Midnight Encounters

"Sooo..." Harry turned toward his sister. They were currently in their favorite section of the library for their weekly study sessions with each other which they also used to get updates with each other. They are not alone though which is not unusual as Harry is often joined in these sessions with mainly the Hufflepuffs. Susan and Hannah were with them today as well as Neville and surprisingly, Hermione.

"How did you get roped into this?" Harry asked. He heard about the commotion that happened last night which he assumed had something to do with Godric and his naivety in believing Malfoy would be present in their so-called wizard's duel but he didn't expect Iris was also involved.

"Um, it was mainly an accident." Iris gave him a guiltily sheepish smile. "To be honest I, well we, didn't expect that to happen."

"Yeah." Neville agreed.

************************

Last night....

"I can't believe I'm lost!" Iris mumbled. She got detention after the whole debacle she accidentally did in the greenhouses. It was an accident, okay? She spilled a barrel's worth of puffapods and greenhouse two got covered in them which due to the nature of puffapods to not be handled magically to not destroy the necessary ingredients, she just wasted a lot of puffapods and an entire class for the third year who will use it as their lesson. So, her detention was to remove all of them by hand and carefully. It took her hours but she was done.

Unfortunately, she was done at almost 11 pm and Filch told her to hurry back to her common room because he was somewhere to be. The issue was that she got lost. Like really lost. How did she get lost? The greenhouse and the common room were the most common route for every Hufflepuff and she got lost. She doesn't recognize this corridor. She was kicking herself for it. She was hoping to find a decent perfect, maybe they could help. Or any of the Hufflepuffs pointed out she wasn't in her bed. Everyone in Hufflepuffs keeps an eye on the other members of their house all the time, especially during bedtime.

She finds herself tapping on the walls out of boredom as she searched for someone. That is until she found herself in a corridor with a large portrait of a woman sleeping soundly. She turned but she tripped on something large and soft. And whatever it was, it groaned.

Iris turned to find a body. "AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Iris screamed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" The person also screamed.

"Neville?!" Iris gasped.

"Oh, uh, hi, Iris." Neville gave her a sheepish grin.

"What the hell are you doing on the floor!?" She demanded. But she still helped Neville up.

"Well, I forgot the password," Neville said. "And I got sleepy waiting for someone to help me."

Iris shook her head still trying to assess the situation. "What do you mean you forgot your password? Doesn't your prefects or any of your roommates notice you were missing?"

"Um, I guess they fell asleep?"

"Without checking if you are in the room?" Iris looked at him in disbelief. "Don't anybody check on you guys to make sure you are complete? I mean our house checks all the time."

Neville who finally stood up looked crestfallen. "I don't think they'll even notice." He mumbled.

"Why won't they?"

Neville turned red but Iris couldn't notice because the corridor is still dark with the only light coming from the torches which are not exactly the best at giving proper light at night, especially for the muggle-raised Iris who is used to the fluorescent lights she enjoyed during the night.

"I don't think they like me, okay? I don't have any friends. My year mates think I'm a loser and I don't fit in the Gryffindor house at all."

"Oh, Neville. That's not true. I'm your friend." Iris smiled.

"Yeah? But you are from Hufflepuff. I should have let the hat sort me to Hufflepuff." He sighed. "They all think I'm a loser because I'm such a coward."

"Don't say that. Also being a Hufflepuff are not losers or cowards and the hat probably sees something in you that makes you fit well in Gryffindor. No one is brave unless they acknowledge they have to fear something that they need to face not because they need to prove it (like many Gryffindors seem to like to do). Plus you are my only Gryffindor friend and I like that."

Neville still looked down but he nodded at her. "Wait. Why are you here?"

"I got detention for accidentally spilling an entire barrel worth of puffapods in greenhouse two."

"You did?" Neville looked at her in disbelief. "That place would be crawling by now especially since some of them can create vines that can climb up the walls."

"Tell me about it. Didn't realize that could happen." Iris mumbled as she folded her arms. "It took me hours to remove them properly. I just finished and got lost."

Iris then turned to the portrait of the sleeping woman who despite their screaming did not wake up. Judging from the large jar of wine she had, it would mean she is too drunk to bother. "So, this is the entrance to the Gryffindor common room then?"

"Yeah."

"Caput Draconis?" Iris said but the portrait remained close. "Huh, I guess you guys changed your password?"

Neville looked at her stunned. "Wait. You know our password?"

"For last week, yes. Heard some Gryffindors muttering about it." Iris said. "I mean, to be honest, the whole password thing is not a great security measure. Anybody could use it as long as they overheard it and the Ravenclaws, all you need to do is answer a riddle. I mean ours is a much better security system. You guess right, you get in, you guess wrong you get spilled vinegar and we don't require a password or anything so nobody can overhear it and we're Hufflepuffs, nobody in their right mind would share how to get in our house. That's why we've never been breached for a thousand years compared to the other houses."

Bang!

The portrait door opened and revealed Godric and Ron looking shocked at the sight of Iris and Neville. "Wh-what are you guys doing?" Ron demanded.

"Got lost," Iris said.

"Forgot password," Neville answered.

"Where are you guys going?" Iris asked.

"They are trying to break curfew to join Malfoy for a wizards duel." Hermione emerged from the door. "I'm trying to stop them. Please help me."

"You guys shouldn't," Neville said. "It's already curfew. You would lose points and get in trouble!"

"Or worse expelled!" Hermione hissed.

"You guys are already in last place anyway," Iris muttered making the other four turn to her. "What? We all heard the rumors that Godric and Ron are the people to have to lose the most points for your house which is ironic considering that Hogwarts teachers seem to give points for a lot of brave acts which is so unfair for the rest of us." She gave them a stern look.

"That's not helping!" Hermione protested.

"Why did Draco schedule a wizard's duel near midnight? Sounds like he's setting you up." Iris commented.

"Whether it's a setup or not, we are not giving Malfoy the upper hand!" Godric exclaimed before he took off followed by Ronald.

Hermione groaned as she also run off with them. Neville looked conflicted since the Gryffindor door is still open but he also looked like he wanted to also stop them and help Hermione.

"Ugh, fine. Let's go see, Neville." Iris sighed as the two also followed.

...

"Is it too late to say, I told you so?" Iris said. It was already midnight and Malfoy and his second who is supposed to be Burke was nowhere to be found. "I feel sleepy now."

Godric and Ron continued to stare at the door holding their wands out just in case Malfoy would leap at them which they expect him to do so. Slytherins are a nasty bunch. They don't fight fair.

"He's late!" Ron said. "Maybe he chickened out."

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. They all raise their wands except Iris but then, "Sniff around my sweet, they might be lurking in the corner." It was Filch who is talking to Mrs. Norris.

Horror struck all of them as they madly scurried silently towards the door away from Filch. "This way!" Godric hissed as they creep down a long galley of suits of armor trying to remain quiet as Filch is getting closer.

CLANG! Neville tripped and crashed on one of the suits of armor.

"Shit! Run!" Godric hissed and they all sprinted down the galley and ripped through a tapestry realizing they are inside what looked like a hidden passageway which they believe is already miles from the trophy room.

"You think he's gone?" Ron asked.

I wonder where this passageway goes? Iris thought as she looked at the darkness of the passageway.

"I think we've lost him," Godric said.

"I told you! I told you!" Hermione gasped.

"We need to go back to the Gryffindor tower quickly," Ron said.

"Easy for you to say." Iris hissed. "Can anybody point me back to the dungeons?"

All four looked at her confused. Iris shrugged. "The Slytherins aren't the only house whose common room is in the dungeons."

"Really? I can't imagine the Hufflepuff's common room is in the dungeons." Godric said to his sister. The two rarely talk and Godric just realized that on this night, Iris has said more words to him than in the past two months they started school.

"Even I don't know why. Us bright and soft Puffs in the cold and dark dungeons." Iris shrugged again. "You guys do know that Malfoy tricked you right? I told you it was a setup. Filch knew there was going to be somebody in the trophy room."

"That's right!" Hermione said. "He was looking for someone, so somebody tipped him off."

"Can't believe that cheater!" Ron hissed.

"He's not exactly cheating. I mean what exactly do two first-years do in a wizard's duel? Throw transfigured needles at each other? Do you even know stunning spells or diffindo at least?" Iris commented.

"We don't learn those until the fourth year," Hermione said.

"What? Really? Harry and I already mastered the stunning spell. It's not a high-level one since we are still eleven but it works." Iris said nonchalantly earning stares from everyone. "What? We were bored. There's nothing to do around here."

"So, you guys learn advance spells because you are bored?" Ron said. Then he turned to Godric. "Your brother and sister are bigger nerds than Hermione."

"Hey!" Hermione hissed.

"Why do I find that a compliment?" Iris said, earning, even more stares, with Godric sighing and shaking his head. Hermione however is muffled. She has tried advanced spells too but "stupefy" or a stunning spell is a very hard spell to master and Iris and Harry claimed to have mastered it? She is skeptical.

"Let's go," Godric said as he peeked at the halls to see if the coast is clear and then they followed. They didn't go far when a broom closet burst open and out come Peeves, the resident mischievous poltergeist who is now grinning evilly at them.

"Oh, firsties out of bed." He spoke. "Very naughty, you get caughty. To tell or not to tell Filch."

"Please don't say anything." Neville squeaked.

"Don't give us away, Peeves," Godric said.

"Get out of the way." Ron hissed trying to swipe at Peeves. Bad move.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED! STUDENTS OUT OF BED! DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!" Peeves bellowed.

Ducking under Peeves, the five of them ran for their lives where they slammed into a door. It was locked!

"Oh no, oh no, oh no..." Neville is panicking.

"Dammit. We're done for!" Ron moaned.

"Oh, for goodness, sake. Move!" Hermione pushed Ron and grabbed her wand and tapped on the doorknob "Alohomora!" A lock clicked and the door swung open. They all piled inside and slammed the door shut.

"Where are they Peeves? Where are they?" Filch's voice can be heard behind the door.

"Say 'please."

"Don't mess with me Peeves. Now, where are they?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please."

"All right, please."

"NOTHING! Hahahahahahaha! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you don't say please!" and the ghost continued to cackle as he floated away. Filch is cursing in rage.

"Uh, guys?" Iris whispered.

"Not now Iris, we have to wait a little longer."

"Guys?" Iris's voice is a little high-pitched and now sounds a little urgent.

Hermione and Neville both turned to what Iris is staring at and gasped.

"What is i-" Godric's voice faltered.

This room was the forbidden corridor that the headmaster warned them about at the beginning of the year and now they know why it is forbidden. They are looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog whose largeness even reached the ceiling.

Three pairs of glaring eyes, three twitching noses, three drooling mouths, and saliva hanging from the yellowish fangs. Very large and very sharp fangs. It looked stunned at first, probably taken by surprise at the sight of five first-years in the room. GRRRRRR!!!!!!!

"AAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" They all screamed and scrambled quickly out the door and Iris nearly missed the sharp teeth before she could slam the door shut.

The five of them took off and reached a safer corridor almost losing their breath.

"What was that?!" Godric asked.

"A Cerberus. They usually guard graveyards. I didn't know they grow that big." Iris said still catching her breath.

"Whatever it was, why the bloody hell was that thing in there?" Ron hissed. "Locking up a big dog like that in a school?"

Hermione finally caught her breath. "Didn't you notice it was standing on?"

"I was too busy looking at its heads Hermione," Godric said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It was standing at on a trap door. It was guarding something."

"Yeah, whatever it was. I'm gonna go." Iris said. "It was a nice adventure though." She grinned. "See you guys later." And she took off.

Iris finally found her common room and entered. Talking a deep breath expecting she was safe.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

Iris jumped at Susan's voice. Only Susan was not alone, almost the entire house was standing there looking at Iris. "We were worried sick. We were ready to go find you. Now explain yourself!" Susan glared furiously at Iris, with her hands on her hips.

"Um..." Iris is lost for words.

************************

"And that's kind of what happened," Iris said sheepishly.

Harry gaped at her, blinked, and sighed. He was horrified at what happened but also thankful that Iris is safe and sound. Yet, this did not surprise Harry one bit. Iris has always been adventurous which is why he and Blaise were surprised that Iris was sorted to Hufflepuff at first.

"To be honest, when Iris explained to us about what happened, we thought she was joking," Hannah said.

"I'm still furious at her for worrying us," Susan muttered.

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry," Iris said.

"You are lucky our prefects decided to overlook it but now everyone in the house is curious about the Cerberus," Susan said. Ironically, even though the entire Hufflepuff house now knows what is in the forbidden corridor a lot of them were more curious about the dog over the trap door. It's a Cerberus! Hufflepuffs are very fond of animals, even if they can be scary.

"I don't think everyone was supposed to know," Hermione muttered.

Susan just grinned at the bushy-haired girl. "We're Hufflepuffs. We would prioritize the health and safety of the Cerberus over whatever it is under the trap door."

"But, what do you think is under there anyway?" Hannah asked curiously.

"Whatever it is, it seems to be worth guarding for," Harry said. Harry is not just curious. He is interested. But what bothers him is why is there a need to hide something in a school full of children and teenagers.