Can A Phoenix Love A Lion? (Hermione Granger x Male Reader)

15. The Headmaster's Office

Next to Justin's frozen body was another figure, the strangest sight Y/N had ever seen. It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off, and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's.

Y/N forced Harry to stand. He looked around, panicked. The only thing he saw apart from them was a line of spiders fleeing outside by the window. It didn't help him to understand more the situation, and he didn't like that sensation. He didn't like feeling his heart beating against his chest so fast it seemed a drum was in the corridor. He had to run, run away as fast as he could and do as Hermione had told him. Keeping a low profile.

As he stood there with Harry, his arms and legs tensed, Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out. "Why, it's potty wee Potter and L/N! What are they up to? Why are they lurking—"

Peeves stopped, halfway through a mid-air somersault. Upside down, he spotted Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up and filled his lungs.

"Wait, Peeves, it's not us—" Y/N began, even more panicked than before.

But Peeves didn't listen to him and screamed, "ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!"

Y/N looked all the way around him, his heart beating wildly. Crash—crash—crash—door after door flew open along the corridor, and people flooded out. For several long minutes, the confusion was such that Justin almost got squashed, and people ran through Nearly Headless Nick. Y/N was pushed away from Harry and finished on the ground next to Justin. Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her class, and flicked her wand to set off a loud bang which restored silence. She ordered everyone back into their classes. No sooner had the scene cleared than Ernie arrived with his two Hufflepuff friends.

"Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled. He was livid yet seemed most pleased by what was happening.

"That will do, Macmillan!" Professor McGonagall said sharply.

Peeves was bobbing overhead, grinning wickedly, humming.

"That's enough, Peeves!" Professor McGonagall barked, and Peeves fled, sticking his tongue out at Y/N and Harry.

Justin was transported by Professor Flitwick to the infirmary, and Ernie was instructed to push, with a fan Professor McGonagall had created, Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs. This left Y/N and Harry and Professor McGonagall alone.

"This way, Potter, L/N," she said.

"Professor," Harry said at once, "I swear Y/N and I didn't—"

"This is out of my hands, Potter," Professor McGonagall said curtly.

They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle.

"Lemon drop!" she said.

The gargoyle began to turn on itself and moving upward, revealing a spiral staircase. It was hard not to be amazed. Y/N and Harry climbed the first steps, then rose smoothly upward in circles. When the staircase stopped, they were standing in front of a gleaming oak door with a brass knocker in the shape of a gryphon. It could be nothing but Dumbledore's office.

"Now we know we screwed up," Y/N said.

Inside, it was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat: the Sorting Hat.