Aurora couldn't sleep. Again.

It was becoming a much too common occurrence now that she was at Hogwarts. She was finding that anytime she couldn't stop thinking, it kept her awake. Her mind would whir and spin and she would fall deeper and deeper into a train of thought, usually thinking herself in circles. When she was living at the cottage, she would combat these moments by sitting with her legs dangling from the cliffside window, letting the gentle crashing of the waves lull her. But now, all she could do was lay in bed, surrounded by snoring girls who didn't have the same issues she did, and let the thoughts fester.

Exams, she figured, would be the absolute worst for her sleep.

She couldn't stop thinking about Harry and Ron. She knew they were heading straight into the trap Draco had set for them - they were too stubborn to turn down his challenge. And the worst part was, when they inevitably got caught and probably expelled from Hogwarts, they would leave thinking it was Aurora's fault too. She had been there when Draco made the challenge, and she hadn't said anything then to stop them. In their eyes, she would be just as much to blame as Draco was.

She curled into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the thoughts rolling over and over each other, hoping the new position would force the sleep to come faster. Sighing, she looked over to Tracey in the bed beside her. The brunette had her arms thrown haphazardly out of the blanket and hanging over the edge of her bed. On her wrist, her digital watch flashed in the dimly lit room. If she squinted, Aurora could just make out the time.

11:40 pm

She rolled back onto her back and groaned. She had been trying to fall asleep for nearly two hours now.

It was twenty minutes until their supposed 'wizard's duel' was supposed to happen. In twenty minutes, Harry and Ron would meet their fate at the hands of Filch. Twenty minutes until they received what she could only imagine would be a permanent detention.

Twenty minutes for Aurora to try and find a way to stop them.

I have plenty of time, she told herself, and without a second thought she untangled herself from her blanket and stood. As quietly as she could she grabbed her dark blue robe from its hook, barely stopping to properly pull on her slippers as she made a frantic, yet silent, dash to the common room.

Her thoughts raced as she made her way through the - luckily - empty common room. She didn't have much of a plan, just get out, warn the boys, and get back before anyone woke up and noticed she was gone. It was a risk, of course, but one she was willing to make.

Maybe if I warn them in time, they'll stop hating my guts. The thought steeled her determination as she creeped into the dark dungeon corridor. She glanced around, straining to hear footsteps from any of the prefects on patrol, but the castle was silent. They'll be so thankful, maybe we could even be friends again.

Aurora held onto that promising idea, no matter how far-fetched it felt, and continued on her way.

It was significantly more difficult to navigate the dungeons in the dark, but Aurora refused to use Lumos, utterly convinced that even the smallest of whispers would call attention to her, and every professor, prefect, and ghost would surround her before she could say 'Nox'.

Luckily, her daily navigation of the dungeons had become second nature, and she found herself in the entrance hall without much trouble. She paused again before she emerged from the shadows, just barely sticking her head around the corner to ensure the coast was clear. Once she was certain nothing was lingering nearby, she hurried up the staircase to the third floor, the only sound the soft shuffling of her slippers on stone as she tiptoed to the trophy room.

Aurora peeked her head inside, cringing as the door gave a soft groan upon opening. It was hard to make much out, but besides the plaques and displays, she didn't see anything. The room was empty.

She sighed, wishing she had a watch of her own so she could keep an eye on the time. She wasn't sure how long it had taken her or how long she would have to wait. But she had beaten Harry and Ron there, and that was the most important thing of all.

Good, she thought, gently shutting the door and sinking down onto the floor of the corridor. She glanced down the lengths of the hall on either side of her - they were empty except for the stripes of moonlight painting the floor, shining in from the high windows. She noted a tapestry nearby that, if needed, she could hide herself behind. It made her feel more at ease, to have an escape plan if Filch turned up first.

Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long. A soft scuffling sounded farther down the hall, and Aurora launched to her feet, wand out and ready. But instead of Filch rounding the corner, Harry and Ron emerged, followed by - to Aurora's utter shock - Hermione and Neville, who both seemed less than pleased to have been included. Ron skidded to a stop first, the other three crashing into him, but they all managed to remain upright.

"Aurora?" Hermione questioned quietly from the back of the group, standing on her tiptoes to cock her head. She took in the girl's pajamas and raised wand, confused. "What're you -"

"What do you want?" Ron asked in a harsh whisper. He drew his wand, as did Harry, and stalked closer, eyeing Aurora carefully. "Guarding the door so your boyfriend has more time to prepare?"

Aurora put her wand away and held up her hands, shushing the group as she glanced down the corridor again. Mercifully, it remained empty and silent.

"I'm here to stop you from risking your necks," Aurora whispered. At their confused looks, she continued. "This is all just a trick to get Harry into even more trouble."

"Liar," Ron scoffed, trying to move around Aurora, who stood firmly in front of the door to the trophy room. "Bet Malfoy's just scared. Told his girlfriend to stand guard and to try and scare us away instead. Too bad it won't work, snake."

"I'm not lying, why would I lie about this?" Aurora grit her teeth, trying to keep her voice from raising again. "And I'm not his girlfriend."

"Then let us in."

Ron didn't wait for an answer. He shouldered Aurora to the side, knocking her out of his way. She stumbled to the side, caught by Hermione, who grabbed her hand and squeezed, eyes wide with worry and confusion. Ron and Harry tiptoed into the trophy room with their wands drawn, the others following behind.

"We need to get out of here," Aurora whispered, more urgently this time. She flinched as the door shut behind them, and suddenly felt as if she had been locked in a tomb. "We shouldn't even be here in the first place. Filch could be here any minute."

"Malfoy…" Ron sang quietly, ignoring Aurora's pleas. He and Harry took opposite sides of the room, fanning out to search the dark corners. It seemed as if they had planned their search in advance; if she hadn't been so terrified, Aurora might've been impressed. "Come out, come out…"

"He's not here," Aurora hissed, growing more and more annoyed with the both of them. Ron let out a harsh "Shhhhhh!", as if he hadn't just been talking too.

Aurora rolled her eyes and allowed herself a moment to inspect the trophy room. It was the first time she had been inside, but she refused to venture in farther than she needed to. All around them, crystal trophy cases glimmered in the moonlight, occasionally casting sparkling hints of light across the walls. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. If they had been visiting in any other situation, Aurora would have taken her time and explored, checking each award to see if she could spot either of her family names - Fawley or Rosier.

The minutes crept by in a tense silence. Ron and Harry had finished their patrol and had regrouped in the center of the room, each keeping an eye on the doors at either end. Eventually, Ron shrugged and turned to Aurora smugly.

"He's late. Guess he's a chicken."

"He was never coming," Aurora huffed. "Guess you're an idiot."

Before Ron could retaliate, a noise in the next room made them all jump. Aurora was barely able to get her wand out before they heard someone speak - someone who was definitely not Draco.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

It was Filch, speaking to Mrs. Norris. Aurora froze - even though she knew he would arrive sooner or later, the fear of being caught still stopped her in her tracks. She whirled around to glare at Ron, who had gone as white as a ghost, rage radiating from her stare. Harry waved madly, wanting the four of them to follow his lead. Aurora was more than happy to let him take the lead; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Aurora, who had taken up the rear of the group, had barely made it 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 group. Ron and Hermione followed his lead without a second thought, but Aurora had to give Neville a less-than-gentle push to get his feet moving again. They began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor, as quickly and as quietly as they feasible could. Behind them they could hear Filch shuffling around, growing nearer.

As if he couldn't take the pressure a minute longer, Neville let out a frightened squeak and broke out into a run. Aurora tried to grab his robes before he could get too far, but she was too late - he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armor.

If they hadn't been seconds away from getting caught, Aurora would've made sure that she never let Ron live this down. But instead -

As the suits fell, the clanging and clashing of metal echoed down the corridor. It felt loud enough to wake the whole castle. There was a moment of silence…

"RUN!" Harry yelled, no longer worried about sneaking, and the five of them charged down the gallery, never once looking back to see whether Filch was following or not - they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Aurora on Harry's heels, without a smidge of an idea where they were or where they were going - they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves i a hidden passageway, hurtling along it and came out near the Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.

"What are - we -doing," Aurora wheezed, arms wrapped around her stomach as she fought to catch her breath, her back pressed against the cold stone of the wall.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted. He leaned next to Aurora and wiped his forehead. Beside him, Neville was doubled over, hands on his knees, wheezing and sputtering.

"I - told - you," Hermione gasped out between breaths, clutching at a stitch in her chest. "I - told - you."

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor Tower," said Ron. His eyes darted quickly between Aurora and Harry. "Quickly as possible."

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry and Ron. Now that she had caught her breath, anger flashed dangerously in her eyes. "You realize that, don't you?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Aurora hissed. She stood beside Hermione and put her hands on her hips, reveling in the small satisfaction she felt when Harry and Ron squirmed under their twin glares. "Draco never even intended on coming here tonight."

"She's right. How else would Filch know someone was going to be in the trophy room," Hermione continued.

Aurora threw her hands in the air. "Dinner wasn't even over before he told Filch!"

Ron snorted and crossed his arms, avoiding eye contact. Harry at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed. He shrugged.

"Can't change it now. Let's go." Harry started walking. "Gryffindor common room is this way."

"Wait - what about me?" Aurora asked, moving to keep pace with Harry. "Unless this is an official invite to the Gryffindor common room, I have to get back to the dungeons."

"We could always go around to the main staircase and split off there?" Hermione suggested.

"But the rest is up to you," Ron said. He was slouching behind the group, almost dragging his feet as he walked, obviously still bitter and ashamed and not getting over any of it any time soon. "You got up here just fine on your own, you can get back down. We didn't ask for a snake to join us."

Aurora rolled her eyes, ignoring Ron's most recent jab. They hadn't even made it a dozen paces down the corridor when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.

The group froze at the sight of Peeves the Poltergeist, a wicked smile already blooming on his face. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight, backflipping in midair.

Harry was the first to speak up. "Shut up, Peeves - please - you'll get us thrown out."

Peeves cackled, throwing his head so far back, he was nearly upside down. The laughter bounced around the empty corridor and Aurora was sure it would only alert Filch faster to their location.

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves, his voice oh-so saintly, but his eyes glittered wickedly. He tapped his chin, as if deep in thought. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Or you could let us go!" Aurora tried, wondering how many students had begged with Peeves in the past, and how many had actually been successful. "We've learned our lesson, we'll -"

"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, annoyed. He pushed his way to the front of the group and took a swipe at Peeves - a huge mistake.

There was a moment of silence as Ron's eyes widened and he realized what he had done. Peeves' grin grew impossibly wider and he threw his head back.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" he bellowed, his voice like a siren. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

It was as if someone lit the floor beneath their feet on fire. Ducking under Peeves, the five ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor, where they slammed into a door - and it was firmly locked.

"This is it!" Ron moaned as they pushed helplessly at the door. He rammed his shoulder against it again and again, but it didn't budge an inch. "We're done for! This is the end!"

So dramatic, Aurora thought, pushing at the door with all her might. She itched to say it out loud, but right now didn't seem like a good time for another jab.

They could hear footsteps - Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves' shouts.

"Oh, honestly, move over," Hermione snarled. The group split at her command, giving her room. She grabbed the wand that Harry was still limply holding, tapped the lock, and whispered, "Alohomora!"

The lock clicked and the door swung open - they piled through it into the dark room beyond, shut it quickly behind them, and pressed their ears against it, listening.

"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was grunting out, his voice ragged as he gulped for air. "Quick, tell me…"

"Say 'please.'"

"Don't mess with me, Peeves, I know they're around here somewhere. I was told students would try lurking about, now where did they go?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying sing-song voice.

There was a moment of grumbled curses that Marius would be aghast if he heard Aurora repeat before Filch spoke again. "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. Aurora sighed, leaning against the door as they all took a well-earned moment to breathe. The only sound she could hear over her own heavy breathing was Neville whimpering softly.

"Why isn't he trying the door?" Aurora asked, her voice still quiet, even though they had all heard Filch's stomping footsteps disappearing in the opposite direction.

"He still thinks this door is locked," Harry replied.

"S'all your fault, Rosier," Ron muttered. As her eyes adjusted to the dark room, Aurora could see him glaring at her, and it made her skin prickle.

"My fault!" Aurora tried to match the intensity of Ron's glare with one of her own. "I was trying to -"

"If we get caught, it'll be both of your faults," Harry whispered, the same fierceness in his voice that Aurora had heard while he was mid-air with Draco. "Now if you two don't be quiet and just drop it, it's going - ugh, get off, Neville! What?"

Neville's whimpers had only gotten louder. Harry turned to where Neville was staring off and went as white as a sheet. Aurora followed their gazes and - oh, bloody hell…It felt impossible - like something that only happened in books.

It wasn't a room they had escaped into, but a corridor. Dark and humid, seemingly bigger than the other corridors, as if it had been stretched out to maximize the space. It made so much more sense as to why the door had been locked.

"The forbidden corridor," Neville whimpered.

And now they knew why it was forbidden.

They were staring directly into the eyes of three monstrous dogs. Dogs that, as they began to stand, filled the entire space between ceiling and floor. Or…wait, was it just one dog? Aurora couldn't tell exactly, it was too dark to make out all the details, but she knew one thing for sure - there were 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 sharp, yellowed fangs.

The sight of it sparked something in her memory, but Aurora pushed down the impulse, too focused on not letting her meager dinner make an unwelcome reappearance.

The creature was still, all six eyes staring at the students that had suddenly appeared in its personal space. Aurora knew for a fact they were all still alive because the dogs (or was it really just one…massive, massive dog?) were just as surprised as the students were. But as the seconds passed, it started growling, a thunderous sound that felt like a clear warning.

Aurora was glued to her spot in terror. It felt as if she had forgotten how to breathe.

All in one moment, the heads were lunging and the door swung open and Hermione was grabbing her wrist. Aurora sprang into action, not caring if Filch was waiting with Snape and McGonagall and whoever else in the corridor beyond - she would rather face them than the dog for another second. As soon as she was out of danger, she yanked her wrist free and slammed the door shut, forcing all of her weight onto the heavy, wooden door, ensuring there wasn't even a sliver of a chance that the dog could escape.

With an adrenaline-fueled laugh, Aurora turned to the Gryffindors…

And instead found herself left all alone.

For a moment, she stood still in the corridor, mouth open in shock - she couldn't believe it, they had left her! - but a muffled bark from behind the closed door spurred her into motion again. She ran down the corridor and to the grand staircase as fast as her legs could carry her. She felt like she was flying, her robe whipping in the air behind her. Her instincts took over once she reached the maze of the dungeons, and she made it back to the Slytherin common room in record time.

She collapsed onto one of the low couches in the common room, gulping in the cool air greedily. Now that she was back and out of immediate danger, she allowed herself to finally think about everything that had just occurred, that spark from earlier bubbling up again in her mind.

On one hand, she was furious with the Gryffindors for leaving her in that corridor alone. And for not believing her when she said she was there to warn them.

On the other hand, she knew they had been just as scared of the dog as she was. And she knew they - or, at least Hermione - would never intentionally treat her that way.

And that nagging spark in her mind…she knew she had seen that creature before.

When they had been in the corridor, adrenaline and fear had fogged her ability to think straight, but now that it was clearing, she felt like she could think again. She couldn't put her finger on exactly where she had seen it, or even exactly what it was, but she knew she had seen it…somewhere.

Wait a minute…

Inspiration struck Aurora like lighting. She snuck back into her dormitory, where the other four Slytherin girls remained blissfully asleep. Crawling into bed, she drew the curtains tightly shut and lit her wand, cradling her copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them to her chest. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she solved this mystery, and if anyone would be able to identify the creature she had just encountered, she knew she could count on Newt Scamander.

Luckily, Aurora was well-versed in her Fantastic Beasts book, as well as the Ministry of Magic's creature classification system - it only took her a few minutes to find the page she was looking for.

"Aha!" she hummed to herself, pleased, before nestling deeper into her pillows.

Three-Headed Dog

M.O.M Classification - XXXX

The three-headed dog (also commonly referred to as Cerberus) is a very rare magical beast. In the first six-to-eight weeks of their lives, they are blind, much like…

Once she had read the entire section twice - ensuring she was plenty aware of everything she would need to know in the possibility that she had to encounter the dog again - she put the book back on her bedside table and pulled the covers tightly around herself.

A three-headed dog, she thought dreamily. A real-life Cerberus.

Of course she still recalled the fear she had felt in the moment, the way the three terrifying heads had snarled and lunged at her earlier, but now that she had correctly identified the creature? The memory felt softer. Instead of being a terrifying beast, the Cerberus was more like a large puppy. With three heads, sure, but that just meant more opportunities to give the pup more treats.

Aurora smiled, imagining just how jealous she could make her fellow first years if she came down to breakfast one morning, her Cerberus puppy trotting happily behind her. Draco would be beside himself. Cedric would love it, and would probably ask if he could play three-headed fetch with them. And Marius would be so proud of her for doing what seemed like the impossible, he would never mention the fact that she wasn't sorted into Hufflepuff ever again.

And that's how she fell asleep. Dreaming of three-headed dogs.


They may have left her in the corridor, but what does this mean for Aurora's friendship with the Gryffindors?

What would you guys like to see happen? Aurora's destiny lies in our hands...

Thank you all for reading & reviewing! Let me know what you think!