CRIMSON TEARS | Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone [1]

𝘅𝘅 | 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗵

Gwen honestly couldn't think of anything worse. How had they been so stupid? Forgetting the cloak?

Filch led them in silence down to McGonagall's office, all the while Gwen tried to come up with a good cover story. Nothing came to mind; they had no excuse to be up the Astronomy Tower - it was out of bounds except for classes - and being out of bed was another thing; pack in the invisibility cloak and they may as well be on their way home by morning.

She wanted to cry. All of that and they still messed it up.

Gwen genuinely didn't believe anything could worsen the situation; that was until McGonagall walked in with Neville in her wake.

'Harry!' He cried the moment he saw them. 'I was trying to find you to warn you, Malfoy said you had a drag--'

Gwen shook her head violently, but the damage had been done, and Professor McGonagall had seen. She looked like she was about to breathe fire.

'I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr. Filch says you were up in the astronomy
tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves.'

No one answered. Gwen hung her head; she saw Harry mirroring her actions in her peripherals. They were silent, the tension and anxiety in the air so thick it was almost tangible.

'I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on,' said Professor McGonagall. 'It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?'

Gwen's head snapped up, her mouth dropping, and she caught Neville's eye, trying, pleading with him to see that it wasn't true. Poor Neville, he looked stunned and hurt, and Gwen couldn't even begin to think what it must have cost him to try and find them in the dark and warn them.

'I'm disgusted,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Four students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Everill, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All three of you will receive detentions — yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous — and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor.'

Gwen clapped her hand to her mouth.

'Fifty?' Harry gasped.

No.

'Fifty points each,' said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily. Gwen had never seen her so angry.

'Professor-- please--'

'You can't--'

'Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Mr Potter.' McGonagall fixed them all in a look with her black eyes. 'I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students. Back to bed. Now.'