The Potter Twins and the Half-Blood Prince {6}

22. Sectumpempra

"It was weird," he continues hesitantly. "How quickly it happened. To be honest, I always thought he'd break your heart, not the other way around."

"Yes, well, he hates me now," I say. "You should have heard him the other day, it's like the past three years never happened."

"What did you expect, it is Malfoy, after all."

"I'm not used to being on the receiving end of it." But this does not explain my feelings in their entirety. "That's not all. No, you don't know him like I do - like I did. I'm worried about him. Something's going on - maybe Harry's right."

They don't have the opportunity to react to my sudden change of heart, but their faces are aghast.

"Flitwick," says Ron in a warning tone. The tiny little Charms master is bobbing his way towards us, and Hermione and I are the only ones who have managed to turn vinegar into wine; our glasses are full of deep crimson liquid, whereas the contents of Harry and Ron's are still murky brown.

"Now, now, boys," Flitwick squeaks reproachfully. "A little less talk, a little more action...Let me see you try..."

Together they raise their wands, concentrating with all their might, and point at their flasks. Harry's vinegar turns to ice; Ron's flask explodes.

"Yes...for homework," says Flitwick, reemerging from under the table and pulling shards out of the top of his hat, "practise."

We have one of our rare joint free periods after Charms and walk back to the common room together. Ron seems to be positively lighthearted about the end of his relationship with Lavender, and Hermione seems cheery too, though when asked what she is grinning about she simply says, "It's a nice day." Neither of them seems to notice the battles raging my me and Harry's heads. I can tell he's stressing about Ginny, whereas I can't stop thinking about Malfoy.

What if he's a Death Eater?
I've seen he doesn't have the Dark Mark.
Doesn't mean he's not working for Voldemort.
If he's working for Voldemort, he's been forced. I should help him -
He'll coerce you to the Dark Side
No, he won't.
Remember the dream, Haylee!

I barely notice that we're climbing through the portrait hole into the sunny common room, and only vaguely register the small group of seventh years clustered together, until Hermione cries, "Katie! You're back! Are you okay?"

I stare: It is indeed Katie Bell, looking completely health and surrounded by her jubilant friends. I run and hug her; Katie returning symbolises some sort of normality in my life, but also further complicates the situation with Malfoy. If he's really what Harry says he is, then he poisoned Katie.

"I'm really well!" she says happily, hugging me tightly. "They let me out of St. Mungo's on Monday, I had a couple of days at home with Mum and Dad and then come back here this morning. Leanne was just telling me about McClaggen and the last match, Harry and Haylee..."

"Yeah," says Harry, "well, not you're back and Ron's fit, we'll have a decent chance of thrashing Ravenclaw, which means we could still be in the running for the Cup. Listen, Katie..."

I know Harry wants to put the question to her at once, and it appears to be enough to drive even Ginny from his brain. However, I'm not so lucky; he thinks Malfoy did it, of course. He drops his voice as Katie's friends start gathering up their things: apparently they're late for Transfiguration.

"...that necklace...can you remember who gave it to you?"

"No," Katie says, shaking her head ruefully. "Everyone's been asking me, but I haven't got a clue. The last thing I remember was walking into the ladies' in the Three Broomsticks."