Sirius's son

Apparition test

"It isn't Lavender," said Hermione wearily.

"Oh, good," said Ron, relaxing.

"Good?" Rigel whispered, looking at Hermione who just shrugged.

"Harry Potter?" said the girl. "I was asked to give you this."

"Thanks..."

Once the girl was out of earshot he said, "Dumbledore said we wouldn't be having any more lessons until I got the memory!"

"Maybe he wants to check on how you're doing?" suggested Hermione, as Harry unrolled the parchment. "Look at this," said Harry, handing the note to Hermione.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," she said, scanning it quickly and passing it to Ron, who read it through looking increasingly incredulous.

"He's mental," he said furiously. "That thing told its mates to eat Harry, Rigel, and me! Told them to help themselves! And now Hagrid expects us to go down there and cry over its horrible hairy body!"

"What is it?" Rigel asked instead of reading the note.

"Aragog is dead," said Eliza. "And it's not just that. He's asking us to leave the castle at night and he knows security's a million times tighter and how much trouble we'd be in if we were caught."

"We've been down to see him by night before," said Harry.

"Yes, but for something like this?" said Hermione. "We've risked a lot to help Hagrid out, but after all-Aragog's dead. If it were a question of saving him -"

"- I'd want to go even less," said Ron firmly. "You didn't meet him, Hermione. Believe me, being dead will have improved him a lot."

Harry took the note back and stared down at it.

"Harry, you can't be thinking of going," said Hermione. "It's such a pointless thing to get detention for."

Harry sighed.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "I s'pose Hagrid'll have to bury Aragog without us."

"Yes, he will," said Hermione, looking relieved. "Look, Potions will be almost empty this afternoon, with us all off doing our tests... try and soften Slughorn up a bit then!"

"Fifty-seventh time lucky, you think?" said Harry bitterly.

"Lucky!" said Rigel suddenly. "That's it you rascal-use lucky."

"What d'you mean?"

"Use your lucky potion!"

"Rigel, that's-that's it!" said Eliza, sounding stunned. "Of course! Why didn't we think of it?"

Harry stared at them. "Felix Felicis?" he said. "I dunno... I was sort of saving it..."

"What for?" demanded Ron incredulously. "A rainy day?"

"What on earth is more important than this memory, Harry?" asked Hermione.

Harry was in his own world until Hermione snapped him out of it.

"Harry? Are you still with us?" asked Hermione.

"Wha-?... Yeah, of course," he said, pulling himself together. "Well... okay. If I can't get Slughorn to talk this afternoon, I'll take some Felix and have another go this evening."

"That's decided, then," said Hermione briskly, getting to her feet and performing a graceful pirouette. "Destination... determination... deliberation..." she murmured.

Rigel peered over Hermione's shoulder when he saw two girls.

"Blimey, they don't look happy, do they?" said Ron, as Rigel kept watching the girls.