Maledictus

Ch.20 - Toast

"Someone spilt pumpkin juice on my head" she lied quietly.

With a wave of his wand, the pumpkin juice was gone and there was no trace of it being there.

"Alice, I need you to see Madam Pomfrey" said Ron. "Please"

"But Mr. Weasley, I'm fine" She protested, her vision blurring again, but she ignored it. "I must get to class, Snape will kill me"

"See you later.....I guess" said Ron worridly, and Alice headed off into the other direction.

Ron wandered back over to his friends, not hiding his failure.

"She's not going to go any time soon, is she?" asked Hermione.

"Unless we drag her, she's not going anywhere"

~*~

At lunch that afternoon, Harry finally had some peace to talk to Ron and Hermione.
Alice was there too, but she kept to herself after the incident of this morning.

On the train, Harry over heard Draco talking about a big project he's been set up to, and Harry believes he replaced his father as a death eater.
But everyone else disagrees, he just hopes that his friends have the opposite opinion.

"But he was obviously showing off for Parkinson, wasn't he?" interjected Ron quickly, before Hermione could say anything.

"Well" she said uncertainty. "I don't know
.....it would be like Malfoy to make himself seem more important than he is.....But That's a big lie to tell"

"Exactly" said Harry, but he couldn't press the point, because many people begun to listen into their conversation, not to mention the constant pointing and staring.

"It's rude to stare!" Ron snapped at a particularly minuscule first year, and he toppled off his chair in surprise. Ron sniggered.

"I love being a sixth year. And we have free classes to relax!" he exclaimed happily.

"We'll need that time for studying, Ron!" said Hermione as they began to leave the Great Hall for class.
Alice trailed behind them, taking double steps and lunges to keep up with them.

"Yeah, but I reckon today's going to be a real doss" said Ron.

"Hold it!" said Hermione sternly, making Alice jump and several others giggle. Hermione through out an arm and halting a passing fourth year. "Fanged frisbees are banned, hand it over"

The boy sheepishly handed it over, and took off after his friends.
Alice had never seen her so mad, she didn't like it one bit.

"Alice, what have you got now? I'll walk you there" said Hermione helpfully, realising she gave Alice a fright..

"I'll be fine on my own thanks" she replied, heading off in a different direction.

She was heading to potions.
A subject she was dreading.

On one hand she was ecstatic Snape wasn't teaching it, maybe the new guy will actually help her.
But then again, this guy didn't know about her poor reading.

Her reading at gotten much better, but she still wasn't great.
She had read a few of the potions, and knew what they were and was very proud of herself really.

She sat herself near the back again, everyone sitting at least three seats away from her.
It was like she was some disease and anyone who came as close as one metre would catch it and die.

"Good morning class!" boomed Slughorn happily, his smile lighting up the room. "For people who don't know me, I'm professor Slughorn and I will be teaching you potions this year"