Badgersoul

Chapter 10: This is Not How We Communicate

Chapter 10: This Is Not How We Communicate

Snape found out about mine and Rosie's date. He confronted me about it in the boy's bathroom between classes. I remember him shouting and yelling at me, telling me to stay away from the Evans twins. I remember responding and whatever I said seemed to anger him. He shouted 'Sectum... something'. Not sure what because I blacked out and woke up in the hospital wing. Sirius was there, and I had never seen him look that relieved and angry before. I tried to ask him what happened but he wouldn't answer.

**

Despite his very irritating interview with Rita Skeeter, the next few days were filled with nothing but ups for Leo. He and the rest of the Minirauders pulled pranks on the Slytherins – particularly Parkinson and Zabini – and the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs that were outright rude to him and Harry. The number of insults they received dropped rather sharply after that. Another up was that they had finally finished their Canary Creams and were planning on testing it after the First Task.

Leo and Harry wrote back to Sirius saying that they would be beside the common room fire at the time Sirius had suggested; and the two plus Hermione spent a long time going over plans for forcing any stragglers out of the common room on the night in question. If the worst came to the worst, they were going to drop a bag of Dungbombs, which Leo was hoping they would have to do.

Rita Skeeter had published her piece about the Triwizard Tournament, and it had turned out to be not so much a report on the tournament as a highly coloured life story of Leo – with Harry sprinkled throughout for good measure. Much of the front page had been given over to a picture of Leo and Harry; the article (continuing on pages two, six, and seven) had been all about the two, the names of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions (misspelled) had been squashed into the last line of the article, and Cedric hadn't been mentioned at all.

Leo had found the article unbelievably funny and quite preposterous in some places. He was, however, somewhat irate when his family was mentioned in the pages.

I suppose I entered to gain fame and step out from my dad and Harry's shadows. I wanted to make a name for myself so that I wouldn't be known just as the boy whose uncle killed people... I remember he used to sing me lullabies when I was younger, and I felt safe... Now all I feel is terrified ever since he escaped...

But Rita Skeeter had gone even further than twisting his words and outright lying about things he had said: she had 'interviewed' other people about him too.

Leo is known as quite the – as the kids say - 'player' around Hogwarts. Others state he's hardly seen without the company of another boy named Draco and Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Leo, is one of the top students in the school. One has to wonder if he's simply playing the field or trying to decide what he likes...

"I mean, she does know we're related, right?" Leo ranted as he and Draco walked out of breakfast, ignoring the snickers following them.

"Never bothered anyone else in the Black family – I'm guessing she thought it didn't matter to you," Draco shrugged before frowning at him. "I'm surprised that's what bothers you. I figured you'd be more upset by what she's insinuating."

"What, that I'm gay?" he rolled his eyes. "I don't care if someone's male or female. My first – and so far only – love will always be danger. Everyone else will have to take a back seat."

"Well, at least you have your priorities sorted," Draco replied, figuring that would be the answer.

The days until the first task seemed to slip by as though someone had fixed the clocks to work at double speed. Leo's excitement grew as the days went by, to the point where McGonagall had him stay after class to ask him if he was all right since he had been bouncing in his seat the whole time. He responded that he was just excited for the first task and Minnie had frowned before dismissing him.