The Black House Heiress (Book 1)

Chapter 11: The Forbidden Forest

"Don't be surprised if you find something in your precious supplies closet." hissed Rhea at Filch as he took them down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor.

Rhea dropped on one of the couch getting comfy while they waited for the Professor. Harry and Hermione hadn't said a word since Filch caught them. Hermione was trembeling, and Harry seemed to be too lost in thought to talk. Rhea hated seeing her friends like that; she was already used to getting in trouble, and this wasn't her first time in Minnie's office. However, her friends were not. They never were sent to their head of house office. Everything just got worse when Professor McGonagall appeared with Neville.

"Rhee! Harry!" Neville burst out, the moment he saw them. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag-"

Rhea placed a finger over her lips, telling the boy to be quite. Harry shook his head violently, and that caught Professor McGonagall's attention. Rhea saw the face of Minnie morph to the most deathly scowl she had ever seen on her.

"I would never have belived it of any of you - well except for you Ms Black-" Rhea faked being offended. "Mr Filch said you were up in the Astronomy Tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."

"I wanted to help Hermione and Harry with their Astronomy homework." Rhea lied through her teeth with a nonchalant tone.

"At one in the morning on a Sunday?" asked McGonagall sternly.

"There's no classes tomorrow, and the stars are better watched late at night." argued Rhea.

"Even when you know the Astronomy Tower is out of limits for students unless they have a class there?"

"It has the best view." Rhea grinned, but Professor McGonagall only seemed to grow more and more irritated at the way Rhea was lying to her with a straight face.

Harry was just staring at her wide eyed while Hermione was deathly silent as she kept looking at her slippers.

"Enough Miss Black. " snapped McGonagall. "I think I've a good idea of what's been going on." Professor McGonagall was looking at the three of them, Neville still beside her. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. This is one of your pranks isn't it Miss Black? You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. But, I suppose you weren't counting on that Longbotton here heard the story and belive it too."

Neville look puzzled at Rhea, only for her to mouth 'Tell ya later' at him, in an attempt of reasuring the boy that she didn't meant to get him into this mess.

"You got me Minnie, Harry and Hermione were trying to stop me so they followed me." said Rhea defending her friends as well.

"I'm disappointed," said Professor McGonagall. "Miss Black you had accomplished getting four students out of bed and roaming the castle in one night! Three of them from your House! I've never heard of such a thing before! Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All four of you will receive detentions - yes, you too, Mr Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous - and Fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."

"But Minnie! I already told you it wasn't their fault. " argued Rhea. If she did that, Gryffindor would lose the lead; the lead Harry and the team had won in the Quidditch match.

"Fifty points all you three," Rhea jumped to her feets as those word fell from McGonagall's lips.

"Minnie! If you do that, you know what will happen."