I Lived - Fred Weasley

Peeves and Perilous Plants

Despite the three first years nervously jumping at every shadow and shivering at every wind, all is going well.

They pass Mrs. Norris, but the Cloak shields them from her yellow eyes. Ron wants to kick her, but Celeste kicks him instead— they can't risk being caught.

On the staircase up to the third floor, they find Peeves, who can sense them.

"Who's there?" he says suddenly, narrowing his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you a ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"

He rises up in the air and floats there, squinting at them.

"Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."

Celeste's about to do something, she's not sure what, to get Peeves to go away when Harry beats her to it (with a much better idea than hers would have been).

"Peeves," the boy says in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

Celeste keeps herself from letting out an excited cheer as Peeves almost falls out of the air in shock.

"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, sir," he says greasily. "My mistake, my mistake— I didn't see you— of course I didn't, you're invisible— forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."

"I have business here, Peeves," croaks Harry. "Stay away from this place tonight."

"I will, sir, I most certainly will," says Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."

And he scoots off.

"Brilliant, Harry!" whispers Ron.

A few seconds later, they are there, outside the third-floor corridor— and the door is already ajar.

"Well, there you are," Harry says quietly, "Snape's already got past Fluffy."

Seeing the open door seems to impress upon all four of them what is facing them. Underneath the Cloak, Harry turns to the other three.

"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he says. "You can take the Cloak, I won't need it now."

"As if," Celeste says.

"Don't be stupid," says Ron.

"We're coming," says Hermione.

Harry pushes open the door.

As the door creaks, low, rumbling groups meet their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniff madly in their direction, even though it can't see them.

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

"I think it's a harp," says Celeste.

"Snape must have left it there," Ron says.

"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," says Harry. "Well, here goes..."

He takes out a flute and begins to play. It's not much of a tune, and Celeste would never pay to go to his concert, but it seems to do the trick for Fluffy. The dog falls fast asleep.

"Keep playing," Ron warns Harry as they slip out of the Cloak and keep crawling towards the trapdoor.

"I'll go first," Harry says, determined.

"Absolutely not," the other three chorus in protest.

The black-haired boy doesn't show any sign of giving in. "I'm not going to put any of you in danger," he says. "Vol— I mean, You-Know-who wants to kill me. I should be the one risking myself to stop him."