The Crystal Mystery

10 - Dewey

(A/N Hallo! I finally got another chapter posted! I should be back on a normal uploading schedule now. Sorry for taking so long. I have the last 4 chapters done so there won't be any more breaks in this story!)

The year was almost over, and it was time for their exams. It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell.

They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap-dance across a desk. Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox — points were given for how pretty the snuffbox was, but taken away if it had whiskers. Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.

Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole wonderful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Dewey couldn't help cheering with the rest.

Dewey and Webby, exhausted, went back to their common room. Dewey went up to the dormitory to put his bag down. He lay back on his bed, relieved to be done with the exams, and was suddenly asleep.

*      *      *

Dewey woke up when he heard shouting. He grabbed his wand and snuck down the staircase into the common room.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were facing Neville, who was blocking the portrait hole.

Hermione stepped forward.

"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."

She raised her wand.

"Petrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing it at Neville.

Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.

Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.

"What've you done to him?" Harry whispered.

"It's the full Body-Bind," said Hermione miserably. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry."

"We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Harry.

"You'll understand later, Neville," said Ron as they stepped over him.

Dewey gripped his wand. "What are you doing?" They turned around and Ron groaned. Hermione tried to do the same spell on him, but he side-stepped it.

"Dewey, we don't have time for this," Harry said. "You remember the giant three-headed dog?" Dewey nodded. "We know what it's guarding, and we have to stop Voldemort from getting it."

Dewey wanted to question what You-Know-Who had to do with anything, but instead he smiled. "I'm coming with you."

"Dewey—"

"I've been on countless adventures, almost died multiple times, and I'm standing here without a scratch on me. I'm going with you."

"Fine," Harry said. "If the cloak can cover all four of us, you can come."

They could just barely all fit under the cloak without it showing their feet. But leaving Neville lying motionless on the floor didn't feel like a very good omen. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them.