother. Regulus just rolled his eyes at his big brother.

-and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.

"So, the school still hasn't gotten new brooms then," James frowned. He hated the school brooms and did everything to ensure he'd never have to use one.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"Stick out your hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did.

"YES!" James jumped up cheering, "I knew you'd be a natural!"

Harry just grinned.

Looking to his right he saw that Leo's had also jumped straight into his hand.

Sirius jumped up with James, cheering just as loudly. Leo rolled his eyes fondly.

Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Harry; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.

"I would too if I was Neville," Leo admitted.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.

"After all that bragging too, what a shame," said Remus smugly.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle- three- two- "

But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Poor Neville," said Narcissa. She felt sorry for the nervous, clumsy boy, she knew that her future son would target him and hated the thought.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle- twelve feet- twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slid sideways off the broom and-

WHAM- a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay face down on the grass in a heap.

Everyone in the winced in sympathy for the boy.

His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

"Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. "Come one, boy- it's alright, up you get."

"At least Madam Pomfrey will be able to fix it easily," said Lily.

She turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch. Come on, dear."

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

"I hate your son, Narcissa," said Sirius.

"I'm not too fond of himself myself," Narcissa admitted with a grimace.

The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry-babies, Parvati."

"At least she doesn't like disgusting, bullying, gits, pug-face," Leo snapped.

"You tell her, Leo!" James cheered.

"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

"Beat him up!" Sirius encouraged.

"Mr Black," Professor McGonagall scolded.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find- how about- up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

"You can do it, Harry!" James cheered.

Harry grabbed his broom.

"No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move- you'll get us all into trouble."

"Go on, Harry, knocked him off his broom!" said Leo.

"Leo," said Fawn disapprovingly.

"What?" Leo asked innocently.

Blood was pounding in his ears. He mounted his broom and kick hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him- and in a rush of fierce joy he realized he'd found something he could do without being taught- this was easy, this was wondering.

"You're a natural!" James said happily, he knew that his son would get his talent on a broom and this just proves it.

He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and heard screamed and gasps from back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron and a proud whistle from Leo.

"Always proud when you break a rule," said Leo proudly.

He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in mid-air. Malfoy looked stunned.

"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"Oh, yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but he looked worried.

"As he should!" said Remus, just as proud as James and Sirius.

Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were slapping.

"I am so proud!" James gushed.

Harry shared a grin with Leo, he had always wanted his father to tell him he was proud of him and now he had and Harry was over the moon.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.

The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.

"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and threw the glass ball high into the air and straked back toward the ground.

"That was a dirty move!" Regulus frowned.

Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down- next second, he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball- wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching- he stretched out his hand- a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.

"YOU CAUGHT IT!" James and Sirius jumped up yelling. They high fived and beamed down a grinning Harry.

"If you don't try out for the Quidditch team in your second year and get on the team, I am going to be so shocked!" said James.

"I don't try out for Quidditch," Harry admitted, a mischievous glint that was usually seen in Leo's eyes was now in Harry's as his dad's father crumped into horror.

"HARRY POTTER!"

He heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. He got to his feet, trembling.

"You're going to be in big trouble," Lily winced. She was proud of her son for sticking up for his friend but she was very relived that he was safely on the ground again.

"Never- in all my time at Hogwarts- "

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "- how dare you- might have broken your neck- "

"Making Minne speechless in your first year, an impressive feat," said Sirius with a smirk.

"It wasn't his fault, Professor- "

"Be quiet, Mr Black."

"But Malfoy- "

"That's enough, Mr Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."

"You can't punish him!" said Lily. "He was only defending his friend!"

"What about Malfoy? He was the only reason Harry was even on his broom!" said Fawn.

"I'm afraid at this time I can't do anything," said Professor McGonagall. "In the future should this happen then I will be sure to listen to what Mr Potter has to say."

Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle.

"Those stupid, little gits!" James growled.

He was going to be expelled, he just knew it. 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?

"The worst that will happen is a detention, I promise you," said Professor McGonagall. She wouldn't expel a first year for something like that, it was a mistake.

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 miserable behind her. Maybe she was taking him to Dumbledore. He thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay as gamekeeper.

"Aw, Harry," said Lily, sad that her son was such a pessimist.

"Where are you taking him, Professor?" Remus asked.

"I'm not sure, Mr Lupin," said Professor McGonagall.

Perhaps he could be Hagrid's assistant. His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ron and Leo and the others becoming wizards, while he stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.

"If yeh were to be expelled you'd have a place with me," said Hagrid warmly.

"Thanks, Hagrid," Harry smiled.

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?

"I would never!" Professor McGonagall gasped in horror. The idea of beating a child make her feel sick.

"I know," said Harry reassuringly. "You've never laid a hand on any of your students."

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

"Why did you take Harry to see a fifth-year?" Peter asked 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 scooped out cursing.

"You're the only professor that Peeves listens to, aren't you, Professor?" Andromeda asked.

"The only other professor Peeves listens to is Professor Dumbledore," said Professor McGonagall.

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."

James let out an excited gasp as he whipped his head to look at Harry.

"You're going to be made Seeker! In your first year!" he squealed.

"I'm so proud of you, Harry!" Lily gushed, just as happy and excited as James.

"First years never make the team!" said Remus impressed.

"Of course, Harry would! He's James's son after all!" Sirius laughed.

Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.

"Are you serious, Professor?"

"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, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs.

Everyone shared a happy laugh at Harry's relief.

"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 don't it."

Wood was now looking at 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. "Light- speedy- we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor- a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."

"You're perfect for Seeker!" James gushed, so excited that his son was going to play Quidditch just like him.

"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, couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks…"

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."

"Minne, have I ever told you that you're my favourite professor?" James asked.

"A few times, Mr Potter," said Professor McGonagall with a smile.

Then she suddenly smiled.

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

"I am so proud!" said James.

"You're joking."

It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron and Leo 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, shovelling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."

"It's fate," said Sirius.

"Well done, Harry. You'll make an excellent Seeker, especially after that catch today," Leo grinned.

Ron was so amazing, so impressed, he just awed and gaped at Harry.

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

"A secret weapon, a good idea," James said nodding his head.

Fred and George 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."

"I tell you; we're going to win the 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.

"What do you mean we haven't been winning?" said Sirius dramatically.

"Gryffindor always has the best team, it's not possible for us to lose so much," James added.

"Guess your house isn't as good as you think," said Regulus with a playful smirk.

"My own brother," Sirius gasped, grasping his chest.

-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 the one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

"That's one of my favourite secret passageways," said Peter.

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

"Having a last mean, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the muggles?"

"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.

"You tell him Harry!" said James, happy that his son was sticking up for himself.

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 knuckled 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 wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"You better not!" Lily warned her son.

"Of course, he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"

"You are first years; you shouldn't be duelling anyone! You're going to get hurt!" Lily said worried.

"They'll be okay, Lily, they won't be able to do much damage yet," James reassured the red head.

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 wizards 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."

"You should have!" said Lily.

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

"Throw it away and punch him in the nose," Leo suggested, before grinning widely. "Wait, no, go for the throat, he won't be able to breath afterwards."

Everyone turned to look at Leo in shock, they weren't expecting him to sound so violent at eleven.

"What?" Leo asked innocently.

"You're a little scary," said Regulus with a small smirk.

Harry and Ron stared at a grinning Leo for a moment before "Excuse me."

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.

"Rude," said Leo giving Ron a mischievous grin.

"-and you mustn't go wondering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lost Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"She's right," said Lily, glad that Harry was going to be friends with someone who had a good head on her shoulders, Harry will need that in his life.

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

"Good-bye," said Ron.

"Am I the only one who doesn't really care about house points?" said Leo.

"Yes," everyone said making Leo look at everyone with a weird look.

All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to the day, Harry thought, as he lay awake much later listening to Dean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back from the hospital wing). Ron had spent all evening giving him advice such as 'If he tried to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them.' Leo on the other hand was just working on his homework and said, 'If you want, I'll break his nose for you.'

"You're so violent," said Fawn exasperated.

"I know," Leo grinned.

There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs Norris, and Harry felt he was pushing his luck, breaking another school rule today. On the other hand, Malfoys sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness- this was his big chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. He couldn't miss it.

"The little brat needs to be put in his place!" said Sirius.

"Half-past eleven," Ron muttered at last, "we'd better go."

They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands, and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase, and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest 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.

James and Sirius groaned.

"Hermione, please let them go," James pleaded.

Hermione just rolled her eyes at boy.

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

"Please, I want to see Harry dual," said Sirius.

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

Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.

"Sorry," Harry winced, giving Hermione an apologetic look that was quickly waved away by the girl. She knew that she was insufferable before they became friends.

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

Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.

Leo let out a snort as he turned his mouth and nose into a goose's making everyone laugh.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, 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."

"I earned the same number of points as you for doing a switching spell on my first try," said Leo annoyed with Hermione being a bit of a know it all.

"Sorry, 'Mione," said Leo.

"Don't worry about it," Hermione smiled.

"Go away."

"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so- "

"Hemione's going about this wrong but she's right, you three shouldn't have been sneaking out to go dual!" said Lily.

But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a night time visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.

"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.

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

"Try not to get caught outside the common room after hours, and lose all those points you earned." Leo snickered.

"Leo," Fawn scolded her son.

Leo just shrugged, there wasn't much he could do, it was years ago.

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."

"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all four of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."

"That is a bit…" Regulus trailed off.

"I know," Hermione groaned, she knew she was bad the first month or two at Hogwarts but she didn't realise she was this bad.

"You've got some nerve-" said Ron loudly.

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

"Is it a teacher already?" Remus asked, shocked that they would be caught already.

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.

"Why is Neville asleep in the corridor?" Andromeda asked concerned for the clumsy boy.

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

"Oh, Neville," said Lily, she felt sorry for the poor boy, he was very forgetful.

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

"How's your arm?" said Leo.

Sirius and Fawn exchanged smiles, they were so happy that their son was so kind to his friends, they both know it came from Fawn.

"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 and Neville.

"If either 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 Cure of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.

"I was actually going to tell you how to use the spell," Hermione admitted embarrassingly making Ron chuckle.

They flittered 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.

"We need to make sure to leave the map for Harry and Leo," James whispered to his friends who nodded in agreement.

Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet. The crystal trophy cases gleamed where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took out his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once.

"If the little brat is even there that is something he would do," Sirius scoffed.

"I'm so sorry about him," Narcissa suddenly apologised. "I promise that I will do better when he's born this time around."

Everyone from the future smiled reassuringly at the Slytherin girl, after Hogwarts Malfoy wasn't too bad once he had apologised to them.

The minutes crept by.

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

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."

"He set them up!" James growled, furious at the Malfoy kid for trying to get his kid into trouble all because he didn't like him.

It was Filch speaking to Mrs Norris. Horror-struck, Harry waved madly at the other four to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped around 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 armour. 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 armour.

"No, Neville," everyone groaned.

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

"You five need to run as fast as you can," said Lily. She hated that her son had snuck out but she really didn't want him to get into trouble.

"RUN!" Harry yelled, and the five 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, Harry in the lead, without any idea where they were or where they were going- they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.

"That's a good place to come out at, it'll take a little while for Filch to catch up," said Sirius with relief.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bend over double, wheezing and spluttering.

"I- told- 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 thought she was probably right, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

"You just did," said Leo with a smirk.

"Let's go."

It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.

It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.

"Peeves is easy to deal with at least," said James.

"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 caught."

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves," said Leo calmly.

"That good, leave it to Leo," said Sirius, his son was a prankster, he will be able to deal with Peeves easily.

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."

"But if you called Filch then you'd never know what we're doing," said Leo with a grin.

Peeves paused before cackling to himself.

"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves this was a big mistake.

The Marauders groaned.

"You should have let Leo deal with Peeves," Sirius said.

"I know that now," said Ron, blushing slightly.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDETS 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 towards Peeve's shouts.

"This wouldn't be happened right now if you didn't try to hit Peeves, I had that under control Ron!" snapped Leo.

"Yeah, sorry about that mate," said Ron sheepishly.

"It's fine, it did take us something we needed to go at least," said Leo.

"What does that mean?" Andromeda asked.

"You'll see," Leo grinned.

"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled, before Ron could snap back. She 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.

"Good thing that Hermione ended up going along," said Remus.

"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! Haaaaa!" And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.

"I love Peeves," Peter chuckled.

"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?"

Harry turned around- and saw, quite clearly, what. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare- this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.

"What is it?" Lily asked concerned.

They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They 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 rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.

"It's a Cerberus!" Fawn squealed as a picture of the Cerberus came up on the screen. "They are amazing creatures but why is there one in the school?"

"That is so dangerous to keep around students!" said Lily.

"What's it doing there?" Andromeda asked.

"You'll find out," Leo sang.

It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.

Harry groped for the doorknob- between Filch and death, he'd take Filch.

"I would too," said Remus.

They fell backwards- Harry slammed the door shut, after grabbing Leo who didn't look like he was going to move anytime soon, and they ran, they almost flew back down the corridor.

"Why didn't you run?" Sirius asked Leo.

Leo just blushed; he didn't meet anyone's eye.

Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared- all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.

"Where one earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.

"They have been doing things they shouldn't have been doing," said Lily.

"Never mind that-pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.

It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.

"I don't think I would either," said Narcissa.

"I still can't see how keeping such a dangerous creature in the school is a good idea," said Lily.

"They didn't even charm the door to stay locked either, anyone could have just walked in there and died!" said Fawn.

"Leo, why didn't you run?" Harry asked Leo once he had caught his breath.

Leo blushed slightly. "Well, it was a big dog, and I kind of wanted to pet it…" he mumbled.

Everyone looked at Leo shocked. They knew he liked magical creatures but he was about to die.

"Are you insane?" Sirius asked his son. "You almost died!"

"But I didn't," said Leo.

"That doesn't matter!" Sirius snapped.

"I'm fine, I promise," Leo reassured his father. "Can we please just continue?"

The four looked at him like he was crazy.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a think like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

"I don't think that's very important at the moment, Ron," said Regulus.

Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on."

"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."

"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."

"So, it's guarding something?" Fawn guessed.

She stood up, glaring at them.

"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed- or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

"There are so many worse things then getting expelled," said James.

Ron stared after her, his mouth open.

"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?"

But Hermione had given Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed. The dog was guarding something…. What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to his- except perhaps Hogwarts.

It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.

"It's getting really interesting now," said Narcissa as she closed the book. "Who wants to read next?"

"I will," said Snape.

James and Sirius groaned but they were ignored.

"This is the last chapter for the night and then it's off to bed," said Professor McGonagall before gesturing for Snape to start reading.

A/N: This chapter has always been one of my least favourites for some reason, still love it but not as much as the rest of the chapters. Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed.