– CHAPTER NINE –

Seek & Hide

Whilst Draco Malfoy was far from the nastiest person Harmony had ever met, he was quickly rising in her mental list of the most annoying. If there was any opportunity to belittle Harmony or Hermione, he would take it, but thankfully their paths didn't cross too often. The only class they had together was Potions, or at least that was what Harmony thought. That changed when the notice went up in the Gryffindor common room about broomstick lessons. They would be starting the next week…and share their classes with Slytherin House.

Harmony groaned upon reading the news. 'I'd been so looking forward to flying.'

'Don't let them ruin it for you,' said Hermione. 'It'll be fine.'

Malfoy liked to boast about a lot of things, like how rich he was or how important his father was to the Ministry, but in the lead-up to lessons, he talked endlessly about his abilities on a broomstick. His stories were likely exaggerated, given how they often involved improbable chases with helicopters and fighter jets, but nonetheless Malfoy had far more experience flying than Harmony or any other Muggleborn student.

The first-years who'd grown up around magic tended to have some experience, with Ron and Seamus both mentioning their mishaps when first learning to ride. The only magicborn person Harmony knew who'd never flown was Neville, and that was only because his grandmother forbade him, and probably for good reason.

Whilst Harmony was excited to fly for the sheer thrill and wonder of it, most of the boys she knew were excited about the prospect of one day playing for the house Quidditch team. Ron seemed to talk about nothing but the sport, as did a lot of the other boys, many of whom griped about how first-years couldn't even try out for the team.

Harmony still had no clue how the game actually worked, and wasn't particularly interested to find out. Being the perennial "last kid picked for the team" in her primary school days, sport had never been something she felt welcome in.

The morning of their first broomstick lesson, Hermione had taken her usual approach to learning and was reading up on every book on the subject she could find. Harmony had a brief flick through some of them, but it was rather dry reading that took the fun out of it all.

The Gryffindor boys meanwhile, many of whom hadn't exactly taken a shine to Hermione's intelligence and abrasive self-confidence, couldn't understand the point of her studying.

'You don't learn to fly by reading,' Ron remarked. 'You won't really know how to do it until you actually get on a broom.'

'Would rather be overprepared than under, Ronald,' Hermione snapped back. She'd taken to calling Ron by his full first name whenever she was angry, but it only served to annoy the young Weasley more. 'We haven't all grown up with broomsticks between our thighs, you know.'

Ron looked ready to start a proper argument, but luckily the arrival of the morning post put a stop to it. Hedwig arrived once again empty-clawed to Harmony's disappointment, whilst Neville had received a package from his gran. He excitedly opened it up, expecting some kind of treat, only instead to find a strange glass orb filled with swirling smoke.

'Aw, crumbs,' sighed Neville. 'I told her not to bother.'

'What is that?' asked Harmony out of curiosity.

'It's a Remembrall. It's a thing mostly for old people and such. My gran swears by 'em. When you hold it and the smoke turns red, it means you've forgotten something.'

'Does it make you remember, or push you in the right direction?' Dean Thomas inquired.

'No,' said Neville, exasperated. 'That's why I told her I didn't need one. I forget things all the time, I know, but…what's the point of something that tells me I've forgotten something when it doesn't tell me what I've forgotten?'

Neville gripped the Remembrall lightly. The fumes inside immediately started to turn a dark crimson.

'Like that?' he said upon seeing it. 'What's that supposed to tell me? I've left a book in my dorm? My shoelaces are untied? I've not sent a birthday card to my dad? What?'

Neville got up in frustration but immediately tripped and fell on the floor. His shoelaces had, indeed, not been tied properly. The Gryffindor table laughed at his misfortune, and even Harmony couldn't help but smirk; the timing of it was too perfect.

Whilst Hermione helped Neville to his feet and taught him how to more securely do his laces, Malfoy was walking by with his pals and noticed the Remembrall sitting on the dining table. He picked it up and started throwing it between his hands.

'Blimey, Longbottom,' he teased. 'Can't tie your shoes, and already got the brain of an old git?'

'Give it back, Draco,' said Hermione.

Malfoy scoffed. 'Or what, Mudblood?'

'Or…or I'll tell Professor McGonagall on you for stealing.'

Malfoy just laughed her off. 'Oh, I'm so scared!' he remarked sarcastically.

Slowly but surely, the Remembrall's insides turned red in Malfoy's hands. As soon as he realised it, he panicked and tried to rationalise it.

'This thing must be broken,' he told himself. 'I haven't forgotten anything! I have an excellent memory!'

'I think you've forgotten your manners,' said Harmony dryly.

There was a collective gasp amongst all those watching, quickly followed by jeering. It was only then Harmony realised she'd said aloud something she just meant to think. She was glad her fellow Gryffindors thought it was funny, because the Slytherins certainly did not. Malfoy's face scrunched in anger as he tossed the Remembrall aside, which then shattered on the floor.

'Think that's funny, freak?' he barked.

Harmony didn't even have time to answer before WHAM! Malfoy walloped her right on the nose. She fell hard onto the stone floor, the bridge of her nose throbbing with pain, and blood oozing from her nostrils.

The punch only drew the attention of more students in the Great Hall and, finally, some teachers too. Draco and his mates knew the jig was up and tried to make their escape, but Professor McGonagall was quick to block their exit, sneaking under their legs in her feline form before transforming back right in their path.

'Mr Malfoy, where are you going?' she said sternly.

'It was Potter!' Malfoy complained. 'He insulted me!'

'I don't care what she said. Physically assaulting another student is never acceptable. That'll be thirty house points from Slytherin, and detention this afternoon in my office.'

'But today's our first flying lesson!'

'Then you are excused from it. Any more protestation, and I'll make sure you're nowhere near a broom all term. Good day, Mr Malfoy.'

Malfoy and his friends barged past McGonagall in a fury, giving Harmony a filthy stare as they left the Great Hall. Hermione helped Harmony to her feet as McGonagall came to check in on her.

'Are you all right, Harmony?' she asked as she examined her nose. 'Yes, that is broken, but no worries. The hospital wing should be able to fix that in a jiffy.'

As promised, Harmony's broken nose was mended in less than a minute by a quick healing spell from Madame Pomfrey, the head nurse of the hospital wing, and was back to classes almost immediately. As the day came towards its end, she and the other Gryffindors excitedly headed down to an open courtyard overlooking the Forbidden Forest. All the Slytherins were already there waiting, except for Malfoy. Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy all grimaced at Harmony as she arrived.

On the ground lay twenty broomsticks in two neat lines, all of which looked old and weathered; they were little more than twigs. Stood in the middle of all of them was the school flying instructor Madame Hooch. She was a stern and lithe-looking woman, with a short shock of silvery hair and bright yellow eyes that shone like a bird's.

'Welcome, all,' she said. 'Everyone go stand by a broom, but don't pick it up yet!'

The Gryffindors and Slytherins lined up on either side and each claimed a broomstick. The one Harmony ended up with certainly wasn't the best of the bunch. The brush end was falling apart, and the shaft itself looked knobbly and prone to splinter. Worse still, she was stood directly across from Pansy, who continued to stare at her with suspicious intent.

'OK, wonderful,' spoke Hooch. 'Everyone, hold your right arm over the broom and, clearly and firmly, say "Up!"'

'Up!' yelled the first-years.

Almost instantly, Harmony's broom shot up off the ground and into her hand. Now feeling it, the shaft really did feel like it could snap easily. Everyone else had varying success. All of those with prior flying experience retrieve theirs with no problem. Hermione's broom just sort of wavered up and down despite her repeated yelling of 'up', whilst Neville's lay flat on the ground with no movement until he really belted the command, at which point it flew up and whacked him in the face.

'That'll do, children, that'll do,' assured Madame Hooch. 'Now mount your broom, and grip tightly to the front of the shaft with your hands and, once in the air, using the insteps of your feet; more professional brooms generally have stirrups towards the brush end. When I blow my whistle, I want you to kick firmly off the ground, hover for a moment, then lean forward and touch back down. Understood? Three, two, one…'

In nervous anticipation, Neville kicked off the ground far too early and his broom started to lift him up higher and higher into the air. The Slytherins started laughing as Hooch shouted, 'Mr Longbottom, get down here! Lean forward!', but Neville was in such a panic and so high up that he struggled to even hear her.

Hooch huffed and puffed as she went and grabbed the spare broom intended for Malfoy. 'Everyone stay put. Won't be but a moment,' she barked as she set off and up to fetch Neville, grabbing him just before it looked like he was about to fall off his broom.

The pair of them stayed hovering about thirty feet in the air, with Hooch presumably trying to calm Neville down and coax him back to the ground. They were too high up for her to hear, but Harmony could just about see their mouths flapping.

'Bloody embarrassing, that boy,' said Pansy snidely before turning her attention to Harmony, 'but still not the biggest humiliation to Gryffindor.'

'Oh sweet lord, will you lot just leave her alone already?' shouted back Parvati Patil.

Pansy sarcastically gasped. 'Sorry, Parvati. I didn't know you were OK with weird boys invading girls' spaces.'

Harmony really wished she could speak up for herself, but after her encounter with Draco this morning, she was reticent to. Most of the Gryffindors stayed out of it, just sort of watching in embarrassment, but at least most of the girls were standing up for her.

'Pansy, stop!' said Hermione. 'You'll get into trouble!'

'Do I look like I care?' said Pansy. 'Pathetic little fag Potter!'

There was a collective gasp. Pansy had crossed a line. Now all the Gryffindors were properly paying attention, and even several of the Slytherins seemed uncomfortable with the escalation.

Fay Dunbar stepped forward. 'Are you asking to get a beating, Parkinson? Lay off her already. Jesus!'

'Go on then,' grinned Pansy as Crabbe and Goyle stood at her side, ready to defend.

Fay wasn't intimidated though. With a broad body that seemed ideal for a rugby forward, she looked like she could easily take Pansy, and even Crabbe and Goyle. She looked to the Gryffindor boys, silently seeking help. Ron looked squeamish and pulled back, whilst Dean Thomas just shrugged, but Seamus nodded and started rolling up his sleeves. More than anything, Harmony thought he just wanted an excuse to fight.

'Everyone, stop it!' screamed Hermione. She looked up to the sky and yelled, 'Madame Hooch!' but their instructor clearly couldn't hear her.

Pansy scoffed. 'Filthy Mudblood tattle-tale,' she muttered under her breath.

As soon as Fay heard that, her blood started to boil. Pansy had lit the match herself, and now she'd dropped in on the bonfire. What followed were the flames.

'That's it! You've pushed your luck, you manky snob,' seethed Seamus as he threw the first punch, which Goyle easily deflected before pushing him to the floor.

The Gryffindor and Slytherin boys quickly became embroiled in a typical fistfight for a bunch of eleven-year-olds; a lot of tackling, headlocks, and pile-ons. The girls, meanwhile, mostly just continued to shout at each other, except for Fay, who was battling it out with the lads. Madame Hooch finally noticed the commotion and started to head back to the ground, dragging the still catatonic Neville behind her.

Hermione was already frightened by the carnage unfolding before her, but her anxiety spiked as Pansy started approaching her with a furrowed scowl. In a panic, Hermione started running back towards the castle.

'Hermione, wait!' Harmony shouted after her. 'Just –'

BOSH! Something hit Harmony hard in the back, knocking her face-first into the muddy wet grass. Wiping the grime off her glasses, she saw it was Pansy riding on her broomstick who had struck her down, and was now chasing after Hermione.

Harmony picked herself off the ground, held her hand over her broom and shouted, 'Up!' She mounted her stick, kicked hard off the ground, and THWOOM! Harmony was suddenly hurtling towards Pansy, floating about six feet in the air and barrelling forwards at thirty miles per hour. The ride was wobbly and stomach-upsetting as she got the hang of the controls, but Harmony quickly and surprisingly felt comfortable atop a broom. It was as if she was born to fly.

Hermione had just reached the door back inside the castle when Pansy swooped in and cut her off. Harmony was quickly on the approach too, which was when she realised she had no idea how to slow down sharply. Pulling up on the broom decelerated her flight a bit, but it also brought her higher off the ground. Before she knew it, she was crashing right toward Hermione and Pansy.

'Watch out!' Harmony screamed at them.

Hermione heard in time and ducked, but Pansy was too slow. With no other options, Harmony pulled up sharply right before she hit the wall and kicked off it, accidentally swatting Pansy with the bristles of her broom in the process. She had avoided hitting the wall, but she was now instead flying even faster and higher back to the forest.

'Oy, Potter!' shouted Pansy. Harmony turned to see the sneering Slytherin chasing after her now. She had filled her cloak pocket with gravel from the courtyard, which she proceeded to throw at Harmony. Unfortunately, she hadn't taken into account how fast they were moving, and ended up hitting herself in the face with the stones, flying into them.

Harmony laughed at first, until she realised some of the gravel had gotten into Pansy's eyes, impairing her vision. She lost control of her broom and started careening dangerously toward the ground. Far below, she could just about hear the panicked screams of her classmates and Madame Hooch. Harmony had very little time to think. As much as she disliked Pansy, she didn't want to see her hurt.

Very quickly, Harmony started her own sharp descent, but being in control of her broom she was able to move faster and more precisely. She barely knew what she was even doing; it was all adrenaline and instinct. Harmony got as close to Pansy as she could and, mere feet before they both impacted, she leapt at her. They hit the ground together with a big thud, Harmony taking the brunt of the fall as she landed on her back, whilst their flimsy brooms turned to tinder as they splintered against the earth.

Hooch and the other first-years rushed to the scene. 'Miss Parkinson! Miss Potter!' Hooch called. 'Are you all right?'

Harmony picked herself up, feeling worse for wear but mostly unharmed. 'I'm OK…I think.'

As Pansy got up, she didn't say anything, but she looked at Harmony in shocked disbelief; Harmony wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

'That was incredibly irresponsible, flying off like that,' Hooch admonished. 'You could have gotten both of yourselves killed. All of you, this was an incredibly poor display of behaviour unbecoming of Hogwarts. Now, unless one of you is willing to come forward and take responsibility, I'm afraid it's going to be detention for all –'

'It was me.'

Everyone was gobsmacked, none more so than the Slytherins, when those words came out of Pansy Parkinson's mouth. There wasn't even a hint of sarcasm or reluctance on her face; she looked genuinely remorseful.

'I said some stuff I shouldn't have said, and that riled up everyone. I'm sorry.'

Madame Hooch was as surprised as anyone, but delightfully so. The harsh frown that usually affixed her face straightened out into what could be assumed to be a smile.

'Well, I'm glad you understand the severity of your actions,' said Hooch. 'Normally, you'd be in detention for this…but given your candour, not to mention your brush with death…I think twenty-five points from Slytherin and a stern word with Professor Snape will do.'

Pansy exhaled in relief, so surprised that she couldn't even quite get out a proper thank you. Hooch's attention then turned to Harmony.

'As for you, Miss Potter, you haven't exactly acquitted yourself here either. However, you might well have just saved Miss Parkinson's life, so in that case…fifteen points to Gryffindor.'

Harmony couldn't believe it. For a moment there, she genuinely believed she might have been in serious trouble. Her fellow Gryffindors, however, were absolutely ecstatic as they cheered and shouted their congratulations at Harmony.

'Don't take this as a victory, Gryffindors,' Hooch snapped, quickly dampening the mood. 'I will be having a word with Professor McGonagall about today. The only positive lesson you should learn from this is simple: when you fly, fly like Potter.'

Whilst none of the Gryffindor boys had never exactly done anything to hurt or offend Harmony, few had done much to ingratiate themselves with her either. All of a sudden though, Harmony couldn't keep Ron and Seamus off her as they praised her flying skills at dinner that evening.

'That was bloody wicked,' gushed Ron. 'Can you teach me how to fly like that?'

'I'm just sad you didn't let Pansy smash into the ground,' laughed Seamus. 'The cow deserved it, I reckon.'

Harmony looked down the table at Hermione, who was reading through a book whilst slowly picking at her food. The two exchange a roll of the eyes, as if to sigh and say 'Boys.' Harmony was happy enough for the attention, but everything that had happened today had been a complete fluke. She couldn't possibly live up to the expectations Madame Hooch had suddenly saddled her with.

'Well, thanks for standing up for me,' said Harmony to her classmates. 'For a while there…I thought you all wouldn't.'

'Of course,' said Fay. 'Gryffindors stick together.'

'Especially when it involves battering them Slytherins,' added Seamus.

Harmony looked across the hall towards the Slytherin table. Malfoy was sat with his friends, doubtlessly moaning about his detention and missing flying lessons. However, Pansy was removed from the conversation, sat on her own far away from her fellow first-years. She had seemed very close to Malfoy since arriving at Hogwarts, but now the two could barely even look at each other. It seemed very out-of-character to Harmony for a girl known to be the gossipy centre of attention.

'Harmony?' said a deep Midlothian voice Harmony did not recognise. She looked up to see a lanky but well-built fifth-year Gryffindor boy looking down at her. 'I'm Oliver Wood. Can I have a word? In private, if you don't mind.'

Harmony didn't quite know what to say. She looked at Ron and the other boys, who all looked as expectantly at her as ever. Harmony had only ever seen Wood in passing in the Gryffindor common room. What could he possibly need to speak to her about?

Still confused, Harmony followed Wood out of the Great Hall and into a little alcove beneath the entrance hall steps.

'So,' said Wood. 'I've been having a word with Madame Hooch. She says you're quite the flyer.'

Harmony shrugged. She was practically exhausted by the praise at this point. 'I guess. I mean, it was my first time.'

'That only makes it more impressive,' assured a chuffed Wood. 'How do you fancy being the Gryffindor Quidditch team's new Seeker?'

Harmony didn't know what to say, mainly because she had no clue what being a Seeker even involved. This all seemed a bit fast to her. She flew a broom once and nearly got herself killed, and now they wanted her to play sports with them?

'Um…thanks,' Harmony finally stammered, 'but I don't know if I'm experienced enough. Besides, I thought first-years aren't even allowed to play?'

Wood could sense Harmony's doubt. He put his arm on her shoulder.

'Harmony, the way Hooch tells it, you're already a pro flyer. You've got the build, you're a natural on a broom, and you can leap off it at a moving object mid-flight. That's everything a Seeker needs. And don't worry about the age thing; Hooch is already having a word with Dumbledore and McGonagall about it. Trust me, if she thinks you're good for it, I want you.'

Harmony was conflicted. She'd never been particularly interested in sport, and had no idea even where to begin on Quidditch, but for once she was being told she was good at something. Even so far in her lessons, Harmony was doing fine but far from excelling and relied a lot on Hermione's help. Maybe, she thought, this was something that would prove her worth to the other students at Hogwarts.

'If you need any more encouragement,' said Wood, 'know this: your dad was a Seeker too. It's in your blood, Harmony. With a little training, maybe Gryffindor will finally win the Quidditch Cup this year.'

That was the final push Harmony needed. 'OK,' she said. 'I'll give it a go.'

Oliver Wood beamed. 'Smashing! I'll set up our first session as soon as I can. You're not going to regret this, Harmony. Thank you!' He then strolled off up the entrance hall stairs with a spring in his step and a smile on his face.

Unfortunately, Harmony's own warm feelings were quickly put at risk when she turned around to find Malfoy and his posse emerging from the Great Hall.

'What are you so happy about, Potter?' Malfoy scowled. 'Have you discovered some new gender to identify as today?'

Usually, Harmony would have just walked away from scenarios like this, but after everything that had happened today, she'd found a degree of confidence in herself. At worst, she thought, she'd only end up saddling Malfoy with more detention if he stepped over the line again.

'Actually, I just got offered a spot on the Quidditch team.'

'Hogwash!' spat Malfoy. 'You're lying! First-years aren't allowed to play, let alone gender freaks.'

Harmony folded her arms. 'Whether you like it or not, it's true.'

Malfoy was appalled, but then he seemed to think of a new angle. 'Well, just goes to show how desperate Gryffindor is. Everyone knows Slytherin always wins the Quidditch Cup. Maybe they just want you as an easy excuse for why they suck so much.'

Harmony stood her ground and turned up the sass. 'If I'm so bad at flying, how was I able to save your fellow Slytherin from certain death?'

Malfoy scoffed. 'Pansy? Like I care if she ate it after what she did. Slytherins don't apologise, especially not to worms like you.'

Sobbing then broke out somewhere in the entrance hall. Crabbe elbowed Malfoy, who turned around to find Pansy Parkinson standing a few feet behind him, crying her eyes out.

For the first time, there was a brief hint of regret on Malfoy's face, but it didn't last long. A smug expression came over his face as if to say 'So what?', which of course Crabbe and Goyle promptly imitated.

'Bugger off, Draco!' bawled Pansy as she ran off up the main stairs, shunting out of the way anyone who showed any kind of concern.

'I always knew she was weak,' stated Malfoy, trying to save face with his mates. He gave Harmony one last glare before he and his friends walked off, with Goyle purposefully shunting Harmony as he passed.

At this point, Hermione, Ron and the other Gryffindors had finished their dinner and were exiting the Great Hall.

'So what did Wood say?' asked Ron. 'Seamus reckons he's keeping an eye out for you for next year. I mean, I'm hoping to try out in second year too –'

'Never mind that,' Harmony interrupted. 'Draco and Pansy just had a falling out. I think she's really upset.'

Ron shrugged. 'Who cares? Parkinson's a Slytherin. If she and Malfoy are fighting each other, it's none of our business.'

'Pansy had the chance to stay quiet and get us all in trouble today, but she didn't. I don't think it's as black-and-white as you think.'

'As much as I hate to say it,' butted in Hermione, 'and as much as I loathe Pansy…Harmony's right. If her fellow Slytherins aren't going to help, someone has to.'

Harmony and Hermione headed out of the entrance hall and to the Grand Staircase. Ron followed, but only because it was on the way back to Gryffindor Tower. Pansy was nowhere to be seen on the staircase itself, and the moving steps could have taken her anywhere. Luckily, there were plenty of eyewitnesses who had probably seen her.

'Excuse me,' Hermione asked the painting of a wizard writing at his desk, 'did you see a young Slytherin girl come past crying?'

'I certainly heard one,' the painting replied, 'but I didn't see her. I'm a little preoccupied, if you hadn't noticed.'

Harmony decided to try another portrait, this one of a witch flying on a broom. 'Hi there. Did a weepy Slytherin first-year pass by you at all?'

'Yes, she was an awful racket,' said the portrait. 'Not sure where she went though. I think maybe the third floor? The sobbing seemed to stop a flight or two up.'

With that being their best lead, Harmony and Hermione stormed up the stairs to the third floor, only to find their path blocked by Peeves.

'Hey, it's Potty Wee Potter!' he cackled. 'What's gotten up your skirt, girly boy?'

'Shove off, Peeves,' moaned Ron. 'I just want to get back to dorm.'

'Oh, I'm sowwy, Wickle Weasley,' Peeves mocked in a baby-like voice. 'Maybe this'll help you sleep better?'

Peeves then pulled a trumpet from seemingly out of nowhere and started playing it loudly and inanely right into Ron's ears. The awful out-of-tune sounds of the instrument echoed throughout the stairway, to the point many of the portraits started yelling and booing at the poltergeist. Harmony and Hermione pushed on and up to the third floor, with Ron reluctantly following just to get away from the noise.

'I think he's blown out my eardrum,' Ron complained.

Harmony shushed Ron, as she heard the faint sounds of weeping somewhere down the third-floor corridor. She followed them to their source, past the entrances to the trophy room and Charms class, until they reached a dead-end where, sat on the floor in front of an old locked door, was Pansy Parkinson.

'You OK?' Harmony asked.

'Do I look OK to you?' Pansy spat through her tears. Harmony had meant that rhetorically, but realised it might have come off wrong. 'Go away!'

'Sorry, we're not here to hurt you,' said Hermione. 'We just wanted to check in on you.'

'I didn't,' butted in Ron.

'Shut up!' said Harmony and Hermione in unison. Hermione, against all her instincts surrounding Pansy, sat down next to her and offered her shoulder to cry on. After a few minutes, the young Slytherin started to open up.

'All I ever wanted was to be a Slytherin,' she sobbed. 'Almost all my family were. It seemed so easy to think of myself as better than anyone else at Hogwarts, especially those…different. But now? I…I'm not so sure.'

'What happened?' Hermione inquired.

'The other Slytherins won't talk to me anymore. I figured it was to do with taking the blame today. Anyone who steps out of line gets isolated.'

'I didn't get a chance to thank you for that, Pansy. That really –'

'No, no, you shouldn't be thanking me,' Pansy disagreed. 'I said awful things to you today; things I don't even believe. I just…I just wanted to prove myself to the other Slytherins. Convince myself I was one of them. I…I'm sorry, Harmony.'

Harmony was taken aback. That was the first time anyone from Slytherin had referred to her by her name. She could see that Pansy wasn't a monster, but just another girl sucked into toxicity by a desire to be popular. She was more than used to the type, but this was the first time she'd seen one show genuine remorse.

'But why?' Pansy questioned. 'After everything that I said…why did you save me?'

Harmony gave her the simple but honest answer. 'Because it was the right thing to do.'

Pansy finally stopped crying and peered out from behind her hands. She looked up at Harmony, who smiled back at her genuinely. Slowly, Pansy found her strength and got to her feet, at which point she gave Harmony a massive hug. Harmony was taken aback a bit by this, as was Hermione, but no one was more weirded out than Ron.

'What is with you girls and your emotions?' he said in confusion.

Before much else could be said, the familiar but foreboding sound of an out-of-tune brass instrument echoed down the corridor.

'Come out, come out, Ickle Firsties!' shouted Peeves. 'Where are wou, Weasley?'

'Oh no, not again!' grimaced Ron as he held his hands over his ears.

'Quick, we'll hide in here,' said Hermione as she approached the locked door with her wand out. 'Alohamora!' she said, at which point the padlock on the door came off and the door swung open. The first-years then rushed inside, shut the door behind them, and listened in to make sure Peeves hadn't seen them go in.

'Huh,' said the poltergeist. 'Where did they go?'

'Peeves!' yelled the unmistakable growl of Mr Filch. 'Get on out of here!'

Harmony heard the sound of Peeves phasing through a wall, right before the stomping of Filch's mucky boots and the hissing of Mrs Norris just outside the door.

'Bloody pest,' Filch murmured. 'Even he should know this corridor is forbidden. Come on, my sweet.'

Filch and Mrs Norris trundled off, and that's when Harmony realised it herself: they were in the forbidden corridor on the right-hand side. They had been so preoccupied following the sound of Pansy crying, they had lost their sense of direction; Hogwarts Castle was already so confusing and repetitive.

'I think they're gone,' said Harmony in relief. 'C'mon, let's go.'

'Um…Harmony?' said Ron with frightened concern.

Harmony turned around and then swiftly look up. Towering at about three times her height was a black, furry dog with three heads. Each stared and growled down at the first-years, slobber drooling from each of its mouths, and their sharp gargantuan teeth gleamed in the moonlight. It was then Harmony realised why the corridor was forbidden.

The dog started barking and snarling at Harmony and her friends as they screamed and ran out of the room, with Hermione locking the door behind them for good measure. The four of them legged it as fast as they could out of the third floor. They didn't care if they bumped into Filch or Peeves or anyone else; they just wanted out of there.

Once they found themselves back on the Grand Staircase, Pansy dashed off down the steps towards the dungeons without another word. Harmony, Hermione and Ron, meanwhile, didn't stop running until they reached the Pink Lady's portrait and were safely back in the Gryffindor common room. They all collapsed on the nearest sofa and gradually caught their breaths.

'Blimey,' exhaled Ron. 'What are they doing, keeping a creature like that locked up in the castle? That thing should be guarding the vaults at Gringotts, not hiding in a school.'

'But it was guarding something,' said Hermione. 'Didn't you see the floor?'

'The floor? I was too busy looking at its heads to notice the floor! In case you didn't realise, there were three of them!'

'It was standing on a trap door. Now if you don't mind, I think I've had enough nearly getting expelled for one day. C'mon, Harmony.'

Hermione practically dragged Harmony over to the girls' dormitory, presumably so she could give the tower explicit permission to let her up and not risk Harmony being locked out of her bed.

Harmony, though, was still caught up in thought. The three-headed dog certainly wouldn't have looked out of place at Gringotts, which then reminded her of the package from Vault 713; the one Hagrid had emptied, and was broken into on her birthday. Could that scraggly package be what that monstrous Cerberus was protecting? As she lay in bed that night, trying her best to get to sleep without the image of those snarling canine heads haunting her nightmares, it was all Harmony could think about.