-Harry Potter POV-

"Blimey, Harry! Gryffindor Seeker? You must be the youngest seeker in-”

"A century?" I guessed. "Yeah. Wood told me," I said as I took another bite of dinner.

The Wesley Twins came behind us, "Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too. Beaters."

"I feel like we'll finally win the cup back this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's our year. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyway, we've got to go. Lee Jordan has something he wants to show us."

"Bet it's the passage we found behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy we found our first week. See you."

Right after they walked away, Malfoy came up behind us, flanked by Crabbe and Goyel. "Enjoying your last meal Potter? I'm sure they'll send you back on that train in just a few minutes."

I glared at him, tension thick enough to cut. "A lot braver now that you have your little friends backing you up."

Malfoy gave a similar glare to mine. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't do anything with an entire table of teachers looking down on us other than crack their knuckles and scowl. "I'll take you on anytime by myself. Tonight if you want Wizard duel. Just wands, no physical contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Course he has," Ron snapped back. "I'm his second. Who's yours?"

Malfoy looked back at the two and they sized up. "Crabbe. Midnight tonight in the Trophy room. That's always unlocked."

"We'll meet you there," Ron told him before I could say anything. With that, they walked to their own table.

"What is a Wizard's duel?" I asked. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"

"Well, the second takes over if you die," he said with a casual shrug before noticing my heightened anxiety and quickly expounded. "Don't worry, people only die in real duels. The most you two can do is throw sparks at each other."

"What if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

He shrugged, "Throw it aside and punch him in the noze."

Hermoine came behind us. What is with this today? “I couldn’t help but overhear. And you mustn't do it.”

“Can’t someone eat in peace?” Ron muttered.

“You’ll definitely get caught and lose points for Gryffindor,” She said in a serious tone. “Just, consider your choices.”

She left and I looked away. Was I really willing to break the rules twice in one day after narrowly escaping expulsion?

I looked up and saw Jack walk in talking with Jamie, smiles on their faces. Jack looked over as Jamie began to walk over and we made eye contact. He smiled and mouthed, ‘Good job,’ before going to his place to eat. 

I was close to deciding to not meet Malfoy, until I looked over and saw his face. All smug looking at me as if saying, ‘I know you’re too chicken to come.’

I scowled and knew I had to meet him. If only to prove I wasn’t afraid. However, that’s what I was. Afraid.

Me, Ron, Hermionie, and Nevil rushed into the common room and quickly shut the portrait of the Fat Lady behind us. After doing so, we collapsed on different chairs, out of breath.

Ron was the first to recover, “What the bloody hell are they doing keeping that creature in a school?!”

I shook my head, “No idea.”

Hermione quickly went back to her old self after that while Nevil looked as though he would never speak again. “You idiots. Didn’t you see what it was standing on?”

“The floor?” I said, bewilderd that she’d even ask such a thing. “Sorry, I was to busy looking at it’s heads!”

Hermione rolled her eyes, “He was standing on a trap door. Whatever that thing is, it’s guarding something.”

“And for good reason.”

We looked towards the voice and froze to see Profesor Frost comfortably sitting on a sofa. He turned up a lamp to illuminate his face and we found he was wearing some form of silk pajamas, his staff leaning against the backrest behind him. I somehow registered that this was the first time I’ve seen him in anything close to pants.

“P- Professor!” Ron stamperd. “W- we were just—”

Jack heald up his hand to silence him and stood, grabbing his staff.

“Professor, I would like you to know I did try to stop them,” Hermione said only to be almost waved off.

“Don’t worry Mis. Granger. I know exactly what happened. I can see through any lie like glass without the assistance of a truth potion. When I looked at Mr. Potter during dinner I could tell he was frightened and decided to keep tabs on you. I must say, I’m shocked.”

“Professor, I—” I tried to defend myself, but nothing came out. So I settled with, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” He burst out laughing causing us to look at each other confused. “Are you kidding? That was priceless! Then when Peves started yelling? Where is a camera when I need one?” His laughter was contagious and we ended up laughing along ever so slightly.

“You’re not mad?” Ron cautiously confirmed.

“That you snuck out? No,” he straightened his pajamas. “If anything, just the fact you got caught. I’m obligated to take at least one point from each of you, but Merlin's beard, am I glad that I stayed this long.”

We were all relieved except Hermione who seemed to be furious. “You are a Professor! You shouldn’t be happy about all of this!” 

Frost calmed down and stood up straight. “Oh, Granger. If there is one thing you need to learn about me, is that I don’t have a boss. I do my own thing. Dumbledor is my employer, and I always inform him when I’m leaving for my number one priority, but even he knows, he can only do so much to control me.”

Much to our amusement, she simply stood and said, “Well, I’m going to bed. Before these boys find another way to get us all killed. Or worse expelled.” With that, she left to the girls dorms.

Frost simply shrugged and twirled his stick. “She has the right idea you know. You still have class and from what I’ve heard, Harry’s receiving a very special thing tomorrow.” He winked at me, “Don’t leave Hufflepuff too far in the dust. Will you Harry?”

I chuckled, “No promises.”

Nevil seemed too tired to question and just went to bed. Me and Ron were about to follow him, but Frost put a hand on Ron’s shoulder. “Mind if I talk with you for a moment?”

He seemed caught off guard and said, “Yeah. For sure,” after slight hesitation.

I went up the stairs, but only enough for them to not see me and listened. 

“Have you used it?” Frost asked Ron.

“Well, no. It seems like a strange concept to me.”

“Well, I can say from experience that it works. May not be magical, but it works better than any spell or potion. Because the positive effects are permanent and only get better over time. I’m not forcing you, but what you write, only you can see unless you want them to. Or you’re dead. Just think about it.”

There was a pause before Ron responded, “I will Professor.”

After that, I quickly, but silently, went to our dorm and waited. When he came back, I asked, “What you guys talk about?”

He shook his head. “Nothing to important.”

I acted as if I shrugged it off and got under the covers. When I peeked, I saw Ron staring at the book Frost gave him again. Something he hasn’t done for a few days, instead glancing at it. Tonight, however, he did something different. 

He picked it up, grabbed an ink filled quill, opened to the first page and began to write. It was now that I realised how slow he really wrote. I knew before from when we did assignments, but the slow scratching of the quill seemed to lull me off to sleep till I fell asleep to only that sound.