The Midnight Duel

Harry had never believed he would meet a boy he hatedmore than Dudley, but that was before he met DracoMalfoy.Still,first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with theSlytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much.Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned upin the Gryffindor common room which made them all groan.Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday-and Gryffindorand Slytherin would be learning together.

'Typical,' said Harry darkly. 'Just what I always wanted. Tomake a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy.'

He had been looking forward to learning to fly more thananything else.

'You don't know you'll make a fool of yourself,' said Ronreasonably. 'Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on abouthow good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk!'

Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complainedloudly about first-years never getting in the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories which always seemed toend with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters.He wasn't the only one,though:the way Seamus Finnigantold it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming aroundthe countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tellanyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang.glider on Charlie's old broom.Everyone from wizardingfamilies talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron hadalready had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who sharedtheir dormitory, about football. Ron couldn't see what wasexciting about a game with only one ball where no onewas allowed to fly. Harry had caught Ron proddingDean's poster of West Ham football team, trying to makethe players move.

Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, becausehis grandmother had never let him near one.Privately,Harryfelt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to havean extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet onthe ground.

Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying asNeville was. This was something you couldn't learn by heartout of a book - not that she hadn't tried. At breakfast onThursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotout of a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages.Nevillewas hanging on to her every word,desperatefor anythingthat might help him hang on to his broomstick later, buteverybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture wasinterrupted by the arrival of the post.

Harry hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note,something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course.Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages ofsweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slyth-erin table.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from hisgrandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them aglass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full ofwhite smoke.

'It's a Remembrall!' he explained. 'Gran knows I forgetthings- this tells you if there's something you've forgotten todo. Look,you hold it tight like this and if it turns red -oh...'His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowedscarlet, '... you've forgotten something ...'

Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten whenDraco Malfoy,who was passing the Gryffindor table,snatchedthe Remembrall out of his hand.

Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hopingfor a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, whocould spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, wasthere in a flash.

'What's going on?'

'Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor.'

Scowling,Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall backon the table.

'Just looking,' he said,and he sloped away with Crabbe andGoyle behind him.

At three-thirty that afternoon,Harry,Ron and the otherGryffindors hurried down the front steps into the grounds fortheir first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day and the grassrippled under their feet as they marched down the slopinglawns towards a smooth lawn on the opposite side of thegrounds to the Forbidden Forest, whose trees were swayingdarkly in the distance.

The Slytherins were alreadythere, and so were twentybroomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry hadheard Fred and George Weasley complain about the schoolbrooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if youflew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short,greyhair and yellow eyes like a hawk.

'Well, what are you all waiting for?' she barked. 'Everyonestand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up.'

Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some ofthe twigs stuck out at odd angles.

'Stick out your right hand over your broom,' called MadamHooch at the front, 'and say, "Up!"'

'UP!' everyone shouted.

Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once,but it wasone of the few that did. HermioneGranger'shad simplyrolled over on the ground andNeville'shadn'tmoved atall. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tellwhenwereyouafraid,thought Harry; there wasquaver inNeville's voiceathat said only too clearly that he wantedto keephis feet onthe ground.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount theirbrooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and downthe rows,correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delightedwhen she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.

'Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from theground, hard,' said Madam Hooch. 'Keep your brooms steady,rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaningforwards slightly. On my whistle - three - two -'

But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of beingleft on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle hadtouched Madam Hooch's lips.

'Come back, boy!' she shouted, but Neville was risingstraight up like a cork shot out of a bottle - twelve feet -twenty feet.Harry saw his scared white face look down at theground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broomand-

WHAM-a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay,facedown, on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still risinghigher and higher and started to drift lazily towards theForbidden Forest and out of sight.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as whiteas his.

'Broken wrist,' Harry heard her mutter. 'Come on, boy - it'sall right, up you get.'

She turned to the rest of the class.

None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospitalwing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be outof Hogwarts before you can say"Quidditch". Come on, dear' Neville,his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist,hobbledoff with Madam Hooch,who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst intolaughter.

'Did you see his face, the great lump?'

The other Slytherins joined in.

'Shut up, Malfoy,' snapped Parvati Patil.

'Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?' said Pansy Parkinson,a hard-faced Slytherin girl. 'Never thought you'd like fat littlecry babies, Parvati.'

'Look!' said Malfoy, darting forward and snatchingsomething out of the grass. 'It's that stupid thing Longbottom'sgran sent him.'

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

'Give that here, Malfoy,' said Harry quietly. Everyonestopped talking to watch.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

'I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to col-lect-how about-up a tree?'

'Give it bere!' Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt on to hisbroomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could flywell-hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak hecalled, 'Come and get it,Potter!'

Harry grabbed his broom.

'No!' shouted Hermione Granger. 'Madam Hooch told usnot to move - you'll get us all into trouble!'

Harry ignored her.Blood was pounding in his ears. Hemounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared, air rushed through his hair and his robeswhipped out behind him - and in a rush of fierce joy herealised he'd found something he could do without beingtaught -this was easy, this was wonderful. He pulled hisbroomstick up a little to take it even higher and heard screamsand gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoopfrom Ron.

He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in mid-air. Malfoy looked stunned.

'Give it here,' Harry called, 'or I'll knock you off thatbroom!'

'Oh, yeah?' said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but lookingworried.

Harry knew, somehow, what to do. He leant forward andgrasped the broom tightly in both hands and it shot towardsMalfoy like a javelin. Malfoy only just got out of the way intime; Harry made a sharp about turn and held the broomsteady. A few people below were clapping.

'No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy,'Harry called.

The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.

'Catch it if you can, then!' he shouted, and he threw theglass ball high into the air and streaked back towards theground.

Harry saw, as though in slow motion, the ball rise up in theair and then start to fall. He leant forward and pointed hisbroom handle down-next second he was gathering speed ina steep dive, racing the ball - wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching-he stretchedout his hand-a foot from the ground he caught it, just in timeto pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently on to thegrass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.

'HARRY POTTER!'

His heart sank faster than he'd just dived. ProfessorMcGonagall was running towards them. He got to his feet,trembling.

'Never-in all my time at Hogwarts -'

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock,and her glasses flashed furiously,'- how dare you - might havebroken your neck-'

'It wasn't his fault, Professor -'

'Be quiet,Miss Patil

'But Malfoy-'

'That's enougb,Mr Weasley.Potter, follow me, now.'

Harry caught sight of Malfoy,Crabbe and Goyle'striumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in ProfessorMcGonagall's wake as shestrode towards the castle.He wasgoing to be expelled, he just knew it. He wanted to saysomething to defend himself, but there seemed to be some-thing wrong with his voice. Professor McGonagall wassweeping along without even looking at him; he had to jog tokeep up. Now he'd done it. He hadn't even lasted two weeks.He'd be packing his bags in ten minutes. What would theDursleys say when he turned up on the doorstep?

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and stillProfessor McGonagall didn't say a word to him.She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry trottingmiserably behind her. Maybe she was taking him toDumbledore.He thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowedto stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps he could be Hagrid'sassistant. His stomach twisted as he imagined it, watching Ronand the others becoming wizards while he stumped aroundthe grounds, carrying Hagrid's bag.

Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom.Sheopened the door and poked her head inside.

'Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for amoment?'

Wood? thought Harry,bewildered;was Wood a cane shewas going to use on him?

But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boywho came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.

Follow me,you two,' said Professor McGonagall, and theymarched on up the corridor,Wood looking curiously at Harry.'In here.'

Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroomwhich was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writingrude words on the blackboard.

'Out, Peeves!' she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into abin,whichclangedloudly, and he swooped out cursing.Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him andturned to face the two boys.

Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood-I've found you aSeeker.'

Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight.

'Are you serious,Professor?'

'Absolutely,' said Professor McGonagall crisply. 'The boy'sa natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your firsttime on a broomstick, Potter?'

Harry nodded silently. He didn't have a clue what wasgoing on,but he didn't seem to be being expelled, and someof the feeling started coming back to his legs.

'He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive,'Professor McGonagall told Wood. 'Didn't even scratchhimself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it.'

Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had cometrue at once.

'Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?'he asked excitedly.

'Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team,' ProfessorMcGonagall explained.

'He's just the build for a Seeker, too,' said Wood,nowwalking around Harry and staring at him. 'Light-speedy-we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor-a NimbusTwo Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say.'

'I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and seeif we can'tbend the first-year rule.Heaven knows,we need a better teamthan last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin,Icouldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks ...'

Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses atHarry.

'I want to hear you're training hard,Potter, or I may changemy mind about punishing you.'

Then she suddenly smiled.

'Your father would have been proud,' she said. 'He was anexcellent Quidditch player himself.'

'You're joking!'

It was dinner time. Harry had just finished telling Ronwhat had happened when he'd left the grounds with ProfessorMcGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak-and-kidney pie halfwayto his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.

'Seeker?' he said. 'But first-years never - you must be theyoungest house player in about-'

'- a century,' said Harry, shovelling pie into his mouth. Hefelt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon.'Wood told me.'

Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped atHarry.

'I start training next week,' said Harry. 'Only don't tellanyone,Wood wants to keep it a secret.'

Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spottedHarry and hurried over.

'Well done,' said George in a low voice. 'Wood told us.We're on the team too-Beaters.'

'I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch Cup forsure this year' said Fred. 'We haven't won since Charlieleft, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You mustbe good,Harry,Wood was almost skipping when hetold us.'

'Anyway,we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found anew secret passageway out of the school.'

Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmythat we found in our first week. See you.'

Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someonefar less welcome turned up: Malfoy,flanked by Crabbe andGoyle.

'Having a last meal,Potter? When are you getting the trainback to the Muggles?'

'You're a lot braver now you're back on the groundand you've got your little friends with you,' said Harrycoolly. There was of course nothing at all little aboutCrabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers,neither of them could do more than crack their knucklesand scowl.

I'd take you on any time on my own,' said Malfoy. 'Tonight,if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact. What'sthe matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?'

'Of course he has,' said Ron, wheeling round. T'm hissecond, who's yours?'

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.

'Crabbe,' he said. 'Midnight all right? We'll meet you in thetrophy room, that's always unlocked.'

When Malfoy had gone,Ron and Harry looked at eachother.

'What is a wizard's duel?' said Harry. 'And what do youmean, you're my second?'

Well, a second's there to take over if you die, said Roncasually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching thelook on Harry's face,he added quickly,'but people only die in  proper duels, you know,with real wizards. The most you andMalfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither ofyou knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet heexpected you to refuse, anyway.'

'And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?'

'Throw it away and punch him on the nose,' Ron suggested.

'Excuse me.'

They both looked up. It was Hermione Granger.

'Can't a person eat in peace in this place?' said Ron.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.

'I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy weresaying-'

'Bet you could,' Ron muttered.

'- and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night,think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, andyou're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you.'

'And it's really none of your business,' said Harry.

'Goodbye,' said Ron.

All the same, it wasn't what you'd call the perfect end to theday, Harry thought, as he lay awake much later listening toDean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back from thehospital wing). Ron had spent all evening giving him advicesuch as 'If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, becauseI can't remember how to block them'. There was a very goodchance they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs Norris,and Harry felthe was pushing his luck, breaking anotherschool rule today. On the other hand, Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness-this was his big chanceto beat Malfoy, face to face. He couldn't miss it.

'Half past eleven,' Ron muttered at last. 'We'd better go!

They pulled on their dressing-gowns, picked up theirwands and crept across the tower room, down the spiralstaircase and into the Gryffindor common room. A few emberswere still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairsinto hunched black shadows. They had almost reached theportrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them:'I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry.'

A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger,wearing apink dressing-gown and a frown.

'You!' said Ron furiously. 'Go back to bed!'

'I almost told your brother,' Hermione snapped. 'Percy -he's a Prefect, he'd put a stop to this.'

Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.

'Come on,' he said to Ron. He pushed open the portrait ofthe Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.

Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followedRon through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angrygoose.

'Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care aboutyourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the House Cup andyou'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall forknowing about Switching Spells.'

'Go away.'

'All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I saidwhen you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so -' But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione hadturned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside andfound herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady hadgone on a night-time visit and Hermione was locked out ofGryffindor Tower.

'Now what am I going to do?' she asked shrilly.

'That's your problem,' said Ron. 'We've got to go, we'regoing to be late.'

They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor whenHermione caught up with them.

'I'm coming with you,' she said.

'You are not.'

'D'you think I'm going to stand out here and waitfor Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him thetruth, that I was trying to stop you and you can back me up.'

'You've got some nerve -' said Ron loudly.

'Shut up, both of you!' said Harry sharply. 'I heardsomething.'

It was a sort of snuffling.

'Mrs Norris?' breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.

It wasn't Mrs Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up onthe floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they creptnearer.

'Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here forhours. I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed.'

'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?' said Harry.

'Fine,' said Neville, showing them. 'Madam Pomfreymended it in about a minute.'

'Good-well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere,we'll see you later -'

'Don't leave mel' said Neville, scrambling to his feet. 'Idon't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been pasttwice already.'

Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously atHermione and Neville.

'If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learntthat Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about and used it onyou.'

Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactlyhow to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her tobe quiet and beckoned them all forward.

They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlightfrom the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to runinto Filch or Mrs Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up astaircase to the third floor and tiptoed towards the trophyroom.

Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet. The crystal trophycases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups,shields, plates and statues winked silver and gold in thedarkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes onthe doors at either end of the room. Harry took out hiswand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once. The minutescrept by.

'He's late, maybe he's chickened out,' Ron whispered.

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry hadonly just raised his wand when they heard someone speak-and it wasn't Malfoy.

'Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner.'

It was Filch speaking to Mrs Norris. Horror-struck,Harrywaved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly aspossible; they scurried silently towards the door away fromFilch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round thecorner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.

'They're in here somewhere,' they heard him mutter,'probably hiding.'

'This way!' Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified,they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armour.They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let outa frightened squeak and broke into a run - he tripped,grabbedRon around the waist and the pair of them toppled right intoa suit of armour.

The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the wholecastle.

'RUN!' Harry yelled and the four of them sprinted downthe gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch wasfollowing-they swung around the doorpost and gallopeddown one corridor then another, Harry in the lead withoutany idea where they were or where they were going. Theyripped throughatapestry and found themselves in ahidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near theirCharms classroom,which they knew was miles from thetrophy room.

'I think we've lost him,' Harry panted, leaning against thecold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent double,wheezing and spluttering.

'I-told-you,'Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch inher chest. 'I-told-you.'

We've got to get back to Gryffindor Tower,' said Ron,'quickly as possible.'

'Malfoy tricked you,' Hermione said to Harry.'You realisethat, don't you? He was never going to meet you-Filch knewsomeone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy musthave tipped him off.!'

Harry thought she was probably right, but he wasn't goingto tell her that.

'Let's go!'

It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone morethan a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and somethingcame shooting out of a classroom in front of them.

It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squealof delight.

'Shut up,Peeves - please - you'll get us thrown out.'

Peeves cackled.

'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.'

'Should tell Filch, I should,' said Peeves in a saintly voice,buthis eyes glittered wickedly. 'It's for your own good, you know.'

'Get out of the way,' snapped Ron, takingaswipe atPeeves-this was a big mistake.

STUDENTS OUT OF BED! Peeves bellowed.STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMSCORRIDOR!'

Ducking under Peeves they ran for their lives, rightto the end of the corridor, where they slammed into a door -and it was locked.

'This is it!' Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at thedoor. 'We're done for! This is the end!'

They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he couldtowards Peeves's shouts.

'Oh, move over,' Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry'swand, tapped the lock and whispered, 'Alobomora!'

The lock clicked and the door swung open-they piledthrough it, shut it quickly and pressed their ears against it,listening.

Which way did they go,Peeves?' Filch was saying. 'Quick,tell me.'

'Say "please".'

'Don't mess me about, Peeves, now wbere did tbey go?'

'Shan't say nothing if you don't say please,' said Peeves inhis annoying sing-song voice.

'All right - please.'

NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothingif you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!' And they heardthe sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursingin rage.

'He thinks this door is locked,' Harry whispered. 'I thinkwe'll be OK-get off, Neville!' For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's dressing-gown for the last minute.'Wbat?'

Harry turned around-and saw, quite clearly,what.Foramoment,he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare-this wastoo much, on top of everything that had happened so far.

They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were ina corridor.The forbidden corridor on the third floor.And nowthey knew why it was forbidden.

They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrousdog, a dog which filled the whole space between ceiling andfoor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes;three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; threedrooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes fromyellowish fangs.

It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, andHarry knew that the only reason they weren't already deadwas that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, butit was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking whatthose thunderous growls meant.

Harry groped for the doorknob-between Filch and death,he'd take Filch.

They fell backwards-Harry slammed the door shut, andthey ran,they almost flew,back down the corridor.Filch musthave hurried off to look for them somewhere else becausethey didn't see him anywhere,but they hardly cared-all theywanted to do was put as much space as possible between themand that monster.They didn't stop running until they reachedthe portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.

Where on earth have you all been?' she asked, looking attheir dressing-gowns hanging off their shoulders and theirAushed,sweaty faces.

Never mind that-pig snout,pig snout,'panted Harry,andthe portrait swung forward.They scrambled into the commonroom and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.

It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville,indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.

What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing likethat locked up in a school?' said Ron finally. 'If any dog needsexercise, that one does.'

Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temperback again.

'You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?' she snapped.'Didn't you see what it was standing on?'

'The floor?' Harry suggested. 'I wasn't looking at its feet,Iwas too busy with its heads.'

No,not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It'sobviously guarding something.'

She stood up, glaring at them.

I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all havebeen killed - or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'mgoing to bed.!'

Ron stared after her, his mouth open.

No,we don't mind,' he said. 'You'd think we dragged heralong, wouldn't you?'

But Hermione had given Harry something else to thinkabout as he climbed back into bed. The dog was guarding something...What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safestplace in the world for something you wanted to hide - exceptperhaps Hogwarts.

It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubbylittle package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.

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