The Survivor

The Forbidded Forest

"The intelligence of Gryffindors is such a mystery. You never know how much of a brain you'll get from them." Commented Hannah.

Had Harry thought that things couldn't have been worse? He was wrong. When Professor McGonagall appeared, she was leading Neville.

"Our Neville got dragged into this as well?" Asked Adrian since he didn't know the story. They gave him a brief summary of what happened.

"Yeah. I wanted to do some good, but it didn't go very well." Explained Neville.

'Harry!' Neville burst out, the moment he saw the other two. '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–'

"Honestly, all of you suck at sneaking around." Sighed Violet. No wander most of them refused to go with her when they got caught so easily. Good thing they were at least half decent at lying.

Harry shook his head violently to shut Neville up, but Professor McGonagall had seen. She looked more likely to breathe fire than Norbert as she towered over the three of them.

'I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr Filch says you were up 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.

'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?'

"You can not tell you wouldn't have come to the same conclusion." Minerva gave everyone a look before they had the chance to comment.

'I'm disgusted,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Four 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. All three 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.'

"Didn't you have a midnight Quidditch match during your fifth year and the whole school was invited?" Neville asked Remus.

The man only shrugged, not saying denying or approving the story. He wasn't going to admit to anything with the teachers present. They most likely knew, but he had an image to protect of the innocent Marauder, the good influence.

'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 –'

"Ouch. Never tell Minerva what to do unless you want to fall asleep in a bathroom after cleaning the toilet with a tiny brush." Cringed Frank. He's seen James make that mistake once. It never ends well.

'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.'

"You mean to tell us that our pranks weren't worthy of your shame?" Asked the Weasley twins.

Minerva refused to say anything.

A hundred and fifty points lost. That put Gryffindor in last place. In one night, they'd ruined any chance Gryffindor had had for the House Cup. Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach. How could they ever make up for this?