Echo in the Night|| OC

Chapter Eighteen: Hermione's punch

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Echo, Harry, and Neville walked to the Fat Lady without a word. Snape had caught Harry and Neville near the one-eyed witch statue; Harry was trying to use the secret passage to sneak into l again. Echo arrived a few moments later, covering for them, saying that her and the two Gryffindors were meeting there to work on Lupin's vampire essay.

Snape let them go, sending them elsewhere. She wanted to go to the Gryffindor common room,  planning on working in there, the Library was full of frustrated 5th years and their mountains of books; preparing for their upcoming O.W.L exams.

About halfway, she stopped Harry, and sent Neville ahead, saying that she'll keep up and let him in. Since receiving the old key from Dumbledore, she's been accompanying Neville to the Fat Lady's portrait. The security trolls let her past with no trouble, even when she wore her Slytherin robes; probably by Dumbledore's orders.

The key worked, but she has yet to try other doors and entrances. The key hole was camouflaged into the frame of the portrait, hidden amongst the many ridges and detailed carvings in the wood.

When Neville rounded the corner and was out of earshot she turned to Harry.

He stood there awkwardly, avoiding eye contact, expecting another lecture — like the one Hermione gave him this morning.

"I'm not going to stop you Harry, if that's what you're wondering," said Echo.

"You're not?" he said surprised.

"No, it's not like you'll listen to me anyway," she pointed out. "But I will say that if you get caught I won't be there to cover for you."

"You won't have too. I have my invisibility cloak with me, and now the Marauders map," he said confidently.

Echo mildly rolled her eyes while muttering under her breath, "That's what I was afraid of."

"What?"

"Nothing," she dismissed. Echo observed him for a moment, thinking. About what? Nothing really specific. 

She then subtly smirked and flicked his scar, "Just don't get caught."

"Oww," he mumbled, rubbing his scar and looking at her with a weak glare. His scar already hurt when Voldemort was near, he didn't need someone flicking it.

"You should get going. Ron's not the most patient person," she said, gesturing him to leave.

"Right," he nodded, pulling out the map and pointing his wand at it, "I Solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." The third-floor corridor seemed to be deserted. Harry scanned the map carefully and saw, with a leap of relief, that the tiny dot labeled Severus Snape, was now back in his office.

He turned to leave but doubled back, remembering something, "Can you check on Hermione? She was extremely upset when we left . . . Ron hasn't been easy on her," he said, looking regretful.

Echo nodded and watched Harry's back disappear after he gave her one last fleeting look. She made her way to the portrait hole, and climbed through with Neville, ignoring his worried protests of a Slytherin being in the Gryffindor common room.

"Neville, do you think you could use my essay as a guide? I need to check on Hermione," Echo suggested after twenty minutes of helping Neville on his vampire essay.

She was sure he would be fine finishing it on his own. He's been doubting himself more and more ever since the Black incident. It was to be expected; he was brave enough to admit his fault, and McGonagall practically spat at him — shunned by his own Head of House. Her fellow Slytherin's never missed a chance of ridiculing him; Echo also never missed a chance of giving them all antlers, resulting in a few detentions. Neville has completely lacked any confidence he has gained, since.