Et Serpens album

Part 22

Hermione was sitting down in the room nervous to what happened Vivienne callaspsed . Neville and Ron came back down Neville in a white shirt and jeans and got back his original colour. 

Hermione rushed over "Neville are you ok," He nodded "I am fine,"

Ron and hermione knew that he was lying but decided not to press further. They decided since it was already 30 minutes that maybe Madam Pomprey would allow them to see Vivienne. They hurried along the halls to the hospital wing and walked in to see Vivienne laying on the bed asleep . The crowd around her noticed the intruders . Pomfrey snapped at them "What did I tell you she needs space, you should leave," 

Neville saw the Malfoys and two twin children he do not recognized glaring at him. Specifically the girl who looked like Vivienne glaring at him with stone gray eyes.

Professor McGonagall led the three out of the room and into the hall.

"You three certainly have a habit of middling in others business." she said. "Please we just want to know what happen to Vivienne," Ron and Hermione nods. The Transfiguration Professor sighed "You are right I owe you an answer, Vivienne has latent magic that has yet to manifest, and stress accelerate the process causing her body to be ill prepared for it," 

Neville brown eyes widen Vivienne will get even more powerful, she could probably take the out with a flick of her wand and now it will double. "Will she be ok," Neville asked still worried over Vivienne safety. "She will be, their is nothing to worry about,".

Neville huffed as he walked into the common room. The trio sat on the couches exhausted from this grulling evening. With is mind wiped from worry he remembers the Philosopher stone and Snape and turned to Hermione. 

"Hermione shouldn't you be tailing after Snape," Neville asked. The girls face went from relived to guilty. "I'm sorry, Harry!" she wailed. "Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went. "

Neville cursed under his breath "What will we do now,". Hermione and Ron both gulp their is only one option. "We know what we must do," Hermione uttered shakily. 

"That is mad," Ron said shocked and she covered her mouth not expecting than it to come out of her mouth. 

"But if we dont  and Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the house cup? If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, "  Neville said "Hermione you had no idea what it was like growing up in a war zone, many still had not came out of their fear and still not even leave their houses," 

 The agreed to do it to night. 

 After dinner the three of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Neville any more, after all. This was the first night he hadn't been upset by it. Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to try to break.

Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.

He pulled out the cloak and then his eyes fell on the flute Hagrid had given him for Christmas. He pocketed it to use on Fluffy, he didn't feel much like singing.

He ran back down to the common room.

They travel the halls huttled together.A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor , and the door was already ajar.

 Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them 
"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," Neville said.

"Don't be stupid," said Ron.

"We're coming," said Hermione.

Neville pushed the door open. He wouldnt lie he was scared any noise he hears will make him wet his pants but that look on Vivienne face told him how real this situation is, the fear in her eyes was ingraved into his skull.

As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.

"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.

"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must have left it there. "

"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," said Neville. "Well, here goes. "

He put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Neville hardly drew breath. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.

"Keep playing," Ron warned Nevillle as theycrept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they approached the giant heads. "I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"

"No, I don't!"

"All right. " Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.

"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.

"Nothing  just black there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop. "

Neville, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself.

"You want to go first? Are you sure?" said Ron. "I don't know how deep this thing goes. Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep. "

Neville handed the flute over. In the few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep.

Neville climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor. There was no sign of the bottom.

He lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. Then he looked up at Ron and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"

"Right," said Ron.

"See you in a minute, I hope. "

And Harry let go. Cold, damp air rushed past him as he fell down, down, down and --

FLUMP. With a funny, muffled sort of thump he landed on something soft. He sat up and felt around, his eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.

"It's okay!" he called up to the light the size of a postage stamp, which was the open trapdoor, "it's a soft landing, you can jump!"

Ron followed right away. He landed, sprawled next to Harry.

"What's this stuff?" were his first words.

"Dunno, some sort of plant thing. I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, Hermione!"

The distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione had already jumped. She landed on Harry's other side.

"We must be miles under the school," she said.

"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," said Ron.

"Lucky!" shrieked Hermione. "Look at you both!"

She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for Neville and Ron, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing.

Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as the two boys fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them.

Neville realized that this plants characteristics are familiar "It is devil sneer, stop moving or it will kill you,"

"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Ron, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck. "Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermione.

"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Ron gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare. . . what did Professor Sprout say? -- it likes the dark and the damp. "

"So light a fire!" Neville choked.

"Yes of course  but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.

 "What is your major malfunction, are you a witch or not," Neville said in disbelief.

"Oh, right!" said Hermione, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she had used on Snape at the plant. In a matter of seconds, the two boys felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.