Up to Something
Title: Up to Something
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Harry, Hermione, Ron, Prof McGonagall
Rating: G
Warning(s): None
Word count: 652
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This fic/drabble was written for fun, not for profit.
Author's note: Written as a birthday gift for lindahoyland, using the prompts McGonagall, cat, Hermione.
Summary: The Golden Trio aren't as sneaky as they think they are.
It was late at night, and the only light in the Gryffindor common room came from the fire crackling in the hearth. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were seated on the sofa, heads bent together as they made plans in hushed voices. It was Hermione who first noticed another presence in the room.
"Whose cat is that?" she asked, indicating the tabby that was sitting on the arm of a nearby chair.
"Who cares?" countered Ron, waving off her question.
Harry stared at the cat in thoughtful silence until it began to wash its paw. "Maybe one of the Slytherins sent it here to spy on us."
"No, it must belong to someone in Gryffindor," Hermione said. "Otherwise, it wouldn't be able to get in here."
"You sure about that?" asked Ron.
Hermione nodded. "The Fat Lady won't let anyone but a Gryffindor in, and that includes familiars."
Harry snickered. "Only Gryffindor familiars know the password."
"Don't be absurd," Hermione lectured. "The Fat Lady recognizes our familiars, that's all. Crookshanks comes and goes as he pleases."
"Yeah, but I reckon the Fat Lady is terrified of him," said Ron.
Hermione pulled a face at him. "Do you want to discuss cats all night, or do you want to get back to the Sorcerer's Stone?"
The cat paused in her ablutions, but none of the youngsters noticed.
"The stone must be what Fluffy is guarding," Harry insisted.
Ron blanched. "We don't know that for certain," he blurted.
"What else would it be guarding?" snapped Harry, clearly growing exasperated with his friend. "We need to get that stone before Snape does."
Here, the cat's ears swiveled forward, and the tip of her tail began to flick back and forth.
Hermione huffed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why are you so certain that Professor Snape wants the stone?"
"Because he's always sneaking around like he has something to hide," Harry insisted. "I even saw him bullying Professor Quirrell. Mark my words, he's up to something."
"He gives me the creeps," Ron said, shuddering a little for effect.
"Just because he's creepy doesn't mean he's up to something."
Harry glared at Hermione. "If you don't want to go with me, then stay here."
"We'll come with you, Harry," she said. "If you intend to get past Fluffy and get the Sorcerer's Stone, you'll need all the help you can get."
A relieved smile creased Harry's face. "Thanks, Hermione," he said. He then looked at Ron. "Will you come, too?"
Ron's expression soured, but he answered with an affirmative nod. "Yeah, mate, I'll come along."
"Fantastic," Harry breathed. "I knew I could count on you two. Now all we need to do is figure out how to get by a three-headed dog to see what it's guarding."
The cat hopped down from its perch on the chair and trotted to the portrait hole. There, it scratched at the doorway, and the portrait swung open to allow the cat to exit. She made her way along a maze of corridors before stopping at another door.
The cat blurred and transformed into Professor Minerva McGonagall. She whispered the password to the portrait that guarded her quarters, then stepped inside. Minerva sank into a chair and drummed her fingers on the arm. Those three scamps would be the death of her, she was sure. Minerva shook her head and rose to her feet. She put a kettle on to boil and rummaged in the cupboard for her favorite tea.
Potter, Granger, and Weasley could try to get past Hagrid's guard dog. They may even succeed. However, there was no chance that three children would be able to defeat the other safeguards that Minerva herself, along with some of the other professors, had put in place.
Confident that the Sorcerer's Stone was safe where Albus had hidden it, Minerva sat down once more and calmly sipped her tea.
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Harry, Hermione, Ron, Prof McGonagall
Rating: G
Warning(s): None
Word count: 652
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This fic/drabble was written for fun, not for profit.
Author's note: Written as a birthday gift for lindahoyland, using the prompts McGonagall, cat, Hermione.
Summary: The Golden Trio aren't as sneaky as they think they are.
It was late at night, and the only light in the Gryffindor common room came from the fire crackling in the hearth. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were seated on the sofa, heads bent together as they made plans in hushed voices. It was Hermione who first noticed another presence in the room.
"Whose cat is that?" she asked, indicating the tabby that was sitting on the arm of a nearby chair.
"Who cares?" countered Ron, waving off her question.
Harry stared at the cat in thoughtful silence until it began to wash its paw. "Maybe one of the Slytherins sent it here to spy on us."
"No, it must belong to someone in Gryffindor," Hermione said. "Otherwise, it wouldn't be able to get in here."
"You sure about that?" asked Ron.
Hermione nodded. "The Fat Lady won't let anyone but a Gryffindor in, and that includes familiars."
Harry snickered. "Only Gryffindor familiars know the password."
"Don't be absurd," Hermione lectured. "The Fat Lady recognizes our familiars, that's all. Crookshanks comes and goes as he pleases."
"Yeah, but I reckon the Fat Lady is terrified of him," said Ron.
Hermione pulled a face at him. "Do you want to discuss cats all night, or do you want to get back to the Sorcerer's Stone?"
The cat paused in her ablutions, but none of the youngsters noticed.
"The stone must be what Fluffy is guarding," Harry insisted.
Ron blanched. "We don't know that for certain," he blurted.
"What else would it be guarding?" snapped Harry, clearly growing exasperated with his friend. "We need to get that stone before Snape does."
Here, the cat's ears swiveled forward, and the tip of her tail began to flick back and forth.
Hermione huffed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why are you so certain that Professor Snape wants the stone?"
"Because he's always sneaking around like he has something to hide," Harry insisted. "I even saw him bullying Professor Quirrell. Mark my words, he's up to something."
"He gives me the creeps," Ron said, shuddering a little for effect.
"Just because he's creepy doesn't mean he's up to something."
Harry glared at Hermione. "If you don't want to go with me, then stay here."
"We'll come with you, Harry," she said. "If you intend to get past Fluffy and get the Sorcerer's Stone, you'll need all the help you can get."
A relieved smile creased Harry's face. "Thanks, Hermione," he said. He then looked at Ron. "Will you come, too?"
Ron's expression soured, but he answered with an affirmative nod. "Yeah, mate, I'll come along."
"Fantastic," Harry breathed. "I knew I could count on you two. Now all we need to do is figure out how to get by a three-headed dog to see what it's guarding."
The cat hopped down from its perch on the chair and trotted to the portrait hole. There, it scratched at the doorway, and the portrait swung open to allow the cat to exit. She made her way along a maze of corridors before stopping at another door.
The cat blurred and transformed into Professor Minerva McGonagall. She whispered the password to the portrait that guarded her quarters, then stepped inside. Minerva sank into a chair and drummed her fingers on the arm. Those three scamps would be the death of her, she was sure. Minerva shook her head and rose to her feet. She put a kettle on to boil and rummaged in the cupboard for her favorite tea.
Potter, Granger, and Weasley could try to get past Hagrid's guard dog. They may even succeed. However, there was no chance that three children would be able to defeat the other safeguards that Minerva herself, along with some of the other professors, had put in place.
Confident that the Sorcerer's Stone was safe where Albus had hidden it, Minerva sat down once more and calmly sipped her tea.