star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER FIVE

After class, Harry had found Ron and Arabella and told them everything that had happened.

"Seeker? But first years never make the House teams," Ron said. "You must be the youngest Quidditch player in-"

"A century," Harry finished. "According to McGonagall."

"Hey, well done, Harry," said Fred, him and George catching up to the trio in the corridor. "Wood's just told us."

"Fred and George are on the team, too," Ron informed Harry. "Beaters."

"Our job is to make sure you don't get bloodied up too bad," George said. "Can't make any promises, of course. Rough game, Quidditch."

"Brutal," Fred agreed. "But no one's died in years. Someone will vanish occasionally."

"But they'll turn up in a month or two."

"Oh, go on, Harry. Quidditch is great," Ron said once Fred and George had separated from them, seeing Harry's look of worry. "Best game there is, and you'll be great, too."

"And besides, Fred and George mess around a lot, so I'd take their word with a grain of salt," Arabella added.

"But I've never even played Quidditch! What if I make a fool of myself?" Harry asked.

"You won't make a fool of yourself," Hermione butt in, catching up to them. "It's in your blood."

Having no idea what she was talking about, the three of them let her lead them to one of many trophy cases throughout the school. When they got there, she pointed at one of the plaques, which said SEEKER, JAMES POTTER, 1972.

"Woah. Harry, you never told us your father was a Seeker, too!" Ron said.

"I didn't know," said Harry.

Later, while the four were making their way to the Gryffindor common room, Ron was attempting to speak with Harry without Hermione hearing.

"I'm telling you, it's spooky. She knows more about you than you do," he said.

"Who doesn't?" said Harry.

Then, they were all startled when the staircase they were climbing began to move underneath them.

"What's happening?" asked Harry.

"The staircases change, remember?" Hermione reminded them.

When the staircase connected with a new landing, they quickly made their way to it. "Let's go this way," Harry said.

"Before the staircase moves again," Ron added.

"But, guys, the-" Arabella tried, knowing if they continued the way they were going, they wouldn't be going to the common room. But no one was paying attention to her, so she gave up. "Oh, all right."

They walked through the door in front of them to a dark and abandoned-looking corridor.

"Does anybody feel like we shouldn't be here?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"We're not supposed to be here," Hermione said. "This is the third floor. It's forbidden."

"She's right," Arabella agreed. "This corridor definitely hasn't been used in a long time," she said, eyeing the cobwebs and dust everywhere.

Just then, a torch next to them burst into flame and they heard a meow from behind them. They turned and saw the school caretaker, Mr. Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. Knowing that if the cat was there, the grumpy old man was close behind, the four of them ran in the opposite direction, towards a door on the other end of the corridor. As they ran, the torches next to them burned.

Harry tried the door. "It's locked!" he exclaimed.

"That's it. We're done for," Ron said.

"Oh, move over!" said Hermione, pushing her way to the door. She took out her wand, muttered "Alohomora," and tried the door again. This time it opened, and the four of them rushed through and closed the door behind them.

"I could've done that," Arabella muttered, and Ron heard.

"Alohomora? You could've done Alohomora?"

"Yes, Ron, I could have. And maybe, if you picked up your books once in a while, you could, too."

"Oh, I'd like to see you try."

"Shut up!" Hermione whispered harshly, quieting them both. They listened and heard Filch talk to his cat before leaving the corridor. "Filch is gone."

"He thinks this door's locked."

"It was locked."

"And for good reason," Harry added. The three of them followed his gaze to something that made them freeze in their tracks.

In front of them was a giant dog, so big it filled the room, with two extra heads. It had been sleeping, but at the sound of their voices, it awakened, growling. The four children screamed and ran out of the room, having to struggle against the dog to shut and latch the door behind them.

"What are they doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" Ron asked as they finally entered the Gryffindor common room.

"You don't use your eyes, do you? Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Hermione asked.

"I wasn't looking at it's feet! I was a bit preoccupied with it's heads! Or maybe you didn't notice. There were three!"

"It was standing on a trapdoor, which means it wasn't there by accident."

"Of course it wasn't there by accident, you think a thing like that could sneak into the school unnoticed?" said Arabella.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "The point is, it's guarding something."

"Guarding something?" Harry asked.

"That's right. Now, if you three don't mind, I'm going to bed before any of you come up with another clever idea to get us killed, or worse, expelled." With that, she entered the girls' dormitory, leaving the three of them alone.

"She needs to sort out her priorities," Ron said.

Arabella rolled her eyes, sighed, and said, "Goodnight, boys. Please do not break any more rules, it would be really sad to see you go within our first week."

[word count: 945]
[written: 4/15/20]
[published: 5/9/20]