Gryffindor Princess and The Philosophers Stone (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter Six: The Forbidden Door

Hermione agreed. 

They stayed in the common room very late that night doing their homework and playing a game of wizard chess (Hope had to teach Hermione how to play). At half past eleven Hope and Hermione heard the voices of two boys sneaking their way back down the stairs from the dormitory. Hermione quickly switched the lamp beside them off, leaving the room almost pitch black except for the embers still blazing in the fire place. 

In the darkness Hope could make out the silhouettes of the two boys sneaking their way out. They were just about to reach the portrait hole when Hermione spoke. 

"I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry", she flicked the lamp on and illuminated the two boys looking like they were caught in head lights. 

"It really is rather selfish of you", Hope added. Ron groaned, probably as loudly as he dared, and glared at them. 

"Not you two", he groaned, "go back to bed!" 

"We were going to tell your brother!", Hermione warned him, "he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this." 

Harry and Ron glared at them both before jumping out of the portrait hole. 

"Come on", Hermione said to Hope, dragging her out of the Portrait hole with them. Hope didn't like the idea of leaving, but she knew she had to stop those two boys from losing Gryffindor house any more House points. 

"Don't you care about Gryffindor", Hermione hissed at them, "do you only care about yourselves, I don't want to see Slytherin win the House Cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from McGonagall for knowing about switching spells-" 

"Go away!", Harry hissed at her. 

"You two are being so selfish!", Hope hissed at them angrily. 

"We warned you", Hermione sighed, "just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow - Oh!" 

Hermione and Hope had both turned around and seen that the portrait where the fat lady was usually in was empty. This meant that they wouldn't be able to get back inside the common room. 

"Now what am I going to do!", Hermione gasped. 

"That's your problem", Ron replied, looking smug, "we've got to go, we're going to be late." 

Ron and Harry trudged away from them. Hope was horrified. If her father found out that she'd been caught out of bed after hours in only her first month of school he'd be so disappointed in her. Deciding that at least if they went with the boys they'd be able to help keep them out of trouble, Hope dragged Hermione with her to follow them. Once they caught up to the boys they stared at them incredulously. 

"We're coming with you", Hope told them. 

"No you are not" 

"We can't just stay out here and wait for Filch to catch us!", Hermione told him, "If he finds us then we can just tell him the truth, that we were trying to stop you and we got locked out - you two can back us up." 

"You have got some nerve -" Ron said rather loudly. 

"Shut up", Harry hissed, "I hear something." 

They all went quiet and Hope strained her ears. She could hear it too know. A sort of loud breathing. 

"Mrs. Norris?", Ron whispered. Mrs. Norris was Mr Filch the caretakers cat. They seemed to be connected by some sort of magical tether. If Mrs. Norris ever witnessed a rule break, you could bet a few seconds later Flich would be there. 

It was Hope who spotted the source of the noise. It was coming from a boy who was curled up in a corner looking rather frightened and upset. 

"Neville?", Hope whispered. The boy spotted them and stood up, hurrying over.