Harry Potter's : Fantastic Beasts Guide

David carefully approached the Fat Lady's portrait, looking around to ensure the coast was clear. He removed his invisibility cloak and whispered the password. The portrait swung open, revealing the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. Taking no chances, David quietly stepped through and called out, "Hermione!"

A moment later, Hermione appeared, sneaking out to meet him.

"Where's Norbert?" Harry asked in a hushed tone, glancing around nervously.

David gestured to the corner. "Right there."

Harry and Ron hurried over, eagerly lifting the edge of the invisibility cloak covering Norbert's cage to take a look. Hermione, meanwhile, grabbed David's hand for reassurance.

"You all need to follow the cage closely once we start moving," David instructed.

Ron looked puzzled. "Don't we need to carry it?"

David gave him a pointed look. "We're wizards, Ron. Why would we carry it when we can use magic?" With a flick of his wand, David levitated the cage into the air.

"Let's move!" he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He and Hermione disappeared under the cloak, followed by Harry and Ron.

As they made their way toward the tallest tower, Ron muttered, "This is so convenient. I wish I could do that."

"I can teach you later," David replied with a small smile. "For now, stay close."

---

When they reached the tower, David suddenly froze. Faint voices echoed down the corridor. He motioned for everyone to stop and carefully peered around the corner.

To his shock, he saw Professor McGonagall dragging a furious Malfoy by the arm.

David's mind raced. How does Malfoy know about Norbert? He'd been so cautious these past few days. Could someone have leaked the plan?

He quickly returned to Harry and the others, his expression tense.

"Malfoy knows about us sending Norbert away," David said quietly. "He told Professor McGonagall, but luckily, they didn't see us."

Harry and Ron exchanged guilty looks before Harry mumbled, "Uh… that might be our fault."

"What?" David's eyes widened.

"We were in the Great Hall yesterday," Harry admitted sheepishly. "We were talking to Neville about the plan, and I think Malfoy overheard us."

David sighed, exasperated. "Good grief, couldn't you have waited until we were in the dormitory? You basically handed him the information on a silver platter!"

Ron cringed, but Hermione jumped in, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, look on the bright side," she said cheerfully. "Professor McGonagall caught Malfoy. He'll be punished, and it'll serve him right for trying to rat us out!"

Her optimism seemed to lift everyone's spirits. Ron even chuckled. "Yeah, maybe we won't have to see Malfoy for a while after this!"

---

After successfully handing Norbert over to Charlie and his friends, Harry, Ron, and the others felt a weight lifted off their shoulders. The dragon was safe, Malfoy was in trouble, and the mission was complete.

However, on their way back, Harry suddenly stopped.

"My cloak!" he gasped. "I left it on the tower!"

Before anyone could react, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed in the corridor.

"It's Filch!" David hissed. "Quick, hold hands. Now!"

Filch appeared around the corner just as David grabbed Harry, Ron, and Hermione, rendering them invisible. The caretaker looked around suspiciously, muttering to Mrs. Norris.

"I heard something," Filch said, peering into the darkness. "What do you think, my sweet? Smell anyone here?"

Mrs. Norris meowed softly, her eyes briefly meeting David's. Then, to everyone's surprise, the cat turned and walked away.

"Nothing, huh? All right, let's go," Filch said, following after her.

Once the coast was clear, Harry whispered, "How did Mrs. Norris not find us? Last time, she sniffed me out, even under the invisibility cloak!"

Hermione grinned. "Because David's her friend! She wouldn't rat him out."

"Wait, you're friends with Mrs. Norris?" Ron asked incredulously.

David shrugged. "I give her dried fish sometimes. Cats love snacks."

Harry's eyes lit up. "Can we try that? If she likes us, sneaking around would be so much easier!"

"You can try," David said, "but don't get your hopes up. Cats are picky. It took Hermione weeks before Mrs. Norris trusted me enough to eat from my hand."

With the excitement over, they decided to split up. Harry and Ron went back to retrieve the cloak while David and Hermione returned to the common room.

---

Back in the Lounge

By the time Harry and Ron returned, Neville had joined David and Hermione in the Gryffindor common room. Neville looked distraught, his eyes red and puffy from crying.

"Where were you, Neville?" David asked, concerned.

Neville sniffled. "I heard Malfoy talking about trying to catch you, so I went to warn you. But… I got caught by Professor McGonagall. She thought I was sneaking out for no reason, and I lost fifty points for Gryffindor!"

David's heart sank. "Neville, it's okay," he said, pulling the boy into a comforting hug. "You were just trying to help. Don't worry about the points; we'll earn them back."

Hermione nodded encouragingly. "Neville, I'll help you answer questions in class to earn points. You'll see—we'll be back on top in no time!"

Harry added, "And I'll catch as many Snitches as I can. We'll win every match!"

Even Ron chimed in, clapping Neville on the shoulder. "Next time, we'll all work together to make up for it."

Neville managed a small smile. Surrounded by friends who truly cared about him, he felt a little better.

As the group settled in for the night, David couldn't help but reflect on the evening's events. Despite the chaos, everything had worked out. And most importantly, they'd gotten through it together.