The Weasley of Slytherin: The Philosopher's Stone

Chapter 21: Into the Forest

Things couldn't have been worse.

Filch took us down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where we sat and waited without saying a word to each other.

Hermione was trembling. I was wondering what Mum and Dad were going to say when I turned up back at home, expelled. I couldn't see how we were going to get out of trouble this time.

We were in a corner, with no way out. How could we have been so stupid as to forget the cloak?

When Professor McGonagall appeared, she was leading Neville.

"Harry!" Neville burst out, the moment he saw us. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag—"

Harry shook his head violently to shut Neville up, while I just watched helplessly. We were in for it now. Professor McGonagall looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert as she towered over the four of them.

"I would never have believed it of you three." She said glaring at Harry Hermione and Neville. "Mr. Filch says you were up in the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."

It was the first time Hermione had ever failed to answer a teacher's question. She was staring at her slippers, as still as a statue.

"We were... sleep walking." I said slowly. Professor McGonagall glared at me with anger.

"Twenty points from Slytherin for your cheek." She told me with a quiet rage. "I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble.

"I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too? I'm disgusted," said Professor McGonagall. "Five students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense.

"As for you, Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. And you Mr Weasley. I had hoped you were more like your older brother Percy, not the twins.

"All four of you will receive detentions — yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous — and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor, and fifty from Slytherin."

"Fifty?" Harry gasped — they would lose the lead, the lead he'd won in the last Quidditch match.

"Fifty points each," said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long, pointed nose.

"Professor — please —"

"You can't —"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."

I begrudgingly headed back to the dungeons escorted by Filch, who seemed to be the only one happy about this.

"If it were up to me I'd string you up by your ears, leave you there for an hour or two, that would sort all of you out." He said smiling with glee.

I wasn't paying much attention to him, I was annoyed about having lost seventy points. And for what? Being out of bed, how is that so bad? It seemed like a pretty stupid rule to me.

The next morning started normally, as I made my way towards the Gryffindor table for breakfast, although it wasn't long before people were muttering amongst themselves, wondering how they had lost a hundred fifty points over night.