Hogwarts Hollows: Philosopher's Stone

The Midnight Duel

Y/N paced back and forth, occasionally wiping the sleep from his eyes. A cruel prank played by some Gryffindor boys had gone too far. He was hexed by those bumbling rats. Not a word he can say would remain as he planned to say it, preventing him from saying the correct answer to the riddle given by the portrait at Ravenclaw tower and now he is to remain there until someone finds him. He just hopes it wasn't Filch. Or worse still; a professor.

Primrose cooed from inside his robes, peeking out from his sleeve and checking the surroundings.

"Y-yeah, I k-know. B-bit d-drab, i-innit?" he cringed at himself, hearing the stuttering hex those Gryffindors put on him in full action

Prim made a grinding sound with her teeth and tilted her skull-like head as if to question why the hex hasn't gone away yet.

"I d-don't kn-know eithe-either, g-girl." There it was again, that foul stutter. It was as if he was freezing to death in the arctic. Maybe there would be a spell to reverse this, but even then, how would he cast it?

Y/N sighed as Prim fully came out of his robes and hung by her tail on his necklace, entering back into her chrysalid form.

Y/N looked around the hall extending both ways into an inky black darkness. What time is it? neither crickets nor birds could be heard chirping outside. The air was chilly, but the usual robes of a student were enough to stave off the cold.

This was painful. Waiting with nothing to entertain him, but counting the brinks with cracks on them. He'd lose his mind if he continued any further, so he stopped in his tracks and thought for a few moments. Y/N pondered his options. Sitting around and waiting for someone to stumble upon him didn't seem like a productive use of his time. Besides, he couldn't bear the thought of facing Filch or a professor in his current state. He needed to find a distraction, something to occupy his mind until he could figure out a solution to this hex.

Then it hit him, just like a bolt from the blue. "The library" He muttered softly to himself. He could sneak in and find a book to read. Perhaps studying spell dueling techniques would not only be informative but also help him feel more confident in his abilities. After all, he couldn't help but remember the incident with Neville and Malfoy. He could do nothing to help out his friend as they were in separate classes, but he'd feel much better if he can help him out when they're together.

With a goal set in mind, Y/N made his way down the hall quietly. Setting off down the route he'd usually take towards the library. It felt like the darkness oppressed him as he did, not even Peeves had made a peep on his journey, it was dreadfully uneventful. Soon enough he found himself standing before the massive oak doors of the Hogwarts library.

He slipped inside, the scent of old parchment and leather filling his nostrils. It was a comforting smell, one that made him feel at ease. Y/N made his way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts section, scanning the shelves for a suitable book on spell dueling.

Just as he was about to select a book, he heard voices coming from the other end of the aisle. Curiosity getting the better of him, he cautiously made his way towards the source of the noise. He made his way outside the library again and followed it to it's source.

"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you." a voice whisper-shouted.

Who was that?

Y/N had heard that awkward tone of voice before, yet he couldn't quite put a finger as to where he'd heard it. It wasn't filch, that was for sure, he can't even use magic. A professor perhaps? No, they talked as if they were a student. Slowly he crept up to the sound, clinging to the walls.