HP: DnD Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Plans of Mischief

[Evening, Hogwarts Training Ground]

Wrapped warmly beneath his robes, Damien walked slowly around the school grounds. The cold air stung his face, but the layers of clothing kept him comfortable.

After a while, he decided to jog. Running always felt like the best way to shake off the cold and clear his mind. His boots crunched on the frosty ground as he picked up speed, enjoying the fresh air and freedom.

“Stats demand quite a lot, huh?” he mumbled.

There was a time when he hated running. His weak physical stats made any exercise feel like torture. But things had changed. His improved strength made his body crave movement. If he stayed still for too long, he felt restless and uneasy.

‘The school isn’t really built for physical growth,’ he thought, feeling a bit disappointed. ‘There’s Quidditch, but sitting on a broom all the time doesn’t help much.’

As he ran, his thoughts shifted to the challenge ahead. He had one more trial and then he would be facing Belial, a powerful demon from Ars Goetia. The thought made him nervous as Belial was the first malevolent demon he would be facing. But he felt more prepared than ever. His magical abilities had grown. Before, he could barely manage two or three spells without tiring. Now, he could cast a dozen with ease.

Even with major spells and curses, he had improved. Spells he once could barely manage now came more naturally. However, he still couldn’t handle something as draining as Fiendfyre—it just wasn’t worth exhausting himself completely.

After ten laps around the massive field, Damien finally felt warm enough. He peeled off most of his extra layers, letting the cold air hit his damp skin.

“This can’t be healthy,” he muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead. But he still enjoyed the feeling of being active.

Glancing at the large clock, Damien realized the hour was later than he liked. Quickly gathering his clothes, he rushed toward the building. The school had stricter curfews now, and students were advised not to wander alone at night.

‘The boy’s still petrified, isn’t he?’ Damien thought, a sour feeling settling in his chest.

It frustrated him that the school hadn’t found a way to reverse the curse. He even considered using his magical monocle to investigate. Even Hogwarts’ most skilled wizards hadn’t been able to lift the spell.

But after some thought, Damien decided against it. ‘I’ll use it only if someone else gets petrified,’ he promised himself.

‘I missed my chance to ask Helena about the Chamber of Secrets’ he realized with a groan. ‘I’ll have to ask her next time.’

He had hoped that he wouldn't forget again. But for now, he hurried across the quiet grounds toward the building, carrying his discarded clothing in his arms. Dinner was in about an hour, and he had plans to meet Harry, Hermione, and Ron afterward. They had invited him to join in on some sort of mischief.

At first, Damien wasn’t sure about joining them. But recalling how much fun their adventures usually were—despite the life-threatening dangers—he had agreed. These activities had brought him attention, both good and bad.

‘Not everyone’s thrilled about two Muggle-borns hanging out with Harry Potter,’ Damien thought grimly. ‘And my time with a popular Slytherin hasn’t helped.’

Lost in thought, Damien nearly collided with someone.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” he gasped, stopping just short. “Are you alright?”

A startled girl with fiery red hair looked up at him. “I—I’m fine,” she stammered, clutching a small diary to her chest.

Damien recognized her immediately. “Ginny,” he said, trying to soften his tone. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Ginny shook her head quickly. “No, it’s fine. I wasn’t paying attention.” Her cheeks flushed a faint pink, the color visible through her freckles.

Damien hesitated. He didn’t know Ginny well, but he didn’t want to seem rude. “Class ended a while ago,” he said. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for dinner?”

Ginny looked down, fidgeting with her diary. “Professor McGonagall needed some things for the library. I almost forgot, so I had to hurry back.”

Damien glanced at the diary in her hands, but he didn’t see any other books. “Were you just on your way to her?”

Ginny shook her head. “No, I just finished.”

Not wanting to press her, Damien nodded. “Alright. I won’t keep you, then. I’m meeting your brother and his friends soon anyway.”

Before parting, he added, “By the way, when did McGonagall ask you for the books? If it was this morning, don’t worry too much. She usually doesn’t need them until the next day.”

Ginny looked a little relieved. “It was in the morning, but she wasn’t happy I brought them late.”

Damien gave her an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry. She won’t hold it against you.”

Ginny smiled softly. “Thank you, Damien.”

With that, they went their separate ways—Ginny heading toward the dormitories and Damien toward the common bathrooms.

But once Ginny disappeared around a corner, Damien paused, staring in the direction she had gone.

“Why… did she lie?” he murmured to himself. ‘McGonagall hasn’t left the matron’s chambers all day.’

He shook his head, deciding it wasn’t worth stressing over. Ginny probably had her reasons. Shrugging, Damien continued toward the bathroom, letting the thought slip from his mind.

…

…

[Late Evening — Great Hall, Hogwarts]

After dinner, Damien and the Potter trio sat together at an empty table in the Great Hall. They leaned in close, whispering so quietly that their voices barely reached past the circle they had formed. The noise of clinking plates and cheerful chatter around them made their secret conversation less noticeable.

What were they talking about?

A certain little nighttime plan.

“You know we could get in massive trouble for this, right?” Damien whispered, his voice shaky and quiet. He glanced around nervously, making sure no one was listening.

“I already told you, there’s nothing to worry about,” Ron said with a grin. “We went through those rooms last year. Sure, there were traps, but we figured them out.”

“That’s one of the only places the Chamber could be,” Harry added. “It’s hidden from students, and there are lots of connected rooms. One of them is probably the Chamber of Secrets.”

Damien frowned, still unsure. “But if you already went there and didn’t find anything, doesn’t that mean the Chamber isn’t there?”

Hermione, who had been quiet so far, spoke up. “While I agree it’s not the smartest idea to go back,” she said, giving Ron and Harry a sharp look, “last time, we were focused on something else. We didn’t check a few rooms that seemed unimportant then. One of those might actually lead to the Chamber.”

Damien couldn’t help but look at them helplessly. Even Hermione, who was usually strict about rules, seemed okay with this risky plan.

‘She acts like a rule-follower, but she’s still a Gryffindor,’ Damien thought. ‘And Gryffindors can never say no to an adventure.’

He wanted to sigh but held back. He had expected this to be a small, harmless mischief. But Harry and his friends never went for anything simple.

‘If I say no, they’ll think I don't trust them enough,’ Damien thought. ‘This is probably a bad idea, but I’ll go anyway.’

He took a deep breath and looked at them. “Alright,” he said, trying to sound confident. “But if we see any danger—or if someone’s keeping watch—we leave immediately. Got it?”

“Don’t worry,” Harry said, smiling. “Nobody guards that area, not even Filch.”

“No human, at least,” Ron muttered, making Damien’s eyebrows rise.

“What do you mean by that?” Damien asked, not liking the sound of it.

“Relax,” Hermione said, her tone calm. “It’s nothing dangerous. We’ve already been there before, remember?”

Even though they tried to reassure him, Damien still felt uneasy. Something about this didn’t sit right with him, but since they had been there before and survived, he decided to trust them.

“If I get caught—or worse, yelled at—because of this,” Damien said, “I’m never going on another one of your adventures. Can you promise me that?”

The trio laughed and quickly agreed. “Of course!”

But deep down, all of them knew one thing: no adventure at Hogwarts ever went as planned. There were always surprises, some good and some not so good.

As they sneaked out of the Great Hall and into the quiet, shadowy halls of the castle, Damien couldn’t shake the strange mix of dread and excitement bubbling inside him. This night was not going to go as planned.