Nina's Destiny

Midnight Duels

I gave up trying to fall asleep at around 11:20. I didn't want to wake anyone else up, so I grabbed one of my books, Treasure Island, and headed into the common room. I sat down in a soft chair in front of the warm fire and opened my book to the page I had left off on.

I lost myself in my book until I heard a voice behind me say, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."

"What's going on?" I asked, standing up and turning around.

Harry and Ron had just come down the stairs from their dorm. Hermione was sitting in a chair in the back corner of the common room. She must have seen me come down, but not said anything.

"There going to a duel with Malfoy," Hermione sniffed haughtily.

I stared at the two boys with wide eyes. "You've got to be joking, Harry! Ron?" I stared at each boy in turn. "You realize Malfoy probably set you two up, right?

"Harry, she's right," Hermione jumped in. "You don't need to be a genius to know this is a trap set up by Malfoy. "

"We have to, Hermione, Nina," Ron argued. "What if it's real?"

"And if it's not?" I argued, but it was too late. Harry and Ron were already walking out the portrait hole, ignoring me completely.

Hermione and I both followed them out. I hardly stepped outside the common room before I was tripping over something, correction, someone.

"Neville?" I asked. "What are you doing out here?"

"Huh?" he said groggily, looking up at me? "I forgot the password," he said sheepishly.

"Oh," Hermione said. "That's easy. It's pig snout."

But the portrait hole didn't open. It was empty. The Fat Lady was gone.

"I guess we're all going," Harry said quietly, voice barely above a hushed whisper.

"Lead the way," I grumbled, holding out a hand to help Neville stand up. I was not happy about this.

The Trophy Room was empty. Hermione and I were right. Malfoy had set up a trap for Harry and Ron.

"Do you hear that?" I asked.

There was a noise coming from somewhere. Soft footsteps. A quiet snuffling sound.

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

Filch, I realized. This was very much not good.

"Run," I hissed to everyone. "It's Filch."

We ran through the Trophy Room, and nearly straight through Peeves.

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties?" Peeves asked. "Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away, we won't," Harry retorted.

"Should tell Filch, I should. It's for your own good, you know."

"Please, will you help us, Peeves?" I asked as nicely as I could.

Peeves sent me a wink.

"If you ask me nicely."

With a cackle, Peeves flew off towards Filch. I could hear Filch's cursing from the other end of the room. I beckoned everyone forward and we started running. We all stopped in front of a closed door. I pulled the handle. Locked. Could this get any worse? On second thought, I don't want to know the answer to that question.

"Alohomora," Hermione whispered, pointing her wand at the lock. The bolt clicked, and we all slipped inside, shutting the door behind us. I turned around and stared directly at the reason for the door being locked. I was wrong. This just got a whole lot worse.

A cerberus was standing up in front of us, growling with drool dripping from its mouth. I wondered what I'd done to anger the higher powers. I mean, a cerberus in a school. Really?

We all nearly tripped over ourselves trying to get out the door. I'm pretty sure none of us wanted to get eaten at that moment in time. As soon as the door was shut behind us, it relocked itself. We all took off running for the common room. We didn't stop until we reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Thank Merlin she was back in her painting. I would hate to be outside after hours any longer. From the look on Hermione's face, she was thinking the exact same thing.

"Where on earth have you all been?" asked the Fat Lady, looking astonished at our flushed cheeks and sweaty faces.

"Tell you tomorrow," I panted, gasping for breath. "I just want to sleep right now. Pig Snout, please."

The Fat Lady raised an eyebrow at us, but opened the portrait hole for us anyway. I clambered through, grabbed Treasure Island from where I had left it lying open on the chair by the, now dead, fire, and went upstairs, falling asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The next morning, Skittles flew in with a letter from Morgan and Diane and a box of skittles. She grabbed my toast before flying off. If I didn't love that owl so much she would be stuffed right now.

"Who's it from?" Lilly asked curiously as she opened her own letter from her mother and two brothers.

"Just a couple letters from my friends back home," I said, opening the first one.

Dear Nina,

Congratulations on getting into Gryffindor! Idiot and I are both really proud of you.

I miss you so much. It gets so boring with only Morgan to talk to. I really am glad you're having fun though. I can't wait to meet your new friends. You have to invite them over for a week or two in the summer so I can meet them. If they love Skittles they'll adore pizza. We should totally take them out to that place you and Morgan love in Hoboken. Gotta love American foods. FYI when you get back Morgie might jump on you. He went a little more insane than he already was without you. You better write back soon.

Good luck with all of your classes!

Love,

Di

My Dearest Sparkles,

It has been positively dreadful without you old chap. I have been reduced to talking like a gentlemen since Di is such a drab bore. It was so much more pleasant when you were here. Di wants to take me to a psychiatrist. I'm not that insane-yet. Now that I'm done being a drama-queen, just a warning, those new friends of yours better not have replaced me. Just saying, I'm one of a kind. Di wants to take them out for pizza. I think she just wants even more girls around. I'm outnumbered here, Nina! It's not fair.

I hope you're enjoying all of your classes!

Your BEST best friend,

Morgie