The Wrong Weasley | Harry Potter

Chapter 11 - The Sorcerer's Stone

"What are you doing out so late, Little Looney?" Peeves teases as he sneaks up on Artemis and Harry. They'd been on their way to Hagrid's to pick up Norbert. 

"We were on our way to visit Hagrid. He wanted to show us some mooncalves." She lies. He squints at her, but ultimately decides to leave it.

"All right. Be careful, there are all kinds of creatures to tear you to shreds." He cackles before flying through the ceiling. Harry and Artemis glance at each other before rushing down to Hagrid's hut.

"He's got some food, and I gave him his teddy bear." Hagrid tells them, setting the crate with Norbert inside near the door. He blows his nose and Artemis pats his arm.

"Charlie will take great care of him. I'll make sure he writes you with updates on him, too." She assures. He sniffles and nods.

"Thanks, Artemis." He replies. 

"Come on." Harry tells her, glancing at his watch. They grab the crate and Hagrid helps adjust the invisibility cloak until they're all covered. 

The two head up towards the astronomy tower in silence, focusing on getting there quietly and without dropping the heavy crate.

"I think my arms are going to fall off." Artemis whispers.

"We're nearly there." Harry replies. They take a few more steps until they hear voices up ahead. They quickly move to the edge of the hall, getting out of the way as McGonagall drags Malfoy.

"Harry Potter and Artemis Weasley, Professor! They've got a dragon!" He protests.

"Stop telling lies. Detention! Twenty points from Slytherin for wandering around in the middle of the night!" She replies as they turn the corner.

"That was amazing." Artemis says once she's sure they're gone. Harry chuckles and they start up the stairs. When they reach the top, they throw the cloak off and set the crate down. They laugh about Malfoy getting detention until Charlie's friends get there.

"Good luck." Harry tells them as they hook the crate up to their broomsticks. He and Artemis shake each of their hands and watch as they fly away. They head back down, freezing when they hear a voice.

"Well, well, well. We are in trouble." Filch says.

He brings them to McGonagall's office and sits them inside to wait. Artemis groans as she thinks of all the punishments Fred and George had told her about, hoping they were lying about the worst ones.

"Harry! Artemis!" Neville exclaims as he follows McGonagall into the room. "I was trying to warn you. I heard Malfoy, he said you had a dragon and-" He quiets as he spots her glaring at them.

"Mr. Filch says you were up at the astronomy tower. It's one in the morning. Explain yourselves." She demands. They stay quiet, having been unable to come up with a convincing lie. "I know. You fed Mr. Malfoy a story about a dragon to get him in trouble. He's already received a detention, but I bet you think it's funny that Mr. Longbottom believed it too."

Harry and Artemis both try to catch Neville's eyes to tell him it's not true, but he avoids their gazes, looking hurt. Artemis sighs, knowing it must have been challenging for him to try to warn them.

"Four students out of bed in one night, I've never heard of it before! I thought you knew better, Ms. Weasley. Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you. All three of you will receive detentions and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor." She tells them.

"Fifty?" Harry gasps.

"Each." She adds. "Back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."

Artemis tries to apologize to Neville as the three head towards Gryffindor tower, but he rushes ahead of them, clearly not wanting to talk.

"I'm going to kill Malfoy." She mutters.

"I don't think-" Harry starts.

"No one can stop me." She interrupts. "I don't need magic. I just need to wait until he doesn't have his goons. Maybe during detention." 

"Ron was right. You're scary when you're mad." He mumbles.

"What was that?" She asks, glaring at him.

"Nothing!" He quickly says, looking away. She rolls her eyes, and they head back to Gryffindor tower in silence.

***

"A pity they let the old punishments die. There was a time detention would find you hanging by your thumbs in the dungeons. God, I miss the screaming." Filch says as he leads them across the grounds. "You'll be serving detention with Hagrid tonight. He's got a little job to do inside the Forbidden Forest. A sorry lot this, Hagrid. You're going into the forest, got to have your wits about you."

"The forest? I thought that was a joke. We can't go in there. Students aren't allowed. And there are...werewolves!" Malfoy protests. Artemis rolls her eyes at his prejudice, even if she agrees with his protests about going into the forest. How does it make sense for them to enter the forest for detention if it's dangerous enough to be forbidden, especially as first years?

"Ah, there's more than werewolves in those trees, lad. You can be sure of that." He replies. "Nighty-night." He heads back up towards the castle, leaving them with Hagrid, armed with a crossbow, and Fang.

"Let's go." Hagrid tells them. As he leads them into the forest, Neville moves closer to Artemis. She grabs his hand, and he looks at her.

"I'll explain what really happened later, but I'm still your friend, Neville. I won't let anything happen to us." She says. He nods and tightens his hold on her hand, staying close.

Hagrid comes to a stop and sets his crossbow down. He kneels down and dips his fingers into a silver pool of liquid.

"Hagrid, what is that?" Harry asks.

"What we're here for. See that?" Hagrid says, holding up his fingers, coated in silver. "That's unicorn blood, that is. I found one dead a few weeks ago." Artemis gasps, horrified that something would kill a unicorn. "Now, this one's been hurt bad by something. So, it's our job to go and find the poor beast. Neville, Harry, you're with me. Artemis, you'll go with Malfoy."

"Perfect." She replies, smiling evilly at the other boy.

"Uh, Hagrid, maybe I should go with Malfoy." Harry suggests. Hagrid agrees after seeing the look on her face.

"Okay, then I get Fang." Malfoy says.

"Fine. Just so you know, he's a bloody coward." He tells him.

The two groups separate and after moving through the forest for a while, Hagrid's group hears screaming. He raises his crossbow and a moment later Malfoy emerges, yelling about a monster.

"You coward!" Artemis yells at him, running in the direction he came from. She hears the others following her as she pulls out her wand. "Harry!" She shouts, finding him in a clearing with the dead unicorn and a centaur. "Are you all right?" She asks, pulling him into a hug. He nods and she sighs, relieved.

"Hello there, Firenze. I see you've met our young Mr. Potter." Hagrid says.

"Harry Potter, this is where I leave you. You're safe now. Good luck." Firenze tells him. They watch as he walks further into the forest. The journey back to Gryffindor tower is silent, all of them worried about what happened in the clearing.