LINKED

chapter 9

"I still can't believe we got detention" said Harry. "I'm sorry, Draco."

So much for seeking answers and dragons. After Filch caught them red handed last night, no where to run or hide. He took them to Professor McGonagall's study in the middle of the night with a wicked grin on his face, exposing his dirty rotten teeth. Professor McGonagall, like everybody else didn't liked the idea of being woken up in the middle of the night especially not by students roaming around after curfew. She didn't even ask why they were there just straight up detention and fifty points from each of them. Not just any detention, detention in the Forbidden forest, where students weren't allowed. Seriously what's up with this school, first a death warning and a Greek monster and now sending students to a place that will haunt them forever. It could have been worse if she had known about the dragon. Which was why the were up at eleven heading towards the forbidden forest to meet up with Filch.

Draco sighed, this was the hundredth time Harry had apologized and it was getting on his nerves.

"Harry, if you apologize one more time I swear to Merlin," warned Draco. "I will not be responsible for my actions."

"But how could I have been so stupid forgetting the invisibility cloak and I even got you in trouble which I'm-"

Draco shot Harry a warning look. Harry let out a nervous laugh before shutting his mouth.

'At least, I got my cloak back' thought Harry. Hagrid had been so kind to give him the clock back the next morning wrapped in a brown bag, he said, that was the least he could do in return for Norbert.

They met Filch near the entrance hall with Neville and Hermione Granger standing next to him. What could they possibly done to end up in detention. Draco glance at him and seem to wonder the same thing.

Filch lit up a lamp and asked them to follow him outside.

"Bet you'll think twice before breaking the rule now" he said sneering at them. "It's a pity they don't give the old punishments anymore, hang you from the ceiling by the wrists. I still have the chains... want to see them." Filch laughed at his own jokes.

Draco snarled at Filch with disgust written all over his face. Hermione seemed to be in shock, probably because she hadn't read that in Hogwarts, a history. Neville was on the verge of crying. Harry patted him on the shoulder and gave him a courageous smile but that did nothing to cheer up the boy's mood.

Even the weather wasn't doing them any favors, the moon hiding behind a thick blanket of clouds, leaving them in darkness. A distant light shined near the edge of the forest, moving towards them.

"Is that yer, Filch?" shouted Hagrid.

Filch waved his lamp in return not wanting to raise his voice, he murmured under his breath about how Hagrid was an idiot.

Harry sighed in relief, detention with Hagrid didn't sound so bad.

"Stupid boy, if you think detention would be better with that oaf, your dead wrong," said Filch. " I'll be surprised if you survived the forest with him in charge."

Neville stopped dead in his tracks and turned around ready to run for his life, but before he could do so Filch grabbed his arm yanked him back.

"There is no running away boy, you should have thought twice before breaking the rules" said Filch, still holding Neville's arm.

Harry moved closer to Draco, as if they weren't close enough already. Finally, Hagrid came into view followed by Fang who immediately ran up to Draco and licked his face. Hagrid put the two spare lamps he was carrying on the ground and adjusted his bow and arrows.