Chapter Four: In Which Ickle-Firsties Catch Up
The first two weeks back and Harish didn't even notice that they hadn't had time to pull pranks or search for the Chamber. With three extra classes along with Quidditch (the three of them made the team once again) there was little time for anything else. Though Defence Against the Dark Arts most everyone read the whole class because they couldn't make out the lesson through Professor Quirrell's stutters.
Professor Trelawney was a joke, most of his class reckoning that she was a fraud. They couldn't really learn much because of her. It was quite annoying really. Then there was Care of Magical Creatures, taught by the batty old Professor Kettleburn, who was missing a leg and several fingers. He was close to retiring, so he gave them things like flobberworms to care for. Then he assigned them lots of homework looking up things about flobberworms. The other elective, Ancient Runes was complicated and they always had more homework in that subject than any other.
Flint was training them harder than ever. He seemed to think that unless they thought that they would not win all of their games, they would lose them. Harish guessed that it was the concept that once a team starts winning all of their games, they slack off and lose because they think they are going to win no matter what. He kept stressing that they would only win and get better if they practiced.
The main source of entertainment they had was the fact that the entire house thought that Hermione was the last Black. Hermione chose to spend her time around the three (now four because of Draco) boys. Harish would have to fight off laughs when he was doing homework and Hermione was studying and some random first year girl came up to Hermione and asked what she thought in a topic. Or when Hermione would mention a vacation to Spain and all of the girls putting their heads together whispering, "She must have been placed into a family with Squibs. The only way they have that much money is if they are using the Black vaults."
One day Hermione and Draco had walked up to the trio grumbling about how they had to have flying lessons with the Gryffindors. The twins had laughed and made a comment about Ron. Before lessons they had wished them luck and then arranged to meet in the courtyard afterward.
Then Draco, Hermione, and Daphne had walked across the smooth lawn to where the class was being held. There were about twenty broomsticks laid out for use. They stood talking for a minute and slowly everyone else arrived. Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived not long after that. She had short grey hair and yellow eyes like a hawk.
"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."
Draco groaned when he saw his broomstick. It was old and had twigs sticking out of it. Glancing around, he saw that the rest of them were like it.
"Stick your right hand over your broom and say up," Madam Hooch instructed them.
"UP!" everyone shouted.
Draco's jumped into his hand and Hermione's rolled over. He snorted at her, but chose not to say anything out loud. Madam Hooch then walked around and showed them all how to properly mount the broom. He scowled and protested when she said that he had been doing it wrong all along, but then he decided that it was better to just learn how to mount it right for if he didn't then he may never get on the Quidditch team.
"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground hard," she told them. "Keep your broomstick steady, rise a few inches from the ground, lean forward slightly, and touch back down. On my whistle—three—two—"
But Neville who was nervous, jumpy, and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whiles had touched Madam Hooch's lips.
"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up higher and higher. His face was very pale as he looked down before he slid sideways off his broom and fell with a nasty crack. His broomstick was still rising higher and had started to drift towards the forest.
Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.
"None of you are to move while I take this boy to the Hospital Wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be expelled before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear," and she led Neville inside.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Draco could contain his laughter no longer. "Did you see his face, the great lump?" the others joined in with his laughter.
"Shut up, Malfoy," one of the Gryffindor girls snapped.
"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" Pansy asked. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry-babies, Parvati."
Ron, who was standing beside her was shaking with anger. "Look!" Draco said darting forward and snatching Neville's remembrall out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing his gran sent him.
"Give it here, Malfoy," Ron said, darting forward.
Draco smiled nastily. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find—how about—up a tree?"
"Give it here!" Ron yelled. Draco wasn't listening as he hopped on his broom and flew above a tree.
"Come and get it, Weasley!" Ron's face turned red, but he didn't grab his broom. He knew it wouldn't turn out well for him if he got caught flying. His mother, for one, would kill him.
Draco placed it on one of the branches and grinned broadly at his rival as he touched back down. "I knew you were too much of a coward."
Ron started forward angrily, his face now purple. The remembrall began to fall out of the branch and Hermione whipped out her wand and caused it to stop in mid-air. Pansy and her group of friends began whispering excitedly again, "Did you see that? She didn't even say anything!"
Hermione shook her head and grabbed it, shoving it into her pocket. "Come on, Draco," she said. "Class is over by now."
So they left to find the older boys.
YEARS-AND-YEARS-AGO:
A man walked up to his employer. "You told me to find out all I can about You-Know-Who?" he asked. His employer, face half hidden in the shadows nodded. "I think I have found something you might be interested in."
"And what is this information you have for me?"
"His son, Harish Blake. Somehow he has control of the Potter vaults."
"Is this so?"
"Yes. I am certain of it."
The wizard's manager narrowed their eyes. "I think that this young Harish may be our key of getting to him."
NO-PUN-INTENDED
By dinner time Ron was fuming. He watched as the twins and Blake entered the hall, sitting in the centre of the table. Not long after that Malfoy and Granger came in and sat across from them. Ron ate his food slowly, his face hot with anger. Finally he got up and went over to the Slytherin table. Dean and Seamus followed to see what was going to happen.
"You think you're so great, Malfoy," he said angrily.
The twins frowned at him, Granger looked confused, but Draco and Harish smirked identically.
"Why don't you find out?" Malfoy replied. "Duel tonight in the trophy room at midnight. Unless you are too much of a coward to show. With your brains I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't know what a Wizard's Duel was."
"Of course I do," Ron snarled. "Seamus'll be my back-up. Who's yours?"
"Harish," Malfoy replied. "See you tonight then."
And as Ron stalked away, Draco and Harish snickered. Hermione looked even more confused if possible and so did the twins.
"We planned this all out," Harish explained quietly. "General rule. Never let your enemies chose the time and place for a battle."
That night Ron and Seamus left the common room at half past eleven. Right after they exited the portrait hole and were walking a little ways down the corridor, they heard a small snuffling and turned around to see that the Fat Lady was gone from her portrait. There was no turning back now. Ron looked down to see a shivering lump underneath the portrait's frame.
"Neville!" he exclaimed, rushing forward to help his friend up. "What are you doing out here? Why weren't you in the common room earlier?"
"Thank goodness you found me!" the boy said gratefully. "I couldn't remember the password to get in to bed. I've been out here for hours!"
"Keep your voice down, guys," Seamus whispered. "The password's Pig Snout, though it won't help you now as the Fat Lady's gone."
They started off back towards the trophy room, but Neville darted after them. "Don't leave me here! The Bloody Baron's already been past twice!"
"Well, come with us then," Ron whispered. "But we've got to keep quiet, okay?"
Neville nodded and the three of them set off together. They flitted along corridors striped with moonlight from the high windows. At every turn and every creak Ron jumped, thinking that Filch had caught them, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tip toed to the trophy room.
Malfoy and Harish weren't there yet. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, and plates glimmered gold and silver. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doorways. Ron wouldn't put it past Malfoy to ambush them or sneak up on them. The minutes crept by.
"He's late," Ron whispered to Seamus, "Maybe he's chickened out."
A noise in the next room made them jump. Ron raised his wand as a voice spoke and his heart nearly stopped when he realized it wasn't Malfoy.
"Sniff around, my sweet. They might be lurking in a corner."
It was Filch talking to his cat, Mrs. Norris. Panicking, Ron motioned wildly for the other two to follow him quietly. The three first years scurried towards the door as quickly as possible. Neville's robes had just whipped around the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.
"They're in here somewhere…probably hiding."
"Come on!" Ron mouthed to the others and they began to creep down a gallery full of shining suits of armour. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run, knocking over Seamus and a suit of armour in the process with a loud CLANG!
"RUN!" Ron shouted, pulling Seamus to his feet and bolting down the corridor. They swung around the doorpost, not looking back, and ran down one corridor after another without any idea where they were going. They ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it, and came out near their Charms classroom.
"I think we've lost him," Seamus panted finally.
Ron leaned up against the wall to catch his breath and Neville was bent double, wheezing. "We've got to get back to Gryffindor Tower as soon as possible," Ron said.
"Malfoy must have tricked us," Seamus said, turning to Ron.
"Let's go," he replied, not wanting to admit that Malfoy had outsmarted them.
They hadn't gone more than three paces when a doorknob rattled next to them and something came shooting out of the classroom. It was Peeves. When he saw them, he let out a squeal of delight.
"Shut up Peeves—please—you'll get us caught."
Peeves cackled. "Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."
"Not it you don't give us away, Peeves, please."
"Should tell Filch, I should." Peeves said.
"Get out of the way," Ron said, shoving past him.
"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves shouted as loud of possible. All three of the boys cringed. "STUDENTS DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"
Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door. Thinking quick, they threw it open and shut it behind them.
Seamus, Ron, and Neville piled on the door and pressed their ears to the rough wood. "Which way did they go, Peeves?" they heard Filch ask. "Tell me, quick."
"Say please."
"Don't mess with me right now Peeves. Which way did they go?"
"I shan't say nothing if you don't say please," Peeves said in a sing-song voice.
There was a pause. "All right," Filch gritted out. "Please."
"Nothing!" and he zoomed away cackling.
Ron opened the door a crack. "He's gone," he whispered. "I think we'll be alright."
Neville, who had been tugging on Seamus' robes for the past minute, gave his cloak an extra hard tug.
"Neville, get off!" he exclaimed. "What?" he turned around to see a giant head of a dog staring straight at him. And there was another head staring at Ron…and another staring at Neville. It was a dog with three heads! The dog took a step forward and his eyes fell to its feet where it was standing on a trapdoor. The three of them shouted in fright and ran all the way back to their dormitory where Seamus told the other two what he saw. The dog was guarding something…but what would it be guarding?