Stars in Her Eyes {Wolfstar's Daughter}

Chapter 11: A Series of Traps

"Unlocked? What do you mean it's unlocked?"

"I mean the bolt! The bolt's unlocked!"

Nell and Hermione rushed forwards to join the boys. Just as they said, the bolt hung off the door unlocked, and the door itself was ever so slightly open. No one wanted to move or even breathe because surely if the door was open, the killer dog - that had previously tried to murder them - could be anywhere.

After taking several shaky breaths Nell took a step closer to the door, her hair fading whiter as she pushed against wood. The others watched in silence as she slowly creaked it open to reveal Fluffy, fast asleep on the floor.
Her hair melted back to its original colour in relief.

Hermione peered over Nell's shoulder and let out the breath she didn't realise she'd been holding in, "It's.. asleep?".

Harry joined the other two at the entrance, looking over Nell's other shoulder, "Wait a minute, is that music?"

The others soon noticed the gentle tune coming from within the room which they had previously been distracted from by their fear. As they ventured cautiously into the room they saw an enchanted harp playing in the corner and the trap door was hung open.

"Someone's been in here." Ron whispered softly, afraid to wake the dog.

Nell's eyes drifted back to the open trapped door which Fluffy was supposed to be guarding. "They must be going for the stone. We need to stop them."

The four of them surrounded the hole which emptied into darkness. Ron gulped at the sight, "You want us to go ... down there. As in into the dark hole which could have literally anything at the bottom?"

Hermione whacked him on the back of the head, "Shh Ron, of course we have to go in.". Nell nodded in agreement and the three turned to Harry. Although Harry wasn't listening, he was more preoccupied with the fact that the music had stopped, meaning...

A clear slimy substance slopped down onto Ron's shoulder, causing him to let out a frightened whine. All at once the four turned their heads up only to be faced with three other monstrous heads staring back at them.

Their collective screams filled the room as the dog began to snap its jaws, aiming for their heads. Harry and Nell locked eyes and as if reading each other's minds shoved Ron and Hermione into the hole before jumping down themselves.

For a moment they fell freely through the darkness until they landed on a thankfully squishy surface. Ron's voice broke the silence of the dark room, "Bloody hell! Thank godric for this plant being here."

As if they'd gone mental, the four of them began to laugh uncontrollably, Nell was first and the others joined in quickly after. Perhaps it was shock of almost dying, or the adrenaline rush. Regardless of what brought it on, they simply couldn't stop, that was until a vine curled itself around Nell's neck.

She let out a sharp gasp but before the others could go to help her more vines began to emerge and wrap themselves around their limbs, dragging all four of them into the plant.

Ron continued to scream but Nell and Harry quickly calmed down after Hermione assured them it it was only devils snare and that if they stayed still it would let them go. "Ron relax! It won't let you go unless you calm down," were her last words before she was submerged completely into the vines.

"Oh merlin! It's got Hermione!"

"Ron relax!" The other two said before they followed Hermione into the plant.