Every time they passed the third-floor corridor, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside.
Snape was sweeping about in his usual bad temper, which surely meant that the Stone was still safe. Whenever Harry passed Quirrell these days he gave him an encouraging sort of smile, and Ron had started telling people off for laughing at Quirrell's stutter.
Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Sorcerer's Stone. She had started drawing up study schedules and colorcoding all her notes. Harry and Ron wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same.
"Hermione, the exams are ages away."
"Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."
"That's like 70 days." I reminded her.
"And we're not six hundred years old," Ron added. "Anyway, what are you studying for, you already know it all."
"What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's gotten into me...."
Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones. It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements. Moaning and yawning, Harry and Ron spent most of their free time in the library with her, trying to get through all their extra work.
As the weeks go by, I studied my head off, practicing Quidditch, and somehow, Harry, Hermione, and Neville made Gryffindor lose 150 points overnight.
From being one of the most popular to the most hated, Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs turned on him because they wanted Slytherins to lose for the first time in 7 years while the Slytherins were cheering.
Only Ron and I stood up for the three of them.
Even at Quidditch, everyone gave Harry the cold shoulder and only refered to him as "the Seeker". Finally, I snapped.
"HEY! YOU GUYS ARE ACTING LIKE SUCH LOSERS, JUST BECAUSE WE LOST 150 POINTS DOESN'T MEAN THAT SLYTHERINS WILL WIN! AS LONG AS WE PERSEVERE, WE'LL ALWAYS WIN!!!"
Everyone in the Great Hall stared at me.
"WHAT? JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE LOST 150 POINTS DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN ACT LIKE A BULLY. IF YOU KEEP ACTING LIKE THIS, THEN ALL OF YOU HAVE NO DIFFERENT FROM SLYTHERINS."
"Oh, and Slytherins. Don't get down on your knees and cry when you lose." I walked away before they could do anything.
From that day forward, others starts treating Harry, Hermione, and Neville like they used to while the Slytherins Sneered.
One night, I saw Hermione, Ron, and Harry whispering something while looking around. I heard them say something about the Sorcerer's Stone and about someone stealing it. As Ron was saying something...
"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.
"Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back.
Neville stared at their guilty faces.
"You're going out again," he said.
"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"
Harry looked at the grandfather clock by the door. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.
"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."
"You don't understand," said Harry, "this is important."
But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.
I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll -- I'll fight you!"
"Neville, "Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot --"
"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"
"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."
He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.
"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"
Harry turned to Hermione.
"Do something," he said desperately.
Hermione stepped forward.
"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."
She raised her wand.
"Petrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing it at Neville.
Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.
YOU ARE READING
Rowan Haywood
FanficNEXT BOOK IS OUT IN 1/15/2021(sry, I need more time) Rowan Haywood is a 1st year student at Hogwarts with Harry Potter, she are a animagus who is also lesbian. She's named after her mother's late best-friend, Rowan Khanna(female). She is also the mo...
