The Weasley Twin (Harry Potter Love Story)

[24] Through The Trapdoor

After dinner the three of us sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered us; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Harry or me any more, after all. This was the first night both of us hadn't been upset by it.

Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments we were about to try to break.

Harry and Ron didn't talk much. Both of them were thinking about what we were about to do.

I tried to remember all the spells and charms we had learned during the year in case we needed to use them.

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

"Better get the cloak," Ron muttered to Harry as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning. Harry ran upstairs to their dormitory. He came back down to the common room with it in his arms.

"We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all four of us -- if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own --" Harry said.

"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.

"Nothing, Neville, nothing," Harry said, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back.

Neville stared at our guilty faces.

"You're going out again," he said.

"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?" Man, she was a terrible liar.

I looked at the grandfather clock by the door. We couldn't afford to waste any more time, Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep.

"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."

"You don't understand," I said, "this is important."

But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.

"I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll -- I'll fight you!"

"Neville," Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot --"

"Don't you call me an idiot!" Neville shouted. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"

"Yes, but not to us," Ron said in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."

Ron took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.

"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"

Harry turned to Hermione and me.

"Do something," he said to us desperately.

I looked at Hermione.

Do it.

Hermione grimaced at me as she stepped forward.