Charmolypi

Chapter 69

Harry and Ron opened the door of the bathroom carefully, checked that the coast was clear, and set off. "Don't swing your arms like that," Harry muttered to Ron.

"Eh?"

"Crabbe holds them sort of stiff. . . ."

"How's this?"

"Yeah, that's better. . . ."

They went down the marble staircase. All they needed now was a Slytherin that they could follow to the Slytherin common room, but there was nobody around.

"Any ideas?" muttered Harry.

"The Slytherins always come up to breakfast from over there," said Ron, nodding at the entrance to the dungeons. The words had barely left his mouth when a girl with long, curly hair emerged from the entrance. "Excuse me," said Ron, hurrying up to her. "We've forgotten the way to our common room."

"I beg your pardon?" said the girl stiffly. "Our common room? I'm a Ravenclaw." She walked away, looking suspiciously back at them. Harry and Ron hurried down the stone steps into the darkness, their footsteps echoing particularly loudly as Crabbe's and Goyle's huge feet hit the floor, feeling that this wasn't going to be as easy as they had hoped. They walked aimlessly down the labyrinthine passages that were completely deserted, until they heard movement ahead of them.

The Slytherins snickered at the two boys.

"They're never going to find our common room!"

"They're going to run out of time and get caught."

"Ha!" said Ron excitedly. "There's one of them now!" The figure was emerging from a side room. As they hurried nearer, however, their hearts sank. It wasn't a Slytherin, it was Percy, Ron's older brother.

"What're you doing down here?" said Ron in surprise.

Percy looked affronted. "That," he said stiffly, "is none of your business. It's Crabbe, isn't it?"

"Wh — oh, yeah," said Ron.

"He's such an idiot!" the Prewett twins said together as theysmacked their foreheads.

"Well, get off to your dormitories," said Percy sternly. "It's not safe to go wandering around dark corridors these days."

"You are," Ron pointed out.

"I," said Percy, drawing himself up, "am a prefect. Nothing's about to attack me."

"Percy, darling, I don't think that's how it works..." Molly said worriedly.

A voice suddenly echoed behind Harry and Ron. Draco Malfoy was strolling toward them, and for the first time in his life, Harry was pleased to see him. "There you are," he drawled, looking at them. "Have you two been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time? I've been looking for you; I want to show you something really funny." Draco glanced witheringly at Percy. "And what're you doing down here, Weasley?" he sneered.

"You want to show a bit more respect to a school prefect!" he said. "I don't like your attitude!"

Draco just sneered at the older boy and motioned for Harry and Ron to follow him. Harry was about to go say something apologetic to the older boy but quickly stopped himself, remembering that he wasn't Harry in that moment.

James sighed in disappointment as Sirius and Remus shook their heads. Peter was laughing quietly at the predicament that these kids had gotten into.

"That Peter Weasley —" Draco started.

"Percy," Ron corrected him automatically.

"Whatever," said Malfoy. "I've noticed him sneaking around a lot lately. And I bet I know what he's up to. He thinks he's going to catch Slytherin's heir single-handed." He gave a short, derisive laugh. Harry and Ron exchanged excited looks. Draco paused by a stretch of bare, damp stone wall. "What's the new password again?" he said to Harry.