They fell backward -- Harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared -- all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.

"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.

"Never mind that -- pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.

It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on."

"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."

"I looked around the room real quick but I don't remember much just the dog the dark and the harp in the corner of the room. I guess you could say I doggone scared."

They all groaned at the terrible joke. Amelia smiled.

"Oh come on that was so lame." Ron groaned burying his face in a decorative chair pillow. 

"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."

She stood up, glaring at them.

I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed -- or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

Ron stared after her, his mouth open.

"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you."

"Don't be too harsh. She means well didn't want to two to get hurt or lose points." Ron rolled his eyes. "But she is so annoying! Don't do this do that nag ang and," Ron mocked Harry giggled. "She is a muggle, Ron. If she gets kicked out that's it she's done no more magic. Ever. She is worried. She doesn't want to give the school anyone reason to kick her out," Ron stared at Amelia for a second. "I guess that makes sense."

"Of course it does. Now I just have to solve this riddle and I will be out of your hair."

Amelia muttered the riddle to herself a few times pacing back and forth the comment room. A thousand colored folds stretch toward the sky, Atop a tender strand, Rising from the land, util killed by maiden's hand, Perhaps a token of love, perhaps to say goodbye. What am I?

"A flower," Neville answered offhandedly it being the first time he had talked since being back at the common room.

"Oh my god your right! Thank you! I'll be off now! your a genius Neville!" Amelia walked out of the painting. 

But Hermione had given Harry something else to think about as he climbed back into bed. The dog was guarding something.... What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide -- except perhaps Hogwarts.

It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubby littie package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.