𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑊𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠

𝘛𝘸𝘰

𝐀s soon as Potter finished his letter, he immediately ran to the common room. "Alea iacta est," he said to the Fat Lady. The portrait swung open and Harry scrambled inside to his dorm. He checked the room to see if anyone was inside before carefully opening the wooden box. He pulled the letter from potions class and slipped it into the case. As per his routine, he sealed the box with the tip of his wand.

"Perfect," he whispered and ran back out to the great hall. The moment he shut the door, something, or rather someone, shifted under a heap of blankets.

"Harry is that you, mate?" A certain ginger lifted his head from under the cover groggily. However, his best friend was nowhere to be found. Instead, he saw the same wooden box that Harry used every night. "You wretched box," he cursed under his breath.

Ron got out from his bed to Potter's desk and glared at the wood. He picked it up and examined it. "How did a stupid thing like you become the cause of my insomnia?" What should he do with it? Then it hit him. No box equals sleep. Sleep that he hasn't been getting ever since fifth year started. Chuckling to himself, he hid the box in his cape and walked out.

  
"Psst."

Hermione's finger twitched at the sound. Ever since Care of Magical Creatures started, she kept hearing the buzzing noise from behind her, causing the witch unable to concentrate on Hagrid's lessons.

"Who-"

She turned around to see Ron gesturing her over. Granger rolled her eyes and walked over. "What do you want?"

"Look what I took," he whispered. Ron glanced around before pulling out the cause of his lack of sleep. Hermione raised her eyebrow.

"And what's that supposed to be?"

"Don't you get it, Hermione?" Ron whisper-shouted. "It's the bloody box where Harry puts his letters in!"

The girl gasped and frantically covered the object. Hermione glanced around to make sure no one was looking and made eye contact with a girl she's never seen before. Thankfully, her tie wasn't gold and red.

"How did you get this?" She asked Ron.

He smirked proudly with his nose up in the air. "Harry left it on his desk and I took it."

"Took what?" A voice behind them asked.

The duo jumped and whirled around. It was Harry Potter. He seemed curious and unaware of the contents in Ron's hand. The ginger's hands went clammy and looked at Hermione for an excuse.

"Oh you know," Hermione bluffed, "the Draught of Peace you made from Snape's class." She pointed at he and Ron's eye bags. "Since you two aren't getting much sleep and all, the potion would ease Ron's nerves and yours if you need it."

Harry nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. Why didn't you tell me you wanted some?" he asked Ron. "I would've given you a vial."

"You left immediately when class was over, remember?" Hermione said. Ron backed her up gratefully.

"Yeah. Not much time to ask you."

"Oh." Harry sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that."

"No problem mate." Ron reassured him. "At least I got it in the end."

"We should get started with our project now you two." Hermione reminded them hastily. Talking too much would increase Harry's skepticism. She walked up to the branch of bowtruckles. The green, stick-like figures munched on insects and crawling around.

Carefully, she picked up the creature and held it out to the boys. "Anyone have a tree?"

.