Malfoy's Scheme

Harry and Ron returned to the dormitory and only dozed for a little while. After recovering some of their energy, they immediately climbed out of bed.

Neville, Moxi, and Andy were sleeping deeply. The two did not disturb them and quietly slipped out of the dormitory.

In the hall, Harry and Ron found Hermione Granger waiting for them.

"Why didn't you go back to sleep?" Ron Weasley asked Hermione.

For a wizard's duel like this, Ron did not want Hermione involved. It was a little too cruel for a girl.

"I'm worried about you," Hermione said hesitantly.

Ron smiled slightly, raised his wand, and said, "I'm an Earth Elemental Magic user. I can cast Earth Spikes. Malfoy and Crabbe can't possibly be our opponents."

"So you should go back and sleep!"

Hermione shook her head and said firmly, "No. I have to go with you. Even if you lose in the end, I can avenge you. At the very least, if something really happens, I can call for a professor."

"I don't think Malfoy would really do that."

Seeing this, Harry said, "All right, then let's go together. Ron, take care of Hermione."

With that, Harry strode outside.

Ron looked at Hermione and whispered, "You should trust us."

After saying that, he followed Harry again, with Hermione close behind.

They had already sneaked out several times to study with Professor Katelyle, so Hermione, who should have been following the rules, had instead come to love the feeling of these nighttime excursions.

The three of them walked briskly along the corridor. Moonlight shone through the high windows, stretching across the floor in strips and bringing them a little light.

Even so, Harry, Ron, and Hermione proceeded carefully, afraid that every turn would bring them face-to-face with Argus Filch and Mrs Norris during their nighttime patrol.

Once they were exposed, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"Whew, we're really lucky. We didn't run into Filch and his cat," Ron said with a sigh of relief.

"Maybe he's asleep in some corner, hugging his cat," Harry joked quietly.

Before long, the three of them arrived on the fourth floor and quietly entered the Trophy Room.

It was terrifyingly quiet inside, without a single sound.

In the darkness, trophies, shields, medals, and statues gleamed silver and gold beneath the faint night light, lending a touch of warmth to the silence.

Even so, Harry and the others still pressed themselves carefully against the walls, their six eyes scanning every possible hiding place.

Malfoy was a sinister little man. For all they knew, he and Crabbe might have been hiding in some corner, ready to launch a sudden attack.

However, as time slowly passed and the three of them finished searching the small Trophy Room, they discovered that there was no one there at all.

"I can say for sure that Malfoy got scared and didn't dare come."

"After all, he was already frightened by you in flying class today, Harry."

Ron relaxed and said happily.

Harry frowned slightly at that, then said in a low voice, "We may be in trouble."

"Why?" Ron asked instinctively.

"Malfoy played us. This is a trap," Hermione said angrily through gritted teeth.

Ron's expression changed at once. Panic rose in his heart, and he hurriedly said, "Then let's get back quickly."

Just after Ron finished speaking, a chilling voice came from the room next door.

Someone they feared and did not want to see had appeared.

"Darling, sniff carefully. They must be hiding in some corner."

Filch's voice rang out, and Mrs Norris's figure stretched long beneath the moonlight, looking somewhat feral.

"That bastard Malfoy!" Harry's face darkened. Lowering his voice, he hurriedly said, "Go, get out of here!"

Harry now understood Malfoy's scheme. Filch was so certain they were here because Malfoy must have tipped him off.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione silently moved toward the door farthest from Filch. As Filch entered the Trophy Room, the three of them slipped out.

"I know you're in here, Harry Potter."

"There's no use hiding. My Mrs Norris will find you."

Filch swept his gaze across the dark Trophy Room with a sinister expression, a smile curling at his lips as he spoke.

Filch enjoyed catching students, and sometimes he even liked setting traps for them. He found it very entertaining.

Right now, he was toying with Harry Potter and the others.

Outside, Ron was bent over as he ran. He stepped on his robes and accidentally tripped himself, while Hermione, following close behind, crashed into him.

Bang!

"Ow!"

The sound of something heavy hitting the floor, along with the pain of Ron landing on his backside, made him cry out. Filch, inside the Trophy Room, immediately noticed something.

"Quick, quick, Mrs Norris! They got out!"

Filch carried his lamp and hurried outside, calling out as he went.

"Run!" Harry's expression changed as he growled.

Harry pulled Ron up, Ron grabbed Hermione's hand, and the three of them sprinted down the corridor without hesitation or looking back.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran around pillars and through corridor after corridor. They no longer knew where they were, only that they had run very, very far.

Then, as they rounded a corner, a figure suddenly rushed out of the darkness.

In that instant, the three of them felt their hearts stop, and even their breathing seemed to cease uncontrollably.

"Wah, wah, wah!"

"Why, it's a bunch of nasty first-year brats wandering around in the middle of the night. How very naughty!"

"Ohoho, Filch will catch you, hee hee hee!"

It was Peeves!

After their fright, Harry and the others recognized Peeves and breathed a sigh of relief.

Hermione glared at Peeves angrily and shouted, "Shut up, Peeves! You scared me half to death!"

Hermione was brave and bold, but she had truly been terrified just now. For a moment, she had even thought she was going to be expelled from school.

That would have been an unimaginable, even despairing thing.

Hearing Hermione's words, Peeves not only failed to shut up but grew even more pleased. With a mischievous smile, he said, "Is that so? So you were scared silly? That's wonderfully amusing."

"That proves my scare tactics are effective and correct."

"You should feel honored, shouldn't you?"

"Damn it, you're so annoying!" Ron was enraged by Peeves's words and immediately reached out to grab him.

Peeves dodged Ron's hand, flew higher, and called out mockingly, "Where are you, you wretched Filch?"

"There are students here who aren't sleeping. They're terribly naughty—they're bullying a ghost!"

Seeing this, Harry wanted nothing more than to throw a fireball at Peeves and teach him a painful lesson.

But he did not have time. He heard Filch's voice.

"Where are they, you naughty Peeves?"

"In the corridor where they teach Charms," Peeves replied loudly.

"Go!" Harry cursed under his breath and hurriedly said.

They ran all the way to the end of the corridor and crashed hard into a door.

The door was locked. It would not open!

Seeing this, Ron looked back. Firelight appeared around the corner at the other end of the corridor. Filch was about to arrive.

For a moment, Ron was in complete despair. "What do we do? We're finished."

"Alohomora!" Hermione took Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and shouted.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were immediately overjoyed. They quickly went inside and shut the door, then pressed their ears against the wall, trying to listen for movement outside.