#4 Entering the Badger's Burrow

Was it just him or was the Polyjuice potion getting more disgusting each time? Either way, that was his last one. The Hufflepuff 2nd year he transfigured into this time was probably a bit taller than the Slytherin had been, and had long lock of hair getting in Gerald's face.

Like with Gryffindor, there was more information to go on in his search for the common room. Gerald was able to spot a neat stack of barrels not too far from where the kitchens were said to be. Assuming the rumours were true, there should be a door behind those barrels - but the question was how to access it. Did it need a password or, like Ravenclaw, was there a trick to it that'd allow him entrance?

Gerald had a sense that he was on the right track to figuring it out, yet the barrels didn't budge or give him a sign of how to gain entrance. The area wasn't as dimly-lit or cold as the dungeons, but there was an eerie quiet to it that came with wandering a castle at night. All he had to help him was his wand, though Gerald didn't know any useful spells yet.

Not that it would help with the situation that just got worst. At first he might have imagined a sound nearby, but the second time it was unmistakably the approach of footsteps. A meow was heard not too far away, which gave Gerald all the information he needed to know how bad the situation would be if he didn't quickly hide. Filch was coming.

He'd round a corner any moment. Gerald needed to act fast to avoid getting caught, but there wasn't anywhere he could really run. Just a stack of barrels that refused to open.

The barrels didn't budge, not by his pulling or his words. The wand tapping had been most promising, except his attempts so far hadn't earned the result he wanted.

And Gerald was out of time to try anything else but hide, unless he actually wanted to be caught by Filch. The footstep grew louder - closer. If he didn't act fast, it'd be too late. There was another meow, in the dark around a corner right near him.

There was still nowhere to run, but maybe the barrels had some other use to help him avoid being caught. What if they also realised he was using a Polyjuice potion? That would surely earn a lot worst punishment than a detention...

There wasn't time to be picky, but Gerald's options were somewhat helpful. He managed to find a spot in a shadowed corner that also had him partially obscured by some of the barrels. Anyone wandering by would be non-the-wiser, unless specifically looking for someone in that random spot. The fact he was the size of a second year helped a lot, though his usual size would have been better.

And Flich was the kind of person who was always specifically looking for any student who was where they shouldn't be. Mrs Norris zoomed by - chasing an unfortunate mouse that fled for its dear life. Then Filch paused in the corridor, though Gerald could barely see more than a bit of coat and the man's shoes.

He lingered a while. It was just Gerald's luck that no one left the Hufflepuff common room as it would surely give him away, or have him trapped under barrels. It was impossible to tell if Filch thought someone was around or if he was just lurking in hope of it, but soon he grumbled to himself and walked away.

Gerald should wait a moment to make sure the coast was clear. The corridor returned to its eerie silence, and he could safely leave his hiding spot. Only once he'd returned his attention to the barrels did he find hope in being able to gain entrance.

'You all right?' A Hufflepuff 6th year approached, mostly covered in mud. He looked exhausted, and as if he'd just returned from the incident on the grounds.