Lunch at the Great Hall was a lively affair, the Gryffindor table buzzing with excitement after Rose's incredible performance in flying class. Even now, everyone was still talking about her dive—how she'd pulled up inches from the ground and left the entire house in awe.
"Did you see the look on Malfoy's face?" Seamus was saying between bites of shepherd's pie. "I thought he was going to choke on his pumpkin juice."
"Serves him right," Ron muttered, grinning. "Bet he's still sulking in the dungeons."
I was half-listening, my mind elsewhere as I scanned the hall. Something felt… off.
My instincts had been sharper ever since I'd been reborn in this world, and right now? They were screaming at me.
I didn't know why until I saw him.
Malfoy.
The moment I spotted him, a chill crawled up my spine.
He was moving toward us with that insufferable smirk plastered across his face, his walk slow and deliberate. I didn't like it. Not one bit.
"Potter," Draco drawled, his voice oozing with mock sweetness as he stopped just behind Rose.
My jaw clenched.
What does he want now?
"Malfoy," Rose said, her tone wary as she glanced over her shoulder.
"I've been thinking," Draco continued, his eyes gleaming with something that made my stomach twist. "Since you're so good on a broom… maybe you'd like to prove yourself somewhere else."
Don't take the bait.
"Prove myself where, Malfoy?" Rose asked, her eyes narrowing.
Draco's smirk grew wider.
"The Trophy Room. Tonight. Midnight." His voice was low, almost a whisper, but it carried over the noise of the Great Hall like a curse. "Wizard's duel. Unless, of course… you're scared."
I felt my blood run cold.
A duel?
My mind immediately started racing through every possible scenario—none of them ended well.
Rose's eyebrows shot up. "What?"
Her surprise mirrored my own, but before I could speak, before she could even process what was happening—
"We'll be there," Ron blurted out.
What?!
My head snapped toward him so fast I thought I might get whiplash. "What?" I hissed under my breath, my eyes widening in disbelief.
"Brilliant," Draco said smoothly, clearly ignoring me as his eyes stayed locked on Rose. "I'll bring my second. You bring yours."
I barely heard him. My mind was already spinning.
This is a trap.
I didn't need to be a reincarnated person with knowledge of other worlds to see what was happening here. This was Malfoy.
My gut twisted, but I kept my face neutral as Draco turned away, sauntering back to the Slytherin table with Pansy and the others snickering by his side.
He's setting us up.
"Ron!" Rose hissed, her voice low but sharp as she rounded on him. "Why did you do that?!"
Ron blinked, looking genuinely confused. "What? You can take him, Rose. Besides," he added with a shrug, "it's Malfoy. He deserves to be put in his place."
"That's not the point!" Rose looked frustrated, her green eyes flashing with anger. "We're first-years! We could get expelled!"
"Relax, Rose," Ron said, waving a hand dismissively. "We'll be in and out before Filch even knows we're there."
Filch.
My jaw clenched. That's exactly who would be there.
"Ron," I said quietly, my voice serious. "This is a setup."
Ron's grin faltered. "A setup? What are you talking about?"
I leaned closer, lowering my voice. "Think about it," I murmured. "Why would Malfoy suggest a duel in the Trophy Room? At midnight? It's the perfect excuse to get us caught."
Hermione's eyes narrowed, her expression sharp as ever. "You think he's planning to tell Filch?"
"Exactly," I murmured, my mind already working through the possibilities. "Malfoy never intended to show up. He just wants us out after curfew."
Hermione's lips pressed into a thin line.
"And if Filch catches us…"
"We're done," I finished grimly. "Detention at best. Expulsion at worst."
"But… what if he does show up?" Ron asked, clearly still not convinced.
"He won't," I said with certainty. "This is Malfoy. He doesn't fight his own battles—he gets others to do it for him."
Rose's jaw clenched, her expression hardening. "Then what do we do?"
I thought for a moment, weighing our options.
"We go," I said finally, my voice low and steady.
"What?" Hermione hissed, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"We go," I repeated, but my tone was different now—calculated. "But not to duel. We're not walking into that trap."
Hermione was staring at me like I'd lost my mind.
"Ethan—"
"We go to prove a point," I interrupted, my mind already working through the plan. "We show up… but we don't stay. Just long enough to see that Malfoy's not there. Then we leave."
"And if Filch is waiting?" Ron asked, his confidence wavering now.
"Then we run."
Later That Night
Midnight.
The castle was shrouded in darkness, the only sound being the occasional distant creak of old wood settling in the walls.
The four of us—Rose, Ron, Hermione, and I—crept through the corridors, keeping to the shadows. My heart was pounding in my ears, but my senses were razor-sharp.
"Are you sure about this?" Hermione whispered as we approached the Trophy Room.
"Positive," I murmured, scanning the dimly lit hallway ahead.
No sign of Malfoy.
Of course.
We stopped just short of the door. I could feel the tension radiating off Rose beside me.
"See?" I whispered softly, my eyes narrowing as I glanced around. "He's not here."
"Maybe we should go now," Hermione murmured, her voice barely above a breath.
"We will," I said quietly, my instincts prickling.
But something's wrong.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
Where's Filch?
That's when I heard it.
A faint clicking noise.
Claws on stone.
My blood ran cold.
Mrs. Norris.
"Run," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
"Wha—"
"RUN!" I hissed, grabbing Rose's arm as I turned and bolted down the corridor.
We sprinted back the way we came, our footsteps echoing against the cold stone.
"She's seen us!" Hermione gasped, panic lacing her voice.
"Filch won't be far behind," I muttered, my heart pounding in my chest.
"This way!" I hissed, leading them down a side corridor, hoping to lose her.
But I knew it was no use.
Filch knew these halls better than anyone.
We needed to hide.
"Ethan!" Rose gasped, her voice filled with urgency.
I glanced around frantically.
Come on…
There.
A door.
"In here!" I whispered, pushing it open and ushering everyone inside.
We slipped through just as the soft glow of Filch's lantern flickered down the corridor behind us.
The door clicked shut, and we were engulfed in darkness.
For a moment, all I could hear was the sound of our ragged breathing.
"Where… are we?" Ron panted.
I raised my wand, muttering a quick, "Lumos."
The faint glow illuminated our surroundings.
Stone walls. Thick, ancient pillars. And a corridor that stretched deeper into the darkness.
My stomach dropped.
"Ethan…" Rose's voice was quiet, her eyes wide as she looked around.
Hermione's face paled. "We're on the third floor."
Oh no.
Dumbledore's warning echoed in my mind.
"The third-floor corridor is strictly forbidden to all who do not wish to die a most painful death."
"This is bad," I murmured, my pulse pounding in my ears.
"Maybe we should go back," Ron whispered, his voice barely above a breath.
But before any of us could move—
A low growl echoed through the darkness.
My blood froze.
Slowly, I turned toward the source of the sound.
And that's when I saw it.
A massive, three-headed dog.
Fluffy.
It was curled up near the end of the corridor, but even as it lay still, one of its heads had opened an eye, fixing its glowing, predatory gaze on us.
"Oh no…" Hermione whispered, her face paling.
"Don't. Move." I barely breathed the words, my wand gripped tightly in my hand.
But it was too late.
Fluffy's second head stirred, and then—
All three heads lifted, teeth bared, eyes locked on us.
A deep, menacing growl rumbled through the corridor.
"Back. Away. Slowly," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
We took a step back.
Then another.
But as Ron's foot accidentally scraped against the stone floor—
Fluffy lunged.
"GO!" I shouted, shoving Rose toward the door as the massive beast charged.
We bolted, racing back through the corridor as Fluffy's growls echoed behind us.
"Get the door!" Hermione cried as we sprinted toward the exit.
Ron was already there, yanking it open just as we reached him.
We tumbled through, slamming the door shut behind us.
I leaned against the cold stone wall, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath.
"That…" Ron panted, his face pale. "Was too close."
"Way too close," Rose murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I told you so," Hermione huffed, her voice dripping with exasperation as she brushed her hair back.
"We're alive, aren't we?" Ron muttered, but even he didn't sound convinced.
"Let's… get back to the common room," I muttered, my mind still racing.
We had escaped.
Barely.
But as we quietly made our way back through the dark corridors, one thought kept echoing in my mind.
Malfoy had set us up.
And I wasn't going to forget that.
Not for a second
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please vote, for every 10 power stones 1 bonus chapter would be available