Harry Potter: The Forgotten Chronicles-Book 1

Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

The castle was eerily silent as the night pressed in around them, the shadows stretching long and deep across the stone corridors. The Gryffindor common room was bathed in darkness, save for the flickering light from the dying embers in the fireplace. The oppressive silence was only broken by the faint creak of two doors slowly easing open.

Hermione slipped out from behind one, her footsteps so light they barely made a sound on the worn floor. Across the room, Harry and Ron emerged from the other door, exchanging a quick, nervous glance as they crept forward. The tension between them was palpable, each of them acutely aware of the risk they were taking.

Suddenly—CROAK!—a loud, guttural noise cut through the silence like a knife. They froze, hearts pounding in their chests as they whipped around to find the source of the sound. For a moment, they stood there, breathless and tense, before they spotted the small, familiar shape on the floor.

Trevor, Neville's toad, blinked up at them with wide, unblinking eyes. CROAK! The sound seemed to echo in the stillness, and Harry let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Trevor, you shouldn't be here!" Harry hissed, his voice a harsh whisper that carried his frustration and relief.

"And neither should you," came a stern voice from the shadows. The three of them spun around, only to see Neville emerging from behind a large armchair, his face set in a determined frown.

Neville crossed his arms over his chest, looking every bit the reluctant hero. "You're sneaking out again, aren't you? I won't let you! You'll get Gryffindor in trouble again!"

"Neville, this is really, really important!" Hermione pleaded, her eyes wide with urgency. But Neville wasn't budging. His round face hardened with resolve as he stepped in front of the portrait hole, blocking their exit.

"I'll fight you," Neville declared, his voice trembling slightly but his fists raised in what he probably thought was a brave stance. "Come on, I'm ready!"

The sight was almost comical—Neville, with his fists awkwardly raised, looking like he was about to topple over from his own bravado. But there was no time for laughter, and the situation was far too serious.

"Neville, I'm really sorry about this," Hermione said softly, pulling out her wand with a sad resolve in her eyes. "Petrificus Totalus."

The spell hit Neville before he could even react. His arms snapped to his sides, his legs stuck together like a wooden plank. He teetered for a moment, eyes wide with shock, before toppling over with a soft thud, landing stiffly on the floor. His eyes blinked up at them, still wide with shock and confusion.

Ron let out a low whistle. "You're a bit scary, you know that? Brilliant, but scary."

Hermione allowed herself a small, fleeting smile at Ron's comment, but the gravity of the situation quickly pulled her back to the task at hand. Just then, the portrait door swung open, causing the trio to freeze, their hearts leaping into their throats.

"Honestly...what is taking so long?" Evelyn's voice hissed as she slipped into the common room. Her eyes were narrowed with impatience, her hair slightly disheveled from her own covert journey. "Coming up from the Slytherin common room was a nightmare. I almost got caught twice, and I've been waiting on the third floor for—what did you do to him?!"

Evelyn's voice shot up an octave as she spotted Neville, stiff as a board, lying helpless on the ground.

"He wasn't letting us go, so we had to do something," Ron explained quickly, his voice a mix of guilt and urgency. Hermione shot him a quick, apologetic look before turning back to Evelyn.