𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅, george weasley

chapter 12 - the sorceror's stone

After dinner, the four of them waited nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say any more. Hermione was skimming through her notes, hoping to come across something that will help. The rest of them didn't talk much, they were thinking about what they were about to do.

   People slowly left the common room, retiring to bed.

   "Better get the cloak." Ron muttered as Lee Jordan finally left. Harry ran to his room and a few seconds later came back with the cloak.

   "We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all four of us, it's best to—"

   "What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room.

   It was Neville. He appeared from behind an armchair, clad in his pajamas, and clutching Trevor tightly.

   "Nothing, Neville, nothing." said Harry hurriedly, hiding the Cloak behind his back.

   Neville didn't buy it. He stared at their guilty faces.

    "You're going out again, aren't you?"

   "No, no, no," said Ileana. "We're not, why don't you go back to bed Neville?"

   "You can't go," said Neville. "You'll get Gryffindor in trouble again."

   "Neville, you don't understand," Hermione said. "This is important."

   "I won't let you do it," he said, rushing over to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I-I'll, I'll fight you!"  

   "Neville, move!" Ron exploded.

   "No! 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," Ron said in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."

   "Go on then, try me!" said Neville, raising his fists and bouncing nervously.

   "Do something." Ileana whispered urgently to Hermione.

   "Neville, I'm very sorry." she said.

   Hermione raised her wand at him.

   "Petrificus Totalus!"

   Neville's arms stuck to his sides and his legs jumped together. His whole body went rigid, he swayed for a moment then he fell to his side, stiff as a board.

   "What did you do?" Harry whispered.

   "It's the full Body-Bind." Hermione said miserably. "Oh, I'm sorry Neville."

   "We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Harry.

   They each hopped over Neville's motionless body and ran out of the portrait hole. There was no one in sight until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.

   "Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed towards him. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"

   He rose up in the air and floated there, narrowing his wicked eyes.

   "Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."

   "Peeves," Harry started saying in a hoarse whisper. "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

   Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself and hovered over the steps.