Midnight Duel

After dinner I find Draco snickering in the common room. Obviously I need to find out what's funny, so I question him! He's reluctant to tell me at first, and with good reason!

I smack the back of his head. "What kind of coward won't show up to a duel they challenged someone to? Be a man!"

"But-" He tries to protest, only for me to interrupt.

"No buts! You will be going to the trophy room at midnight, and you will fight my brother to the best of your abilities! I'll even put up a prize for the winner."

Now he's curious. "What kind of prize?"

I smirk. "That's for me to know, and the winner to find out. Now, what's your plan for getting there and back without Filch finding us?"

He frowns. "I'm not sure. I was originally going to alert Filch to Potter and Weasley being there, hopefully earn our House some points at the same time. Though I'm not sure if that man actually can give points. It would still have been worth a shot."

I nod. "Not bad. If you were a coward I mean." He sighs, knowing that I won't be letting him live this down for a good while.

"If basically everyone in the castle will be sleeping, then we shouldn't have any problems simply walking there. All we'd have to worry about are any paintings that are awake. Still weird that they sleep…" I trail off.

Seriously, why do paintings need to sleep? Do they need to eat too? Maybe they have paintings of famous cooks littered around the caste purely to cook for the other paintings. But then where would they get their supplies? Do painting trees grow painting fruits for them? I don't think I'll ever understand how they work.

Looking around the common room, I don't see anyone else around. Tapping my chin in thought, I go to check the dormroom. There I see Pansy reading a book and Tracy waving her wand and muttering something.

She's so focused on it that she doesn't notice me coming up beside her, where I can finally hear her. "Twit. Darn, that didn't work. 'Vollitaverba'. P…U…G… Ugh, still can't get it!" Sighing in frustration, she jumps when I suddenly speak beside her.

"Just keep practicing. Not everyone can be as amazing as me. Just look at Pansy." We both look at her, getting a scowl in return after my comment.

"Quit acting so friendly. You may call me Parkinson. Hearing you say my first name is more disturbing than the way the teachers fawn over your brother." She looks back down to her book, turning a page.

Tracy and I exchange glances. "See?" I shrug. "Anyways, Draco picked a fight with my brother and Ron Weasley, while timing it for midnight. I'm going with him to watch, want to come?"

She blinks in surprise "Um, sure?" She frowns. "But wait, that's past curfew. How did he manage to get permission for that?"

I raise a finger while giving her a knowing smirk. "Everything is permitted until you get caught!"

She facepalms at my words before chuckling. "I guess I should have expected that. Yeah, I'm in. But if we get caught, you're teaching me how to finally do that infernal spell. And you'll teach me another one you know!"

A shocked expression. "But I haven't shown anyone the infernal spell yet, how did you find out about it!?"

Her mouth hangs open. "Um… I was talking about the Vollitaverba spell."

"Oh. Right." I chuckle awkwardly while scratching my cheek, looking away. "Um, ignore what I said before. I don't know anything about an infernal spell. Nope, nothing at all! Anyways… Gottagososeeyawhenmidnightrollsaround!"

Seeing me run out of the room, Tracy shakes her head with a smile, neither of us noticing the malicious gleam in Pansy's eyes.

𝌡𝌡𝌡

It's surprisingly easy to sneak to the trophy room. Even more so than I expected.

'Do they really only have Filch patrolling the castle for students staying out late? I'd pity the guy if he wasn't such a jerk.'

Tracy and I flank Draco as he walks into the trophy room. Much to the surprise of Harry, Ron… Hermione, and Neville? "What are you two doing here? Decided to watch the show as well?"

Hermione rolls her eyes while Neville avoids Draco's own. "Hardly. I tried to convince these two dunderheads not to come. If they're caught, Gryffindor will likely lose a great amount of points. Your own actions have already given Slytherin a sizable lead on the other Houses, I'd rather we not lose what progress I've made in closing it."

I raise an eyebrow. "But you being here as well would lose you more points. And that still doesn't explain Neville."

She sighs. "I followed them out of the dorm trying to convince them. When I finally gave up, the passage had already closed and the Fat Lady had left so I couldn't re-enter. Neville had forgotten the password and fallen asleep in front of her painting."

I wince, giving the boy a sympathetic look. "Yeah, that doesn't sound pleasant. I can only imagine how much that must suck. I hope the place your dorms are located are at least warmer than the dungeons."

At their questioning looks, I explain how that's where our dormitories are.

"That's awful!" Hermione gasps. "Gryffindors are in one of the towers, so I assumed it was the same for each House. What is the school thinking, putting students in a dungeon?"

We Slytherins shrug in response, except for Draco, who's been trading verbal barbs with Harry and Ron since we walked in.

"It's not that bad." Tracy states. "We have a window that looks out under the lake, so we can see some pretty interesting things. I've even seen the giant squid a couple of times."

I gasp in outrage. "You have!? I've been trying to catch a glimpse of that thing since day one!" My eyes narrow at her suspiciously. "What sorcery did you do to summon its presence?"

She scratches her cheek awkwardly, unsure of what to say. Luckily for her, my attention is drawn to Draco and Harry drawing their wands against each other. "Oh look, the show is starting. Anyone want any popcorn?" I ask, pulling a red and white striped square bucket out from inside my robes.

Hermione and Tracy ignore the oddity, simply shrugging it off as they each grab a handful. Poor Neville though is dumbstruck at the suddenly relaxed mood when two people are about to fight.

Before anyone can sling a single spell though, we suddenly hear the ominous creaking of the door opening. Followed by a nasally voice croaking out a command.

"Sniff around, my sweet. They might be lurking in a corner."

The others present exchange horrified glances, while I hold back a chuckle at the reply only I can hear.

"You don't have to tell me that you crotchety old man. Hmph! You're lucky that you're such a good servant, otherwise I would have left you long ago."