The Duel
“Of course,” Harry said as he saw the flier on the Gryffindor notice board, “Just what I always wanted, to make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy.”
“You don't know that, maybe you're better than him,” Ron said reasonably, “I bet he's all talk about his quidditch skills.” Ron had a point, Malfoy had probably never even seen a helicopter.
Neville and Hermione were both nervous about the lesson and were going over flying tips with each other when the mail arrived. Neville had gotten an odd gift from his grandmother. “It's a remembrall,” he explained. “It’s supposed to-” the remembrall started to glow a stunning scarlet, “glow if you’ve forgotten something.” It was at that moment that Malfoy wandered past, grabbing the remembrall.The table seemed to collectively tense up. Harry and Ron stood at Neville’s defense, but before they could do anything Professor McGonagall came out of nowhere, “What’s going on?”
“Malfoy’s got my remembrall, Professor,” Neville answered nervously.
Malfoy scowled, dropped the remembrall back to the table, and mumbled out a, “Just looking,” before sloping away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him. Ron and Harry sunk back into their seats as McGonagall walked away, Ron glaring and Harry helping Neville figure out what he had forgotten.
…….
Harry actually likes Madam Hooch, not just because she humbled Malfoy, but because despite her strict personality she clearly cared about their safety. When Neville had fallen she had become pale and her hawk-like eyes had been filled with worry. She had helped Neville hobble off to the infirmary with an arm around his shoulder. Of course, as soon as the instructor is gone chaos unfolds.
“Did you see his face, the great lump?” Malfoy said as he busted into laughter, the other Slytherins joining him. “Shut up, Malfoy,” Parvati snapped at him. Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin, mocked her for sticking up for Neville.
Malfoy picked something out of the grass and held it up, “It's that stupid thing Longbottom's grandmother sent him.” The remembrall glittered in the sun. “Give that here,” Harry said quietly. Malfoy gave a nasty smirk, “I think I'll just leave it somewhere Longbottom can't find it, that tree looks like as good a place as any.”
“Hey!” Harry yelled as Malfoy jumped onto his broom. He was quick to grab his broom as well, ignoring Hermione's panicked shouts as he took off. Once in the air he turned the broomstick sharply to face Malfoy with a natural ease that startled both of them. Malfoy looked worried, as much as he tried to hide it, as Harry darted towards him, reaching for the remembrall. They darted around for a second, Malfoy just barely keeping the glass ball out of Harry's hands. “No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy,” Harry called out. Malfoy did his best to glare at Harry before shouting, “Catch it if you can, then!”
Harry was soon diving after the orb, and caught it just in time to pull his broom straight so he only toppled gently onto the grass instead of becoming one with the ground.
“HARRY POTTER!”
It's amazing how quickly your name being yelled can make you wish for an injury. Harry was trembling as he got up to face Professor McGonagall, who was nearly speechless in shock, “-how dare you- -might have broken your neck-” Ron and Parvati tried to stand up for Harry but were quickly shush by the angry Professor who Harry then followed numbly back to the school. He couldn't bring himself to look at their surroundings, just following her to wherever she would tell him he was expelled. He was not expecting Oliver Wood.
Sitting down at dinner that night felt somewhat like the first day, but this time he knew why. The Gryffindor quidditch team was sizing him up. Ron was looking at him with amazement that told Harry that he'd be questioned as soon as secrecy wasn't an issue. George, on the other hand, made sure to congratulate him, “We're on the team too, Beaters.”
“We're going to win for sure this year,” Fred added, “Wood was almost skipping when he told us.”
“Anyway we have to go, Lee wants us to show him how to get into a new secret passageway out of the school.”
“He said it was the one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found back in our 1st year. See you.”
The twins' presence was quickly replaced by Malfoy and his bookends. Malfoy made a comment on Harry going home, Harry said something about his dependents on Crabb and Gayle, and before he knew it Harry and Ron had agreed to a wizard's duel. Percy yelled at them for a bit after that.
Despite Percy's earlier anger, when Harry and Ron made their way down the stairs to the common room he and Oliver were waiting for them. With them was Hermione, the boys were less than happy to learn she was coming with them but chose not to fight it as long as she stayed out of the way. They stepped through the hole and the Fat Lady's portrait closed behind them. “I don't understand why you two would so blatantly break the rules like this,” Hermione complained. Harry sighed and Ron scowled at her, “If you're so against it why are you coming with us?”
“Someone,needs to make sure you don't lose Gryffindor any points.”
Ron opened his mouth to retort but Harry held up a hand, “shh- I heard something.” The two other kids were frozen and there was a shuffling sound from down the hall. It was Neville. The three standing students relaxed at the sight of the boy.
The niffler was asleep but startled awake as they approached. “Oh good you found me, I forgot the password so I couldn't get in.”
“Neville calm down, the password is pig snout,” Hermione said in a hushed tone. “How's your arm?” Harry asked. “Fine,” Neville said, showing them his arm as he walked towards the painting, “Madam Pomfret mended it in about- where's the Fat Lady?” The woman was indeed gone. “Well,” Ron said, “guess you're coming with us Neville.”
They made their way to the trophy room, Hermione leading them through different secret passageways with the map Percy had given her. They showed up a few minutes early but it didn't matter, because Malfoy never showed up. Filch did instead. “Sniff around my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner.”
The concept of the secret walkways were the last thing in the Gryffindors’ minds as they scrambled away. But then Neville tripped, bringing Ron and a suit of armor with him. The clanging was loud enough to wake the castle and turned their cautious rush into a frantic run. At some point they tore through a hidden passage and found themselves near the Charms classroom.
“I think,” Harry panted, “we've lost him.” Neville was bent over and wheezing. “I told you,” Hermione gasped, clutching her chest. “Malfoy tricked you,” she said to Harry, “Filch knew someone would be there, Malfoy tipped him off.”
“Let's go,” Harry said in lieu of agreeing with her.
Unfortunately the standard for the night had been set and they were soon in the presence of Peeves. And Peeves is impossible to convince. They were once again running for their lives and Hermione had to unlock a door for them to hide behind as Filch got closer.
“Which way did they go, Peeves?” Filch asked. “Say ‘please.’”
“Don't mess with me Peeves.”
“Shan't say nothing if you don't say please”
“Fine- please.”
“NOTHING,” They heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away, accompanied by his cackles and Filch’s rageful cursing.
Harry took a moment to recollect his thoughts and realize that Filch still thought this door was locked. “Neville, get off,” he whispered, as the boy had been tugging on his arm for a good minute. He turned to look at Neville but his eyes caught something else. They weren’t in a room, they were in a corridor, the forbidden one, and they weren’t alone.
There is a monstrous dog in the forbidden third floor corridor.
…….
Percy was waiting up with the Twins for the younger students to come back when they heard the painting open. The three of them all shifted in their seats to see the kids, now one more as they had found Neville at some point. They were all sweaty and out of breath as they had clearly been running but they weren’t injured. “So which one of the hall prowlers did you run into?” George joked weakly, always the worst one at hiding his concern between the twins. He and Fred led tired first years to the couches as Percy stood to get some blankets. As he was coming back Hermione found her voice, “Malfoy didn’t show up.” Percy sighs as he tucks a blanket around Ron, “There was a chance he wouldn’t, but you’d think he had a bit more honor.” He moves to hand Neville a blanket but the young Longbottom heir is shaking in fear too much to accept it. Percy hands the remaining blankets to his eldest younger brothers and moves to comfort the young boy. “So what happened, you find Filch making out with his cat?” Fred joked as he wrapped Harry in one of the blankets. Ron chuckled a bit at that and Neville stopped shaking at the absurdity of the claim. Percy shot Fred a great full look as Neville accepted the blanket and Harry told them what they saw, “It was a three headed dog in the third floor corridor.”
“I'm sorry, what.”
Percy felt his blood start to boil, why would they keep an animal like that in the school around kids. “It was guarding something,” Hermione mumbled as the tiredness really started to set in, “It was standing on a trapdoor.”
The kids all started to drop into sleep, Ron and Harry's limbs started to tangle together and Hermione and Neville were curled up in their chairs. Percy turned to Fred and George, “I'll figure out how to deal with the dog, you find out what it's guarding.” The twins nodded.