Complete and Utter Hogwash (Book 5)

Chapter 11: Ron's Accident

Chapter 11: Ron's Accident

"So, all in all, not one of Ron's better birthdays?" said Fred, still holding me.

"This isn't how we imagined handing over our present," said George as he put a large wrapped gift on Ron's bedside cabinet and sitting next to Ginny.

"Yeah, when we pictured the scene, he was conscious," said Fred.

"There we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him —" said George.

"You were in Hogsmeade?" said Ginny looking up.

"We were thinking of buying Zonko's," said Fred gloomily. "A Hogsmeade branch, you know, but a fat lot of good it'll do to us if you aren't allowed out on weekends to buy our stuff anymore. . . But never mind that now."

He pulled away from me and drug out a chair beside Harry and looked at Ron's pale face. I sat in his lap, which he put his arms around me and leaned his chin on my shoulder. I haven't seen my boyfriend in a long time, I didn't exactly want us to be separated just yet.

"How exactly did it happen, Harry?"

Harry retold the story of how he already recounted.

"Blimey, it was lucky you thought of a bezoar," said George in a low voice.

"Lucky there was one in the room," said Harry. Hermione gave an almost inaudible sniff. She had been quiet all day and rarely made much of a sound.

"Do Mum and Dad know?" Fred asked Ginny.

"They've already seen him, they arrived an hour ago — they're in Dumbledore's office now, but they'll be back soon. . ."

"So there was poison in the drink?" said Fred quietly.

"Yes," said Harry in a low voice. "Slughorn poured it out —"

"Would he have been able to slip something into Ron's glass without you seeing?"

"Probably," said Harry, "but why would Slughorn want to poison Ron?"

"No idea," said Fred, frowning. "You don't think he could have mixed the glasses by mistake? Meaning to get you?"

"Why would Slughorn want to poison Harry?" asked Ginny.

"I dunno." said Fred. "But there must be loads of people who'd like to poison Harry, mustn't there? 'The Chosen One' and all that?"

"So you think Slughorn's a death eater?" asked Ginny.

"Anything's possible," said Fred darkly.

"He could be under the Imperius Curse," said George.

"Or he could be innocent," said Ginny.  "The poison could have been in the bottle, in which case it was probably meant for Slughorn himself."

"I was thinking the same thing," I added. "No way would he have intentions of killing Harry. I don't see it. It just doesn't add up. I believe it's the opposite. Someone's in it for Slughorn. At least, that's what everyone else thinks."

"Who'd want to kill Slughorn?"

"Dumbledore reckons Voldemort wanted Slughorn on his side," said Harry. "Slughorn was in hiding for a year before he came to Hogwarts. And maybe Voldemort wants him out of the way, maybe he thinks he could be valuable to Dumbledore."

"But you said that Slughorn's drink was for Dumbledore for Christmas." I said. "So it could've been for him."

"Then the poisoner didn't know Slughorn very well," said Hermione speaking for the first time in hours. "Anyone who knew Slughorn would have known there was a good chance he'd keep something that tasty for himself."