The Art of Deception

Chapter 15

Aurelia, Daphne, and Theodore were walking through the corridors of Hogwarts, well past curfew, when they spotted a familiar figure sneaking along in the shadows. It was Draco Malfoy, his pale face barely visible as he crept through the hall. With a shared glance, the three of them silently followed, curiosity piqued.

They followed Malfoy all the way to Hagrid's hut, where he stopped and quickly disappeared inside. Aurelia exchanged a knowing look with the others before she quietly pushed open the door. Inside, they found Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid, the latter looking more than a little stressed.

"Guys," Aurelia said, her voice low but amused, "Malfoy was following you."

Hermione, ever the quick thinker, nodded without hesitation. "We know. We saw him too," she said.

Hagrid, who had been pacing around, sighed heavily. "I'm gonna get in trouble, I can feel it. So many students out past curfew," he muttered, looking like he was already preparing for a lecture from Professor McGonagall.

At that moment, a small squeak echoed from the corner of the room, and Aurelia turned in surprise. In the dim light of the hut, she saw a tiny creature wriggling—Hagrid's latest surprise: Norbert, his baby dragon. Aurelia's eyes lit up as she rushed over, her usual exuberance taking over.

"Such a cute little boy!" she cooed, kneeling down to pet the tiny dragon gently. "Look at you! You're so sweet!"

Daphne stood by the door, arms crossed, eyeing the scene with skepticism. "You can't possibly be serious," she muttered, watching Aurelia fawn over the dragon.

Theo, as expected, followed Aurelia with a resigned look on his face. "Aurelia, no, you can't steal him," he said with a knowing shake of his head.

Aurelia let out an exaggerated sigh, dramatically rolling her eyes. "You are so mean, Theo!" she huffed but didn't stop petting Norbert for a moment. "He's just so cute, though!" she protested.

After a moment of indulgence, she finally straightened up, giving the baby dragon one last affectionate pat. "Alright, fine, I'll leave him here," she said with a dramatic pout, reluctantly stepping away from Norbert.

Turning to the Golden Trio, she smiled. "Let's hurry back before Draco snitches on us."

"Yeah, we don't want another round with Filch," Ron added, looking over his shoulder nervously.

Saying their goodbyes to Hagrid, they made their way back toward the castle, Aurelia, Daphne, and Theo leading the way.

The group stopped dead in their tracks as the stern voice of Professor McGonagall rang out through the dark corridor.

"Good evening," she said, her tone icy as she appeared in her nightgown, looking every bit the formidable professor.

Malfoy, who had been lingering just behind McGonagall, stepped forward with a smug look on his face, clearly pleased with himself.

Inside McGonagall's classroom, the six students stood in front of her desk, with Draco still a few feet away, his expression one of quiet triumph.

McGonagall's gaze swept over each of them before she spoke, her voice firm and unwavering. "Nothing, I repeat, nothing gives a student the right to walk about the school at night. Therefore, as punishment for your actions, 50 points will be taken."

"50?!" Harry exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Aurelia, arms crossed, shot Draco a dark glare, her posture tense with frustration. Theodore remained nonchalant as always, leaning casually against a desk while Daphne stood slightly apart, her worry about her parents clearly showing on her face.