Astronomy Club: Sneaking up to the tower: Voting
Sneaking Up to the Astronomy Tower Voting
We had some really great entries, and now it's time to vote!
A
"Come on, Ron," Hermione whispered, tugging on his hand and laughing quietly.
Ron stumbled along behind her, somewhat bewildered. Where had this new streak of daring come from? For as long as he'd known Hermione, she'd always played things safe - she followed the rules and did everything by the book. Hermione was serious. She didn't have time for silly teenage activities.
And yet here she was, practically giggling like a schoolgirl as she lead him up to the Astronomy Tower for a makeout session. Ron couldn't believe his luck. Would wonders never cease?
They hurried up the final steps, bumping against one another as they crossed the landing and reached the door. Hermione reached up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to Ron's lips as he fumbled behind him, trying to find the doorknob.
They stumbled into the room, her mouth still laughing against his lips. Ron was all ready to wrap his arms around her waist and scoop her up, when -
"Oi!" a surprised voice cried out. "The tower's occupied already!"
Ron pulled himself away from Hermione, and found himself staring at a shirtless Harry, knees on either side of Draco Malfoy's hips.
"Bugger off, Weasley!" Draco called, but there was far less menace in his tone than usual. Probably due to the fact that he had Harry sitting on his lap.
Hermione's face was beet red, and Ron was pretty sure his was the same. "We're sorry," she said in a tiny voice, her eyes wide. "We'll just - go."
She took Ron's hand again, pulling him out of the room and slamming the door to the Astronomy Tower behind them. Ron and Hermione stood and stared at one another for a minute, matching expressions of shock on their faces.
"Bloody hell," Ron said finally.
"Bloody hell is right," Hermione agreed.
B
Cedric's favorite class was Astronomy so it meant he was extremely comfortable being in the Astronomy tower at night. Most of the classes took place in the dark anyway but he often went to look at the stars after hours for fun. It was calming, really, and it gave him an interesting perspective on everything. Cedric was just one small boy in the world with a million stars. He used time in the tower alone to think. He didn't expect anyone else to be up there. But when he stepped out onto the balcony, another figure was looking through a telescope. Cedric was about to turn around and leave, unwilling to interrupt this person's time alone. But before he had the chance, the figure turned revealing Cho Chang. She looked surprised but smiled anyway and motioned for him to join her.
"Sometimes I like to come and look at the stars," she admitted, almost as if she were embarrassed. Cedric was only surprised because he had never seen anyone else up here. He didn't say that, though. Instead he nodded because he understood. He stepped a little closer to her and slipped his hand into hers. It wasn't so bad that someone else was up here tonight, he thought.
C
Hermione opened the door at the bottom of the tower, and made her way up to the top. It was her hope that 11pm on a Saturday would have the tower empty, and she'd be able to complete the assignment Professor Sinistra had assigned the day before. It wasn't due for three weeks, so surely no one else would be there working yet. As she climbed to the top of the tower, she was so engrossed in her assignment review that she didn't hear the hushed voices at the top. It wasn't until she rounded the top of the staircase that she noticed the pair directly in front of her - but they were wound up in each other and too preoccupied to notice her.
With a small "eek!", Hermione swiftly cast a disillusionment charm and backed against the wall. It was obvious she would not be welcome, but there was no way she was leaving, not when two of her professors were up to ... that ... it would be a true loss if she gave up the opportunity to learn from those more experienced than herself.
Settling against the wall, she studied what Professor Snape seemed to be doing with his hands - it was apparently something that Professor Trelawney was extremely fond of ...
D
Draco Malfoy has to be very careful with his liaisons up this tower. At seven at night he meets with Hermione for a quick snogging session before she leaves half an hour later to do her usual intensive studying. This barely gives enough time before Harry goes up to the tower at a quarter to eight for their own patented sexy times. And finally, Draco needs to make sure no Slytherins see him getting involved with Gryffindors - especially when one is his own gender and the other is Muggleborn!
This arrangement went perfectly, though, until one night when Harry finished dinner early and decided to take a walk around the tower at 7:15... up there he saw what looked like his snogbuddy Draco cheating on him by making out with his friend Hermione! Angrily, he stormed up to the tower and a three-way melee fight ensued, which ended in the obvious way (in which everyone realized how sexy the other was and spent the whole hour from seven to eight doing sexy things to each other from then on).
E
"Shhh!"
"I'm trying to be quiet but I keep tripping over my robe!"
"I don't care! Just be quiet!"
"What are we doing up here anyway? Do you have any idea how early in the morning it is?"
"I was sneaking around last night an-"
"Sneaking around? Figures."
"No interruptions, please. As I was saying, I was sneaking around last night and I was hanging around up here in the tower. It's nice out, you know. Anyway, I peered over the edge here and looked over at the lake and it was all ripply and what not, right? So I keep quiet and I keep watching and oh! You'll have to see it for yourself!"
"Hey, no fair! You can't leave me hanging like that!"
"Ha, just did."
"You know, I'm getting really out of breath here. Are we almost at the top or is Filch going to find my body passed out on the stairs when he wakes up?"
"If you'd stop talking you wouldn't be so out of breath. And we're almost there."
"Oh thank Merlin! Just let me catch my breath for a second."
"Fine, but catch it quick or you're going to miss it!"
"Ugh, my legs, so much pain. Alright, I'm up, what are we looking at?"
"The lake, keep your eyes on the lake!"
"Is that...the giant squid?"
"Yes, keep watching.."
"Oh my goodness, his entire body is coming up! He's huge!"
"Hence the name giant squid."
"Oh hush! Wait, what's he waving his tentacles around for? Oh! He's dancing! This is so cool! Does he do this every morning?"
"I'm not sure, but it's pretty cool, isn't it?"
"Yeah. I guess it was worth the walk up!"
F
When she was a student, the astronomy tower was strictly out of bounds after hours. Even now, all these years later, she felt a prickle of excitement and mischief as she climbed the stairs to the very top, as if she could get caught by Filch at any moment. But Luna was not a young Ravenclaw anymore, and tonight she had important business to attend to. With her collapsible bronze telescope in one hand and her star chart in the other, slowly she ascended the tower.
Neville, or Professor Longbottom as she was supposed to formally refer to him in front of the students, had sent her an urgent owl earlier that evening requesting her help. "Come alone," the note had read, "just before midnight. Don't tell anyone." Luna pondered why Neville, the herbology professor, would have any business on the astronomy tower, but trusted that he must have his reasons. He must have asked for her help because of her superior knowledge of the night sky.
As Luna reached the top of the tower, to see Neville on one knee and fireworks writing her a personal message in the sky, she felt decidedly silly holding a telescope and star chart. He didn't want her brains at all. He wanted her heart.
G
Harry slipped out onto the ramparts of the Astronomy Tower and looked up at the stars. He sighed quietly and dropped down to lie on his back and look up at the stars. He'd been studying the stars and internally naming the constillations for about 10 minutes when he heard the rustling of robes near the door. He sat up, looked over, and smiled as Luna stepped forward. She smiled back at him and sat down beside him. She pointed towards the night sky and the neon stars blinking down at them. Harry grinned as he laid back down, enjoying this quiet time with Luna. She stretched out beside him. Not long after, there came more rustling and two more familiar figures stepped out. Harry watched as Ron and Hermione joined him and Luna. Hermione sat down beside Luna, smiled at Harry, and turned her attention to the sky. The four students still hadn't said a word, but they didn't need to. They were content to just be in each others company.
H
As I made my way up the long, winding stairs of the Astronomy Tower, I looked behind me to check that I hadn’t been followed. I knew better than to attempt something as ridiculous as this. I’m a model student, for goodness sakes. What was it in me that couldn’t resist trying something outlandish?
This is the last night I would be in this castle. For seven years of my life, this place was my home. And now that those years have been completed, I’m left to conquer the world without my training wheels. I know that I have to do something for myself, something to keep this castle fresh in my mind.
I’m not Fred and George Weasley. I don’t know all of the secret passages, the patterns of all of the staircases. I’m not even sure I’ve left a mark on my school. The school that I love so much.
So now at two in the morning, I arrive at the top. I look out at the beautiful view, and I make myself a promise. I promise myself that I will come back. I will come back after leaving my mark on the Wizarding World. I will come back and teach.
I
It was late and James and Peter were the only ones left in the Gryffindor Common Room, working on a particularly long History of Magic essay. James took a break to stretch and looked around the room. "Hang on. Peter, did Sirius and Remus ever come back after dinner?"
Peter shook his head. "No, I don't think so."
James got up and checked their dorm room. When he didn't see them, he returned to the Common Room with his invisibility cloak. "You coming?"
They slipped out into the hall together underneath the cloak. "Where do you think they went?" Peter whispered.
"If I know Sirius, probably the Astronomy Tower." James and Peter made their way slowly up the stairs, listening for any voices. They finally heard some shuffling in an alcove near the top. They leaned around the corner to look and spotted Sirius and Remus sitting on the floor close to each other, whispering almost inaudibly. Peter, having trouble seeing over James, leaned forward a bit more and ended up causing the both of them to lose balance and fall over.
Sirius stood up quickly. "James Potter, you git!"
James and Peter untangled themselves from the cloak. "Yeah, it's me. But what were you two doing out here so late anyway?"
"That's none of your business." Sirius's cheeks turned slightly pink, but luckily no one noticed in the dark.
James looked toward Remus. "Well?"
Remus stood up, put his hands in his pockets and said, "I think I'll let Sirius handle this one."
Sirius gave him a look and then said, "We've probably made too much noise already. I already have detention for the next two weeks, courtesy of Filch, I'd rather not add a third." The four friends quickly snuck back to the Common Room, where Sirius had to put up with James's taunts about his and Remus's "secret rendezvous."
J
It was nights like this that Rose was glad she'd been sorted Ravenclaw. Had she been a Gryffindor, she'd have gotten the third degree from each and every family member. She gave a wave to the Scamander twins as she bolted through the common room.
She was running late and he was not going to let her live it down.
She reached the Astronomy Tower in record time, and saw him gazing out over the grounds.
“You're late Rosie.”
She walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and he turned around, pulling her into his arms.
“Like you've never been late meeting me, Scor.”
“Touche...but you knew tonight was important...” He said leaning down to kiss her softly. “We tell them tomorrow then?”
“It's probably for the best. Al, Lorcan, Lysander, and Lily know...but the others are starting to get suspicious. James tried to set me up with McClaggen for Hogsmeade...”
Scorpius started slightly at this and held her a bit tighter.
“He lays a finger on you, tell me, alright?”
She pulled him down to the floor, wanting to lay back at look at the stars. Curling up in his arms, she smiled.
“Don't worry about it. I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can Rosie.”
The pair lay there in companionable silence for awhile, looking at the stars. Rose pointed out a few constellations, and Scorpius named off the ones from his Grandmother Narcissa's side of the family.
All too soon, it was three in the morning, and both knew they needed to get back to their dormitories and sleep. Tomorrow would be a rough day, but their last night in secrecy had been a great one.
K
Apparently Hannah heard it from Justin who heard it from Seamus who heard it from the Harry Potter himself that there was to be a duel on the astronomy tower at midnight tonight. All children out of bed will be given detention so that makes it all the more fun to get there without being seen. Apparently Fred and George are going to record the whole thing so we can replay it over and over (not with muggle technology you dolt). But the best part is who the duel is between! I mean that Hermione Granger I wouldn’t like to be on the opposite side of her wand when she’s in a tizzy. Plus I didn’t even think it was allowed for staff members to be involved in secret midnight duels no matter how many times they have been put in their place by Ms Know it All Granger. Of course all bets are on Granger for the win and Umbridge for the loss, but who knows Umbridge might have something particularly foul up her ridiculously pink sleeve.
L
Here at Hogwarts, it can be rather difficult to get a little time to oneself to think or just exist without the constant chattering of other people. Don't get me wrong, I adore my housemates, but I have never been one for crowds or lots of people. At the beginning of my first year, I found that sneaking up to the Astromony tower provided a small rush of excitement from rule-breaking, and a welcome respite from everything else. This worked wonders up until my fifth year when I started to find people using it as a spot to make-out. Ugh, I thought to myself. Isn't that what the room of requirement is for? So now instead of quietly looking up at the stars, I would be forced to step over discarded house sweaters and robes. It just hasn't been the same since. I have been forced to make a fort with blankets over my bed to try and find the tiniest slice of privacy, but now I just get question after question about why I have built a fort. No, you can't hang out in my fort. Go. Away.
M
When Luna couldn't sleep, for whatever reason, she'd wander up to the Astronomy tower in the middle of the night and lie back and observe the stars. It was calming an in that moment she was infinite. Occasionally she'd be met by some of the student's cats; once she was even joined by Trevor (as a side thought, she wondered if he'd ever even set foot in the Gryffindor boys dormitory).
This night however, while taking in the relaxing and comforting effect of the stars around her, she was interrupted by something quite a bit bigger. Actually, two somethings. Two boys had come walking up to the tower, giggling slightly. Luna could sense the smiles on their faces. As much as this was her place, she was fine with sharing, so she got up and decided to go to bed. She knew it was the right choice when, out of the corner of her eye, she swore she saw, looking up at the sky and feet dangling off the side, Dean and Seamus holding hands.
N
It was a dark and stormy night and the wind whistled through the cracks in the old stone walls. Heating charms were repeatedly cast to try and keep its inhabitants warm, and most of them were tucked snug into their beds.
Most of them, with the notable exception of at least three. Hermione wasn't up to any trouble -- in fact, she wasn't up to much at all, her heavy breath warming the pages of the Arithmancy text she softly snored into. Madame Pince had kicked her out of the library, and not knowing where else to go, she'd hefted her bag up to the Astronomy Tower to try and catch a bit more studying. After hours tucked over her thick book, she's fallen asleep.
The locale of her late-night nap wouldn't have made a difference if not for two other still figures hidden in the darkness of the tower. With Hermione's body leaned up against the stairway door, they couldn't escape back to their rooms, and so Harry and Draco spent their evening unromantically paranoid about whether or not the Smartest (and Sleepiest) Witch of Their Age would wake up and discover them half-naked under Harry's invisibility cloak.
O
Luna headed up to The Astronomy tower late one night with a purpose in mind. She had heard students whispering about how wonderful it was up there, and since then had a curiosity to see what the big deal was. She sat down, letting her feet dangle down and gazed down at the Hogwarts grounds.
"Oh, that's why," she sighed happily.
It just so happened that The Astronomy Tower was at the perfect vantage point to track the movements of the Thestrals in the forest. From here, with some aid from a spell for clearer vision, she could perfectly see the area they resided in at night, and observe them taking off into the air.
Luna's attention was pulled away from the grazing Thestrals when she heard noise behind her. Coming up the stairs were Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.
"Hi, Harry! Are you two here to look at the Thestrals too?"
Harry and Draco stood there, gaping at her. One look shared between each otherr, and Harry was nodding vehemently.
"Uh, yeah Luna, that's why we're here. Thestrals. But we'll just come back later."
With that, Luna shrugged and went back to watching. Hogwarts was always most interesting at night.
P
His hands are sweaty. That is Ron’s first thought as Lavender leads him up the stairs of the Astronomy tower at 3am. He fears she won’t want to snog him if he’s all sweaty and nervous and that she might even laugh at him and tell Parvati and the whole school will know what a sweaty nervous loser he is by morning. It turns out though that Lavender doesn’t mention it. In fact, Lavender doesn’t say anything at all, just pulls past him along the main observation area where he sees a couple wrapped up in each other in the moonlight, as she leads him up onto the roof. It isn’t the safest place to be but Lavender’s wide smile and giggles suggest she thinks it is daring and Ron can deal with that because it means she isn’t laughing at him.
“I hope you don’t need a lot of sleep at night Won Won, because I don’t,” Lavender grins and Ron can only smile gleefully back at her.
“Won’t we get caught?” He asks, because the Astronomy tower is hardly the most discreet of places.
Lavender giggles again and grabs him through his trousers, making him splutter, “Not if you know how to stay quiet.”
Q
The castle halls were still as the night, the stone walls of Hogwarts like gravestones in their silence. Only the sound of his breathing, heavy under a clumsy concealment charm, could be heard. He tried to be careful, to avoid the clunky echoes of bare feet hitting cold stone as he wound his way up the tower.
He was surprised to find her there, at the very top of the tower, but on second thoughts, maybe he shouldn't have been. She was seated in front of the window, knees drawn up to her chest with her arms around them. The light of the moon crowned a halo around her long golden hair and her eyes worshipped the stars.
He didn't want to disturb her, but Luna turned to him first. "Hello, Neville."
He stepped out from the cloak of his charm and offered her a tentative smile. "Homework?" he asked, gesturing toward the scraps of parchment by her side.
"Just a few charts to start," she said, clearing the space and offering it for him to sit on. "Scouting again?"
He nodded as he sat down. The floor was a rough, uncomfortable surface against his arse, cool to the touch. The castle had been under constant surveillance by Dementors and Death Eaters alike, who took turns and stood guard at odd intervals of the night. The former were a quick Patronus charm away; the latter were trickier. He'd been trying to discern patterns in their watch, trying to see if there was a way he could hide away some of the students that needed protection. "I was thinking if we flew from here while only the Dementors were on guard--"
"There are snatchers in the forest now," she said. "And other dangerous creatures besides. Where do you propose they go if not here?"
"I don't know," Neville admitted. "But anything's better than here."
"They say Hogwarts is the safest place in the world," she murmured. "It's not here that's the problem, is it? It's who else is here with us."
She'd always spoken in riddles, and tonight she was no less vague. "We can't attack them or we'll have the rest of them upon us too."
"Hogwarts will protect us," was all she said. "Hogwarts will give us what we need." And then, almost slyly, for she stole a glance at him from beneath her lashes: "That is, if it hasn't already."
"Luna, what--"
"What do we need, Neville?" she asked. "What do we require?"
He blinked, realization dawning upon him. "A hiding place..." Last year they'd needed to build Dumbledore's Army; this year they needed to hide it. "Luna, you're brilliant!"
He thought he must have imagined it, but there was a soft flush on her cheeks as she smiled. She turned her gaze back upon the stars, but Neville could not take his eyes off her.
R
Whoever made the curfew for Hogwarts was obviously not fond of the night. A right big shame that was, considering that all the fun things really did end up happening at some odd twilight hour. Up in the astronomy tower is where we find our favourite golden trio, huddled under a blanket and with the invisibility cloak for cover. It had become habit to go up to the Astronomy Tower every year randomly during the school years, but they always made a trip together in the middle of March to count how many constellations they could list off the top of their heads or even for a meteor shower. Whatever the reason, it was always sometime in the middle of March, and it always ended up with them almost getting caught. But they never did get caught, and here they were, again. Instead of whispered chattering and hushed voices, all there was today was just silence- a companionable silence- with the stress and wariness of the past year just sliding off of them in waves. Nary a word was spoken, but the feeling was mutual- they all had a gut feeling that this would be the last time they, all three of them, would be up at the Astronomy Tower in peace.
S
A day before Harry and Ron started their sixth year, Fred and George pulled them aside and gave them some “lessons in life,” as George called it. The most important was a shiny little key and the instructions on how to sneak out to the Astronomy Tower in the middle of the night.
“Why do we want to go look at stars?” Ron asked, a blank look on his face.
His brothers scoffed.
“How are you even related to us?” Fred said.
“He’s adopted,” George said.
“We don’t want you to look at stars! We want you to have some alone time with girls!”
“Ohhhhh ….”
Fred & George groaned. “There’s a key go to waste,” George said.
Except it wasn’t. Because word soon spread, and every night, someone was offering Chocolate Frogs or pumpkin treacle or even sickles to take the key and return it in the morning. Harry even took Ginny there a couple times and Ron was spotted trying to lure Hermione (she said no).
But the night Neville borrowed the key in an attempt to see if Luna would join him up there was the night it all came to an end.
Because walking in on Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape, like Neville accidentally did, was something no one wanted to accidentally witness ever again.
T
Every year the graduating Slytherin seventh years had a spectacular party on top of the Astronomy Tower. This year, as Head Boy, Draco was in charge of the festivities. To celebrate House Unity, he had invited people from all four houses. After the war, it seemed like the best plan of action. This way, if the professors managed to catch them then they had some vague defense. They shouldn't have any problems, though. Draco had bribed Peeves to distract Filch and Mrs. Norris for the entire night.
Everyone was dressed in their best robes, and the Slytherins had provided only the best Firewhiskey. Draco had ended up drunkenly announcing his love for Harry Potter, and the two were now heatedly making out in a dark corner. Ginny, who had come as Harry's date, had run back to the dorms crying. Most of the seventh years were playing Never Have I Ever, which Blaise and Pansy were definitely losing. Hermione was the only one who was still mostly sober, since the only things she had done would definitely be targeting an individual, which was not allowed. Well, Hermione and Ron. And, being awkwardly sober, they were forced to realize that they weren't actually interested in each other, at which point Ron went off with Pansy to catch up on drinking and depravity.
Vote:
House:
1st Favourite:
2nd Favourite:
3rd Favourite:
Least Favourite:
Deadline: 4pm UTC Tuesday 1st November 2011 timezones