"YOU ARE NOT " Ron scoffed in disapproval.
"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all four of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up." Hermione declared
Aria cringed at Hermione's short handed lecture as she sighed and muttered out, "Ron ---"
Completely dismissing Aria's attempt to divert the conversation he - louder then needed - hissed in contempt.
"You've got some nerve--"
"Shut up, all of you!" Harry sharply interjection "I heard something."
This caused the group to hesitant and listen beyond the corridors only to hear a sort of snuffling causing Aria to swallow nervously.
"Mrs. Norris?" Ron breathed out as they all peered into the dark.
Yet it wasn't Mrs. Norris, instead, it was Neville who was currently curled up on the floor, but jerked awake when they approached.
"Neville?" Aria whispered confused
"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed." Neville exasperated.
"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."
"How's your arm?" Harry asked
"Fine," Neville replied "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."
"Good — well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later —"
"Don't leave me!" Neville exclaimed scrambling rapidly to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."
Ron looked at his watch and then glared at Hermione and Neville.
"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you."
Hermione went to open her mouth to explain to Ron exactly how to use the curse yet Aria hit her in the arm causing her to shut it.
As they headed through the corridors quietly to the trophy room. However, Draco wasn't there yet which caused Aria to furrow her eyebrows.
"Where is he?" Aria asked
"Maybe he's chickened out." Ron whispered back.
There was a noise in the next room which caused the group to jump, only to hear an haunting voice of Filch as he spoke to his cat, Mrs. Norris.
"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."
As they all rushed quickly to the door away from Filch's voice they heard him say, "They're in here somewhere, probably hiding."
"This way!" Harry mouthed to the group as Ron grabbed Aria's hand and pulled her through after Harry.
Neville suddenly let out a squead and broke into a run when they heard Filch getting nearer. He tripped, grabbing Ron around the waist, and the pair went toppling right into a suit of armor after Ron let go of Aria's hand causing her to cringe as the crash caused a loud clang.
"Run!" Harry yelled as Aria quickly helped Ron up and the five of them sprinted down the gallery, after what seemed like miles of running they came to a stop.
"I think we've lost him." Harry panted.
"You know," Aria breathed out leaning against the wall. "Maybe i'm not so cut out for being a chaser."
"I told you," Hermione gasped "I -- told -- you."
"we've got to get back to Gryffindor Tower, quickly as possible." Ron declared
"Malfoy tricked you Harry." Aria breathed out causing Harry to look over at her.
"Aria's right." Hermione agreed "He was never going to meet you — Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."
Based off of Harry's expression, Aria knew he knew they were right. But he shook it off anyways and spoke clearly.
"Let's go."
In a few minutes something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them. Peeves. Aria groaned under her breath as he let out a squeal of delight at the sight of them.
"Shut up Peeves -- please -- you'll get us thrown out."
Peeves just laughed. "Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."
"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please." Aria attempted.
"Should tell Filch, I should. It's for your own good, you know."
"Get out of the way." Ron snapped stepping forward and taking a swipe at Peeves.
"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"
Aria glared at Peeves before they all ducked under him and ran for their lives to the end of the corridor, where they slammed into a door yet it was locked.
"This is it!" Ron exclaimed as he pushed on the door "We're done for! This is the end!"
Though the pattering of Filch's footsteps got closer and closer Aria's heart pounded against her chest, Ron was right, this was the end. Yet it seemed that Hermione had a different idea as she pushed through towards the door, "Oh move over."
Grabbing Aria's wand she tapped the lock and whispered, "Alohomora!"
The lock clicked and the door swung open and they ran inside shutting it quickly and pressing their ears against it to listen.
"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch asked "Quick, tell me."
"Say 'please.'" Peeves taunted.
"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go?"
"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," Peeves said in an annoying singsong voice."All right — please."
"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!"
As Peeves flew off and Filch who was cursing in rage left with him, Aria let out a breath of relief.
"He thinks the door is locked." Harry whispered "I think we'll be okay -- get off, Neville!" Harry exclaimed
"Uh -- guys?" Aria spoke as she spotted the monstrous dog with three heads that Neville had spotted, she swallowed.
"What?" Harry hissed at Neville and Aria before turning around and noticing what they were looking at.
"The door was locked," Aria contained pausing for a short hitch of breath "and for a good reason too."
Harry grabbed the doorknob and they fell through the door, Harry slamming it behind them and they took off forgetting all about Filch.
They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked.
"Never mind that --" Harry panted
"pig snout, pig snout." Aria chimed in exhausted.
They ran into the common room and collapsed.
"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" Ron spoke finally
"Well if you haven't noticed this isn't a normal school." Aria reminded
"You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" Hermione snapped
"I mean -- I thought I did, you guys saw the three headed dog too right?" Aria asked, Harry and Ron nodded.
"Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Hermione recalled
"the floor?" Harry suggested "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."
Aria waved her arms around drastically in agreement before leaning back in her seat exhaling.
"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something." Hermione informed causing Aria to raise an eyebrow in interest as she stood up glaring at them.
"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed —or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed." she declared and walked off in a huff as Ron stared after her and shook his head.
"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?"
"Well she dragged me along and I almost got mauled by a three headed dog. I haven't even been in this school for a complete week yet and I've gotten detention, joined a Quidditch team after almost getting expelled, and met a dog that I never knew could exist!" she gushed pushing herself up "I love this school!"
Ron looked at her like she was insane as she grinned and turned on her heels and walked up the stairs to the girls rooms. Yet, one thing lingered in the back of her mind, the trap door that Hermione was talking about. What was that dog guarding and what did it have to do with Hogwarts?
~~
Harry and Ron sat together the next day in the great hall, Hermione refused to speak to them which they didn't seem to mind as Fred and George explained the different exits out of the school to Aria enthusiastically as well as common Quidditch knowledge. However, Aria couldn't help but let her mind drift to last night with the dog and the trap door. Her chin rested on the palm of her hand she squinted at Draco from across the hall.
"You okay there Ace?" Fred questioned tapping on the table in front of the girl causing her to look back at the twins straightening herself.
"I'm sorry — what were you saying again? something about how Quidditch got its name from Queerditch Marsh, the location of the first ever recorded game around the year 1050?"
the twins looked at each other as George shook his head, "No. Not even close — how did you even know that?"
Aria felt her cheeks turn red as she looked away towards Draco's direction, "i read it somewhere."
"Ace," Fred sighed taking a sip of his drink "you're staring."
"What? No — no i'm not," she rambled causing the twins to look at each other intrigued.
"Hey you want some pumpkin pasties?" George offered pushing his plate over to the girl.
"oh no i couldn't —." Aria denied
"Go for it, i'm not even that hungry." he urged
"Okay." she hesitated before taking a bit of the pasty, she swallowed as the twins looked at each other.
"So why are you so interested in Malfoy all of a sudden?" Fred asked
"Well besides the fact that he's a self loathing prick i don't have any interest in him— Hey, have you ever heard of a three headed dog?" she ranted
"what?" George asked slightly flabbergasted they knew hogwarts inside out but never heard of a three headed dog.
"Mmmh," she hummed swallowing her bite "Shoot, i forgot to send my letter to my mom. if i don't she'll be stuck with the Malfoy's dwelling life."
"Your mother lives with the Malfoy's?" George asked surprised
"didn't i ever tell you that?" she rambled standing up "thanks for the pasties George i should get going before —."
A loud screech of a bunch of owls came flying, hers right above her own head causing her to drop to the bench as Faith swooped down dropping a long package onto the table, another was quick to drop off a letter, she opened the letter first and was lucky.
DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.
It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.
The girl noticed Mcgonagall's signature scribbled across the paper, she looked down to where Harry and Ron where moments before, only to see they had disappeared causing her to sigh.
"what is it?" George asked
"It's from my mom — i should really go thank her —."
Trampling out of the seat she rushed out of the great hall after biding goodbye and her hand grasped on the parcel as she maneuvered to the owlery.
The girl sat began to jot down her letter about her experiences and apologizing for her short handed effort of communication.
Aria sighed as she gave the letter to Faith and let her fly off; she heard shuffling which caused her to turn around and see a tall young man with dark hair and bright grey eyes hugged in hufflepuff robes.
"Oh!" he exclaimed noticing the young girl in his presence "i'm sorry i didn't know anyone was up here."
"It's fine i mean it's for students and you're a student which makes sense on why you are up here — and i'm rambling, which takes some getting used to if you wanna know me. Because i'm the type of person you have to get to know to love — and i should probably get going because small talk isn't really my specialty."
As embarrassment bubbled up inside her the girl looked down at her feet, her cheeks tinted pink, and went to shuffle towards the entrance yet a soft chuckle escaped the boys lips as he shook his head and walked over to an owl giving it a letter to send off.
"So I have to know you to love you huh?"
"Oh my merlin — I'm so sorry i didn't mean to come off that way..."
"It's perfectly okay."
Aria nodded and went to turn around to leave when he stopped her. "First year right?"
"Yeah." Aria smiled
"I heard you almost got expelled."
Aria's eyes widened, "How did you—."
"the paintings talk and so do the twins."
Aria rolled her eyes, "Never trust the twins with a secret, got it."
"What position do you play?" he hummed
"What?" Aria was quick to retort
"That's a broomstick your carrying isn't it?"
"No- I -."
"— and i just blew the secret."
"chaser." Aria replied "but you can't tell anyone—."
"I won't i promise." he smiled heading towards the door himself brushing by the girl lightly "i'll see you on the field Anderson."
Aria opened her mouth to ask how he knew her name but closed it, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she prayed inside that the boy was an honest one who would keep his word about not blabbering about her spilled secret. Or in the wise words of Ron Weasley, she would never rest until she learned the Curse of the Bogies and have used it on him.
[edited: yes! (10/02/20)]