"Yoing to stop them, aren't you?" Glenn gave up trying to expin, ign Ron's hostility as he asked Hermione. Knowing her, anything involving House points would definitely get her involved.

  Hermione nodded and said bluntly to the three boys: "Get back to your dormitht now, or I'll tell Perorrow. He takes House points very seriously these days."

  Harry and Ron were pletely frustrated - this girl just wouldn't budge.

  Neville had finally e to his senses and added: "They're right, Harry, Ron. It's better not to go out at night. My gran says you get expelled if you're caught wandering Hogwarts at night."

  The two boys were armed - they hadn't known about this rule. But they had spent all afternoon pnning, and if they didn't show up for the duel, they could imagine Malfoy's smug faorrow.

  They didn't want to be called cowards.

  Harry stepped forward and promised: "We'll be careful not to get caught, and besides..." He poi the Fat Lady's portrait, "We 't get ba now anyway."

  The Fat Lady had gone visiting another portrait and wasn't in her frame, meaning they coulder the on room.

  Hermione was shocked. She went to check, and ihe Fat Lady's portrait was empty.

  Wheurned back, Harry and Ron had already disappeared.

  "Oh!" Hermioomped her foot in frustration and gave Glenn an acg look. "Why didn't you stop them?"

  Glenn shrugged: "I don't want to get involved, and they seemed so fident - surely they must have some way to avoid the professors' night patrols."

  Hermione frantically ruffled her hair: "I kly what those two are capable of! I t the spells they know on one hand. How could they possibly avoid the professors, let alone win a magical duel?"

  "Ahhh, our House points!"

  Neville timidly spoke up: "Hermione, Glenn, what should we do now?"

  "I give up! Let them do what they want - I'm rep this to Professonagall tomorrow!"

  Perhaps hearing the otion in the corridor, the Fat Lady returo her frame. She looked surprised to see the three young students: "Oh my, what are you doing out here at this hour?"

  Hermiohought quickly and smoothly delivered a string of lies: "I'm so sorry, Fat Lady. When I tried to return, I found you weren't in your frame so I had to wait outside. The same happeo Neville, and Glenn was just worried about me and escorted me back."

  She added, "The password is 'Pig snout' - we go in now?"

  She turo look at the two boys, who both nodded vigorously.

  "Oh! Of course, of course, I'm terribly sorry - that was my fault. I'll open right up." Hermione's rapid-fire words hit the Fat Lady like bullets, leaving her rather flustered.

  The entrao the Gryffindor on room appeared in the wall, and Hermione finally breathed a sigh of relief.

  "Well then, Glenn, Neville and I will head in now. Be careful on your way back," she said, shaking her head as if trying to clear away the unpleasantness, managing a smile at Glenn.

  "Mm, good night," Glenn nodded.

  "Good night." Hermio Neville climb through the entrance first, then bid Glenn goodnight before entering the Gryffindor on room herself.

  She couldn't wait to rant to her roommates about those two stupid boys! They made her so angry!

  After watg Hermiourn to the on room, Glenn headed straight back to his dormitory.

  Entering the room, he saw that Malfoy's group hadn't goo the trophy room for the duel as Harry and the others had said, and immediately uood.

  "Well well, Hawthorne, ing back so te? Did you get lost?" they sneered.

  "I ran into Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. They said they were going to duel you irophy room," Glenn casually responded while preparing his equipment for the Forbidden Forest.

  "Ha! I khey'd go! I've already told Filch there would be students wandering there tonight. Tomorrow we'll hear the good news about them being thrown out of Hogwarts," Malfoy said smugly.

  He noticed Glenn ging clothes and frowned: "What are you up to?"

  His only answer was three purple fshes and three blue-white ones.

  ...The Day...

  At the Gryffindor table, Hermioared oddly at Harry and Ron. They looked exhausted but seemed very excited.

  They hadn't been caught?

  Seeing Hermione's interrogating look, the two boys became rather pleased with themselves. Ron mysteriously told her: "You have no idea what thrillis we experie night! We successfully escaped Filch's capture, and what's more, we found out why Professor Dumbledore forbade us from going to the fourth-floor corridor. It's because..."

  Harry quickly covered his mouth: "The fewer people who know about this, the better."

  Hermione rolled her eyes. She couldn't care less what was in that corridor - it was already a blessing these two weren't causing trouble. She turned back to tinue chatting with Glenn.

  Ron was clearly provoked by her indifferent expression. In the heat of the moment, he blurted out: "A mohere's a monster in there! I bet you've never seen anything like it!" Theiced Glenn sitting beside Hermione and excimed in shod anger: "What are you doing here?!"

  Harry awkwardly nudged Ron: "You really hadn't noticed? Hawthorne has beeing at our table sihe first day of school." How unobservant could he be to not notice this odd addition to Gryffindor table?

  Hermione waved dismissively, pretending not to care about any monster.

  "You talk as if you actually saw this monster yesterday. Well then, describe what it looks like! With your abilities, you wouldn't stand a ce if you really entered a monster," Hermione smirked, not fetting to fish for information even while mog - clearly influenced by Snape.

  Reverse psychology works best on these silly boys!

  Ron's face alternated between green and white. The truth was, he and Harry had been stopped by a locked door and hadn't actually seen what the monster looked like. Wheried to kick the door open to hide from Filch, they had only woken up whatever was i had roared once, sg them half to death, and they had scrambled back to the on room, fortunately avoiding Filch.

  But that rotten Malfoy hadn't even shown up for the duel! The lying snake!

  Knowing he was in the wrong, Ron fell silent, just muttering under his breath and ign Hermione.

  Harry was dumbfounded - hadn't they agreed not to tell anyone?!

  Watg Hermione immediately rey what she'd just heard to that blind Slytherin and her roommates, Harry wao sp Ron.

  ......

  In the end, Hermione didn't report st night's events to Professonagall.

  Sino points had been lost, better not to bother the professor - she was busy enough already.

  Little Hermione was quite siderate.

  What she really cared about now was the approag September 19th - her and Glenn's twelfth birthday.

  The little girl was very excited, not because she was growing another year older, but because Glenn's eyes would finally recover!

  Two years! Do you knoe spent these two years?

  Emmm though it wasn't so bad, there were lots of reasons to have physical tact with Glenn.

  Pah! That's not the point - the point is I'm so happy Glenn will fully recover!

  Yes! As a reward for my hard work taking care of him for two years, I o think carefully about what to make Glenn do for me!

  Hehe.