Caught
All week Lirum waited anxiously. Wondering if they could truly commit to confronting the group of first years. The time had come it was Saturday night after lights out. Lirum laid in their bed while everyone else started to fall asleep, waiting anxiously for the moment they would have to sneak out. What would happen if they got caught? maybe just another detention with the twins?They were sure they could come up with some excuse, though surely, they would be in trouble regardless, just not enough to get expelled.
Once they were greeted with the snores of sleeping classmates, they slipped out of bed and back into their clothes. As they snuck down to the common room, the anxiety swarmed inside them. Once they opened the door and walked out, there would be no going back. They would have already broken the rules and snuck out properly. Not some midnight library run, or sneaking out for a snack, truly sneaking out. Opening the door and casting lumos with a quiet flick of their wand, they stepped out into the hall.
“I just have to make my way down to the courtyard, and then up and into the astronomy tower right can’t be that hard, yeah?” They encouraged themself rushing down the hall. Suddenly started by a shout.
“Hey, turn that out!” A portrait called to Lirum
“I’m sorry but I can’t. I have to go.” Lirum whispered an apology rushing down the hall, ignoring the protests of the portraits as they complained about the light on the way.
As they approached the stairs they knew they needed a different tactic. Holding their wand low to shine the light at the stairs and hide as much if it with their robes as to not be seen by anyone who might be out, they fumbled their way down the stairs in the dark, occasionally stepping in their own robes in the process. Almost falling at several points but they couldn’t risk slowing down or stopping. Reaching the foot of the stairs they heard shouting thinking quickly they whispered “nox” quickly hiding their light.
Lirum saw Professor McGonagall. Standing in a tartan bathrobe and a hair net. She had none other than the first-year blood purest himself, Draco Malfoy held by the ear.
"Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you --"
"You don't understand, Professor. Harry Potter's coming…he's got a dragon!" Draco snitched.
"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on, I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!" McGonagall said as she dragged the boy behind her towards the dungeons.
“Better him than me.” Lirum said waiting for the coast to clear so they could continue on to the astronomy tower.
They quietly made their way across the Courtyard. They made it to the tower alright, opening the door to the tower and shutting it as quietly as possible behind them. As they made their way up the steep steps, they could hear the trio talking to two voices they hadn’t heard before as well the slightest rustling and clang of metal. As they summited the stairs, all eyes landed on them as they. And Lirum was furious. Two adults came to pick up an illegal dragon from children actual eleven year olds!
“Do none of you have even the slightest inkling of self-preservation!” Lirum started fuming. They looked like rabbits in headlights, pale and terrified. As they should.
“You realize how dangerous this was? Any of you? The two of you are adults! regardless of if it was a favor for Charlie, you should have known better! These are school children! One of whom has spent over a week in hospital, because this things bite is poisonous!-“
“Venomous actually” the bushy haired girl cut in.
“If you know that, you should know to be downright ashamed of yourselves! The two of you for not reporting the illegal dragon to the ministry, or at least telling Charlie to! Godric forbid, I ever catch him after this! The ear full he will revive for not only allowing, but encouraging these children to sneak out with a once again, illegal dragon!” They continued before the trio attempted to cut in.
“But Hagrid-“ Harry started. Getting cut off by Lirum before he could even come up with an excuse.
“Hagrid is an adult! You are children! First years! You are eleven years old! For Rowena’s sake, the fate of the world does not rest on your shoulders! Can you imagine what would have happened if anyone else had found that letter that day! Clearly that Slytherin boy did! Luckily, McGonagall didn’t believe him or come to check it out! If she had, you could be expelled!” Lirum turned back to the two dragon tamers who had been quite cheery before Lirum had arrived. “You need to take the dragon and leave quickly before things get worse. I will handle this.” Lirum said and with that they began attaching the harness to the small baby dragon, before making their hasty retreat.
“Lirum you don’t understand we had-“ Ron started.
“You were in the hospital wing for over a week with a green, swollen hand and a brother who looked like he would die of shock. You knew, someone had seen your plans to get rid of the dragon and came anyway. You even have some grand scheme to fight for the Philosophers stone. - and don’t try to deny it. If you think you’ve been sneaky, you’re mistaken. The professors are adults, and above that masters of their respective disciplines. Allow them to handle this. If you continue down this path you will get hurt. That’s not a threat or warning, it's a fact. You are acting recklessly and at this rate one, if not all of you will end up getting yourselves killed. Do you understand me.” Lirum said in a voice that was clear and deadly calm.
“But-“Harry started before getting cut off by Hermione.
“They have a point. What we did was reckless.” The girl said too the two idiots behind her.
“Yes, we swear to be more careful in the future.” the trio said together.
“Good! Now put all of this nonsense behind you, make your way back to your common rooms, and pray you don’t get caught.” Lirum said.
They turned around making their way quickly down the stairs. If those first years were going to get caught, they wanted no part in it. As they exited the tower their eyes adjusted to the moonlight as they crossed the courtyard and entered the hallway, heading back towards Ravenclaw tower. They suddenly heard a voice down the corridor behind them.
“ well, well, well…we are in trouble .” Filch said as he found the first years.
Lirum suddenly much happier they hadn’t casted the light charm as they exited the tower. Had successfully avoided being caught twice. They slowly made their way to the stairs worried quick steps would give away their possession. Ascending the stairs making their way back to the fifth floor. Waiting patiently as the stairs changed directions until as it turned, they saw a lantern set out of one of the corridors and on to the landing. Coming face to face with none other than the Gryffindor prefect Percy Weasley.
“Lirum?” Percy said with a start his face a cross of horror and confusion.
“I can explain…you just won’t like my answer.” Lirum said, slightly panicked. they had made it so far, so close, avoided capture for so long. Why did it have to be Percy?
“Well then, go ahead! Explain it to me. I would love to hear it! - and don’t say the library! You would have had to pass it, and your not holding any books.” Percy said, pulling Lirum off the stairs and onto the second floor landing.
“Your brother-“ Lirum started already getting cut off.
“So, the twins are out! Wonderful! And you followed them. Don’t waste your breath telling me it was to stop them! If it were truly that, you would have come straight to me!” Percy snapped in a hushed tone.
“Not the twins, they're not out…to my knowledge. It was Ron-“
“Ronald has been in the hospital wing all week where would he have found the time to plot something?” Percy snapped again the red in his face barely visible in the glow of the lantern.
“When we visited him in the hospital wing…knocked over that book I found a letter… it was from your older brother Charlie. Ron got bit by a dragon Percy that’s why he wouldn’t tell you.” Lirum said their words turned Percy wow so red they would have been able to see it in the dark.
“You’re lying! If it were something that serious Ron would have told me! There is no way any member of our family would put another in that much danger, especially Charlie! He would never encourage something so stupid, as to let an eleven year-old handle a dragon! He would have told me! You should have told me! If you Truly cared about me or my family, you would have told me! These are impossible lies! You would have to think me a fool to believe them. You sneak out and drag every member of my family’s name you can think of through the mud! How dare you! How dare you, even for a second! Detention! twenty points from Ravenclaw! And detention! Unbelievable! To think for even a second, I would have considered you a friend! You will follow me to your house dormitories.'' he said, turning about storming at a pace even Lirum’s lanky legs struggled to keep.
“Percy! I’m telling you the truth! I’m sorry, but those kids are in over their heads! They're going to get themselves killed! Don’t you understand, it’s not just this? They are convinced Dumbledore has hidden the Philosopher's stone somewhere in the castle. That it’s in the third floor Corridor and that’s why it’s been said, it’s out of bounds. They're going to go after it. They think Professor Snape is trying to steal it! They’ve already started plotting how to get past the protections the teachers set in place! Percy, I’m trying to help you I swear! You’ve already been so stressed I was trying to help without making you worry even more! Please listen to me! How could I tell you.” The begged trying to make him understand they knew he wouldn't, he was fuming, storming up the stairs. I’m this moment he wouldn’t even listen to the headmaster himself if he said Lirum was correct.
“Nonsense all of it! It’s Impossible! I will hear no such thing! If it were true even if you were trying not to make me worry, a Professor, the headmaster, something! Anything but sneaking I it to handle it yourself! You would know how stupid and idiotic it was! Not to sneak out and risk getting in trouble without even making it to stop them! If you did stop them, where's the dragon! Or the philosopher's stone! Nowhere because it was never there! I will be discussing your lack of need for help in your classes with Penelope in the morning! Until we have come to a decision you will not find me outside of our allotted study period! If you have time to come up with such outlandish and ludicrous ideas, you clearly don’t need the extra study time with me.”
“Ask Charlie about the dragon!-“ Percy cut Lirum off.
“You expect me to owl my older brother asking him if he took in an illegally obtained dragon and smuggled it to Romania! Because our youngest brother asked him to!”
“They just got caught sneaking out of the astronomy tower by Filch! I’m begging you! I wouldn’t lie to you Percy!”
“So if you were telling the truth what would you call this then!”
“Percy, it wasn’t a line. I wouldn’t lie to you I swear. I omitted the truth, under specific circumstances but not lie!” This only received more angry mumbling from Percy.
The rest of the walk up the stairs and to the Ravenclaw dorms continued more of the same. Percy ranting under his breath about the utter disrespect of ‘the lie’, disregard of the rules, and disgrace such actions bring to their houses. Lirum remained quiet. Even if they could convince Percy of what happened he would still have every right to be angry with them for not telling him, for instead sneaking out, and for reading a private letter between his brothers. So, they followed behind him, head hung low.
“Now to bed with you before I truly lose my patience.” Percy said sternly. Coming to a dead stop, in front of the Ravenclaw common room doors. As Lirum told the password to the door and walked in they heard Percy speak one last time behind them.
“Even if it was the truth, I have every right, to be angry with you.” He said before storming away.
Returning to their dorm room and laying down onto their bed they came to the realization, after this Percy must hate them.