Chapter Five: Five
Tonight there was quite a number of young magical girls gathered on Sally-Anne's bed in the Cloister. Her tales of her year at Hogwarts attracted them, and not just those girls that were starting next year. Tonight a new young girl had joined the group, a new arrival to the Cloister who had been removed from her family after they'd tried to curse her. As five young girls curled up on Sally-Anne's bed, she decided which story she wanted to tell.
"Tonight we go once again to the hallowed halls of learning in the north of this isle known as Hogwarts for a tale of a duel that wasn't, a forbidden corridor, and a fluffy dog. Our tale begins in the air.
"It has to be said that Neville Longbottom is many things, and has grown greatly as a Gryffindor since he arrived at Hogwarts. Neville then, however, was still finding his way. He had not yet found the confidence in himself. It is confidence that allows one to fly without fear, to go where few tread. Without that confidence, it is not surprising that the ancient broom on which flying lessons were conducted went wild under his hand.
"Neville fell from that broom, his cloak catching on a torch and tearing, before he fell to the earth. He was lucky that only his wrist was damaged, dislocated and broken. The instructor had to take him to the Hospital Wing, and as a result left us alone with the admonishment that if anyone left the ground, they'd be gone before they could say Quidditch.
"It was perhaps inevitable that someone would leave the ground. We were children with our first free time with brooms. It was also not surprising that the Prince of Slytherin, Draco Malfoy was the one, for he had set himself up as the rival to all things Gryffindor. So it was not surprising that he had Neville's glowing red Rememberall in his hand once Neville and Madam Hooch had left.
"His suggestion that he might leave it on the roof as he hovered near the ground, having technically not yet landed, was enough to trigger our hero's response. If there is one thing that Harry Potter can not stand it is someone bullying others. He may take it himself, but the moment you bully one of his friends, all bets are off.
"That is how Harry ended up in the air, chasing down Neville's Rememberall after Malfoy threw it towards the Whomping Willow. Now the willow is a very dangerous tree. Tea from its bark may be the best thing to cure a headache, but there is a good chance that the headache you're trying to cure was caused by its limbs, as well as all the other bruises and contusions, not to mention broken limbs you might get trying to get the bark. It was greatly surprising that Harry managed to catch the small Rememberall, smaller than the snitch. It was even more amazing that he returned to the gathered first years, for we can not call it a class as such, without a single rip in his clothes, much less a bruise from the violent tree.
"It was that action that caught the attention of the watching Professor McGonagall, our head of house. She had found her new seeker. Not that any of us would know that for quite some time, of course. Most of us thought Harry was in deep trouble when she took him into the castle to see Wood.
"Malfoy, on the other hand, seemed to have escaped attention for his actions. And given what we knew it probably wasn't surprising that the Slytherin approached Harry at dinner and inquired if it was his last meal. The conversation, if one could call it that, quickly degenerated into a challenge for a duel, which Ron Weasley accepted on Harry's behalf.
"Now Ron can at times be something of a hot head. He's generally impulsive, and often jumps to conclusions, especially when he's hungry. If you want a clear headed Ron, wait until after he's eaten, and is seated before a chess board. At the time Harry was very much overwhelmed by the sudden exchange, and did not protest.
"So near midnight, Ron and Harry snuck out of the common room to head to the trophy room, followed by Hermione. Now Hermione wasn't yet their friend. In fact she was trying to stop them from going and losing points. Unfortunately she ended up stuck on the other side of the Fat Lady's portrait, and thus accompanied them to the trophy room. Neville Longbottom joined them, having forgotten the password.
"I supposed you're expecting me to tell a tale of a vicious duel, spells exchanged, trophies intercepting curses, and the like. I'm not sure why you'd think such an exchange was possible. Everyone was in the first two months their schooling, and dueling is not generally taught that early. I suppose it could be because of the fact that Harry is known as the Boy-Who-Lived, but the tales attached to that name are more myth than reality.
"And as for Malfoy, his line of the time was 'wait until my father hears,' which does not lead one to believe that he'd be any great dueler. In any case, he wasn't there. All he had done was tell Angus Filch that students would be in the trophy room at midnight. He and his cat were waiting, if a little late.
"Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione heard him coming, and ran. Each turn they made, each effort done to avoid the resulted in them getting more and more lost. Finally they got far enough ahead that they could hide behind a door at the end of the cooridor. It was locked, but fortunately Hermione knew a spell to open it. Quickly they hid behind the door waiting for Filch to pass.
"At the Welcoming Feast, the Headmaster had told everyone not to go to the third floor corridor on the right hand side. To do so was to risk death. I'm pretty sure that for the most part the students obeyed that. And the door was locked, so most didn't get to that death risk.
"Unfortunately, Hermione Granger liked to read ahead. She also really disliked being locked away from her books. A certain set of twins had somehow managed to lock hers away in her trunk even when she was supposed to be protected by wards preventing boys from getting to her room. That's why she knew a seventh year unlocking charm.
"As for what the risk of death was, it was Ron who first felt it, with a drop of drool hitting his shoulder. He turned around and discovered, just at the length of its chain, one of the three heads of the cerberus. It was Hagrid's, and went by the name Fluffy. Lest you think that meant that it was a pushover, those that have encountered Fluffy will you tell you otherwise. Fluffy was named like tall men are called Tiny. He was large, loud, and vicious, a nearly 25 stone beast, ready to tear anyone apart that got too close to anything he guarded.
"The Gryffindors quickly exited the room, forcing the door closed behind them. They returned to the Common Room, ending the adventure. As Hermione told the boys, 'we could all have been killed – or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed.'
"The next morning Malfoy seemed to be surprised that Harry and Ron were still there, and kept looking up at the points counters, as if he expected them to be different. It wouldn't be the last time he goaded Gryffindor and lost, but those are tales for another night. Now at least, it's time to take Hermione's advice, and go to bed. For it is time to, as her favorite playwright said, sleep, perchance to dream."
And it was time to sleep and dream. For while Sally-Anne told the tale, though it was short and engrossing, the girls had a long day with a lot of activity, welcoming the new girl. So it was not surprising that when dawn rose the next morning, it did so revealing through the undrawn curtains of Sally-Anne's room a gaggle of girls asleep on the bed.