The Lost Potter-Draco Malfoy

Chapter 16 (Year 3)

Charlotte walked down from the owlery with Peter on her shoulder. She had just sent James a letter with the fastest owl she could find. The steps were steep. She was holding onto the railing as hard as she could. Charlotte never liked these stairs. She had fallen twice before, and with Peter now on her shoulder, she didn't want to risk hurting him.

She didn't notice Draco coming up the stairs. She was so focused on not falling that she never saw him, and Draco was reading the letter that he was sending to his father. Draco looked up just as they collided with each other. Draco grabbed onto the railing to not fall back, but his other hand went to Charlotte's lower back, trying to stop her fall, but also slipping and ending up falling on top of her. Charlotte's back dug into the steps, along with the weight of Draco, wasn't helping. Peter flew back and landed next to Charlotte's head.

Charlotte groaned as she opened her eyes that she had shut when she had fallen. Draco was glaring down at her.

"Are you okay? Why were you not watching where you were going?" He yelled, still not noticing Peter, who was getting annoyed that they still hadn't gotten up.

"I'm fine. I was trying not to fall, but that didn't work." Draco rolled his eyes as he stood up and helped Charlotte up. She rubbed her back, before noticing Draco rubbing his arm.

"Is your arm okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, next time pay more attention." Charlotte rolled her eyes as she picked up Peter and put him back on her shoulder.

"I'll see you later, Malfoy." She said as she walked down.

"Try not to fall the rest of the way down!" Draco yelled as he watched her walk down.

"Oh, shut up!" He smiled as he ran up the steps the rest of the way, and managed to get to the balcony, where he watched her walk into the dark forest, thinking that she was probably going to meet Peter before he sent his letter and walked back down.

---

Charlotte and Peter watched from a distance as Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked out of Hagrid's hut from the back door and hid by the pumpkins.

"We have to make them run over here or they will just go back inside," Charlotte whispered to Peter.

"I have an idea. I'll lure them in, but you go hide in the shrieking shack first. We shouldn't let them know you're with me just yet." Peter agreed, and Charlotte stood up. Peter transformed back into a rat and tapped on the root of the whomping willow. Charlotte slid under the tree hole and down into the hallway.

She eventually found the door and opened it. There was an old bed in the corner, along with a table. She set down her wand and sat down on one of the old chairs. She was scared it was going to break, but it didn't.

Twenty minutes later, she heard someone screaming, and the sound of someone being dragged. A big black dog was dragging Ron into the shack by the foot.

"Sirius!" Charlotte shouted as Sirius let Ron go. She could see Peter hiding in Ron's shirt. Sirius looked confused as to why Charlotte was in here, while she ran up to Ron and helped him onto the bed. She held out her hand, and Peter jumped onto it and up to her shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Sirius asked, after transforming back into himself. Peter hid behind Charlotte's hair.

"We will explain in a second," Charlotte smirked; Sirius looked confused.

"Who is we?" He asked.

"Do either one of you care for my broken leg?" Ron shouted. Forget.

"Shut up Ron!" The two of them shouted, Ron glared at them.

"Who is we?" Sirius yelled again. Charlotte picked up her wand from the table, worried Sirius would strike. Charlotte knew she was no match for Sirius, but she knew Peter didn't have a wand, and it was better than nothing.

---

Harry and Hermione were still trying to fight the whomping willow and try to get Ron, as James walked out of the forest. He couldn't get in contact with Dumbledore and had decided to just show up on the Hogwarts grounds after he had received Charlotte's letter when he spotted Hermione and Harry by the Whomping Willow.

"What are you two doing? Get away from there!" He shouted as he ran up to them.

"Dad, Ron got attacked by a big black dog. I think it was Sirius! I don't know why he's here or what's going on!" Harry yelled.

"Why would Sirius attack Ron?" James asked,

"I don't know! Ron screamed that a rat had gone inside his shirt, and that's when Sirius came running at him. We tried to grab him, but it was no use! He fell inside that hole!" Harry pointed at the hole under whomping willow.

"A rat? Are you sure it was a rat?" James asked Hermione, nodded.

"Yes! It was a rat, I saw it." Hermione said,

"We both saw it!"

"Okay, you two go get Dumbledore, I'll go get Ron," James told them. They both shook their heads immediately.

"No way, dad, Ron is all alone down there, I'm not leaving him."

"Harry, if you're saying that there is a rat down there, then you can't go down."

"I will go down. Even if you try to stop me, I will go down," Harry said, determinedly. James huffed. He can't blame Harry for being stubborn. He did get it from him.

"You can't."

"I will."

"No,"

"Yes,"

"No,"

"Yes,"

"Fine! Stay close. Pettigrew doesn't have a wand right now. That's the only reason that you can go. And if your mother asks, you didn't go, got that?"

"I knew you were scared of her," Harry smirked. James glared at him.

"I am not!"

"Keep telling yourself that, dad, and then you will believe it!"

"Okay, we don't have time for this. Let's go," Hermione shouted. James and Harry nodded. James took out his wand and levitated a small twig to float to the bottom of the tree. The tree froze and James ushered the kids to follow him.

He let them go first before he slid down the hole, finding it to be much smaller than it was when he was a kid.

"You two alright?" He asked, after he got out, and stood up. They nodded.

"Lumos," James muttered. The tip of his wand lit up, and the three of them started walking down the hallway.

"Dad, what is this?" Harry asked,

"It's the hallways connected to the shrieking shack."

"The shrieking shacks! That place is haunted!" Hermione whisper-yelled. James didn't answer her as they got to the door.

"Stay behind me," he told them. They both nodded as he opened the door.