Chapter 16

                                    

                                          
I'm on an adrenaline fuelled roll because there's like three chapter left and I'm PUMPED AS F*CK FOR BOOK TWO! 
                          
Enjoy! 
                          
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Not a single word was spoken. 
                          
Only thoughts circled around their heads, but for Aldura, this was good enough.
                          
Maybe we could tell her that we wanted to look at the stars? No, that's stupid. I can't come up with anything to cover us up with. If we tell her the truth, we'll be gone for real this time. I don't want to go back to the Dursleys. I don't want to be alone again.
                          
How could we be so stupid as to leave the cloak? I've never been more disappointed in myself...Think of all the points we'll lose! If Mum and Dad could see me now, they'd be utterly ashamed.
                          
Aludra was shaking in her seat. If McGonagall shouted at her, she would surely cry the worst she'd cried that entire week. What could possibly be worse than this?
                          
Her question was answered when Professor McGonagall strode into the room, leading in a frightened-looking Neville.
                          
"Neville?" Aludra squeaked.
                          
"Aludra!" Neville burst out. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard your brother saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag - "
                          
They shook their heads to urge Neville to stop talking, but Professor McGonagall had seen them do this. She was livid. "I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr Filch says you were up in the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."
                          
Aludra thought she would have preferred it if McGonagall had shouted at them.
                          
"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. You've turned against your own brother, Miss Malfoy?"
                          
Aludra looked down, ashamed. She could have denied it, but did not. What could she say? The truth? That wasn't an option. 
                          
"I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?"
                          
At this, Aludra snapped her head up, eyes full of dread. She looked right at Neville, who was gazing back at her, stunned and most of all, hurt. 
                          
They wouldn't do that to me, would they? Who am I kidding - of course they would. I'm just stupid, blundering old Neville, who's as dumb and gullible as you make them. But Aludra would never do a thing like that! 
                          
Aludra tried to shake her head, to tell  him that no, she would never do a thing like that, not to him. 
                          
Of course she would. She's no different than her brother. 
                          
Aludra's bottom lip began to shake and she buried her head in her arms, sobbing violently.
                          
"Don't you dare begin to cry, Malfoy. I'm disgusted," said Professor McGonagall. "Five students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. Miss Malfoy, I thought you'd learned your lesson the last time a thing like this happened. As for you, Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All four of you will receive detentions - yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous - and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."
                          
"Fifty?" Harry gasped.
                          
"Fifty points. Each," said Professor McGonagall firmly.
                          
"Professor - please -" Hermione tried.