- CHAPTER 17 -

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After dinner, the four sat down in the corner of the common room, nervous. Hermione and Lyla were rehearsing several spells that might come in handy that night, while Harry and Ron were thoughtful, barely uttering a word. When they finally made sure everyone was asleep, Hermione and Lyla slipped hand in hand down the stairs where they met the other two boys.
Unfortunately, in the common room they were not alone as they hoped, waiting for them was Trevor, the toad of Neville LongBottom, who kept making an absurd noise, it would surely wake everyone up.

"Trevor, Shh" Harry tried to silence him

"You shouldn't be here, you'll wake everyone up", Ron told him.

"Neither should you", said a thin voice coming from a corner of the room from which Neville came, the plan was getting better and better.
"You're sneaking out again, aren't you?"

"Oh, we're not going out. Listen, Neville, why don't you go to sleep?" proposed Hermione.

"Listen to me Neville is a very important and urgent thing, we h-have to..." Lyla had become friends with Neville during the year, she didn't want to put him in danger, but he was making things difficult, he wouldn't even let her finish talking.

"No, I won't let you, you'll let Gryffindor lose more points, I-I'll punch you", Neville said hesitantly raising his fists to her with all the courage he found, Lyla didn't question, he was serious, but they had to do something and quickly.

"Come on, Neville, don't be an idiot", Ron suddenly burst as he approached Neville.

Lyla tried to hold her best friend's hand but he took of her hand right away. "Ron please" Lyla pleaded.

"Don't call me an idiot, it was you who told me I had to learn to stand up to others", Neville hissed at him.

"Yes but not to us, come on Neville, you don't know what you're doing", Ron again teased him

"Then try to hit me!" Ron exclaimed very serious, with impassive look he came another step closer.
"Let's see if you can, hit me", he said

"Enough, stop it, both of you", exclaimed Lyla, standing between them.

Hermione had no choice
"Neville, I'm so sorry... Petrificus Totalus", Hermione said calmly, pointing her wand at the boy.
His body froze, he wobbled, and then fell with a great thud upward in front of the four looking at him.

"What have you done to him?" Harry whispered to her.

"It's a paralyzing spell, Neville, I'm so sorry", Hermione said then made her way out of the common room.

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