Don't Act Like You Know Me

Year 1 - Friendship and Bravery

Hermione ran into the castle and up the stairs to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room. "Caput Draconus," Hermione said to get into her house's dormitory. The Fat Lady painting swung open and Hermione snuck inside. The common room was dark and it seemed that most nobody was awake. Hermione saw Harry and Ron. 

"Where have you been? You just about missed it!" Ron whispered.

"Nevermind where I was. Let's go," Hermione whispered back. They moved towards the exit when they heard croaking. 

"Trevor," Harry said as he gestured to the floor. Neville's toad was sitting ambiently, croaking. 

"Trevor! Go, you shouldn't be here!" Ron said.

"Neither should you," a voice said. The trio turned around to see Neville sitting in a chair across the common room. "You're sneaking out again, arent you?"

"Now, Neville, listen. We were-" Harry got cut off.

"No! I won't let you!" Neville stood up from his chair. "You'll get Gryffindor in trouble again! I-I'll fight you!" Neville held up his fists.

"Neville, I'm really, really sorry about this," Hermione took out her wand. "Petrificus Totalus." At that moment, Neville's limbs along with his whole body started to freeze over. He wavered and fell on his back, frozen.

"You're a little scary sometimes... you know that? Brilliant, but scary," Ron gulped.

"Let's go. Sorry," Harry looked down at Neville.

"Sorry," Hermione said.

"It's for your own good, you know," Ron added. The trio snuck out the door and tiptoed down the stairs under the invisibility cloak. 

Hermione felt a sharp pain as they surfaced the third corridor. "Ow! You stood on my foot!"

"Sorry," Ron muttered. The trio approached the door which encased Fluffy. Hermione drew her wand and pointed it at the lock.

"Alohomora." The door creaked open and the trio entered the room. When they entered, they saw the mass that was Fluffy breathing slowly with it's eyes closed.

"Wait a minute, he's-" Ron paused. "Sleeping."

"Snape's already been here. He's put a spell on the harp!" Harry said. The three slowly crept up to the sleeping Fluffy.

"Uh. It's got horrible breath!" Ron whispered.

"We have to move its paw," Harry said.

"What?!"

"Come on!" Harry grabbed the paw and Hermione and Ron followed. "Okay, push!" The trio pushed Fluffy's paw away from the trap door. The door creaked open as they pushed it open. "I'll go first. Don't follow until I give you a sign. If something bad happens, get yourselves out." Harry paused. "Does it seem a bit... quiet?"

The harp had stopped playing. The three-headed dog was now awake and snarling. The trio plummeted through the trap door before becoming dog food. They dropped into a pit of writhing vines. Ron and Harry were thrashing violently, but Hermione remained calm and slipped right through. She explained to them what to do, and soon the other two dropped through the Devil's Snare into the dark hallway below. 

As they advanced further, the trio found themselves in a room full of flying keys, one of which unlocked the door on the other side of the room. Harry hopped on a broom to catch the correct key, and they unlocked the door. In the next room, there was a gigantic life-sized set of Wizard Chess. The trio figured out that they had to be the ones to play as the chess pieces. Ron, knew that one of them had to be sacrificed so they could capture the other side's King and win. He was going to volunteer himself.