"It could've been a woman," said Estella. "The handwriting is very neat, almost suspiciously neat."
"How can handwriting be suspiciously neat?" asked Harry, chuckling.
Estella shrugged. "Don't ask me."
"I think it might have been a girl too," said Hermione, from her seat in the armchair.
"The Half-Blood Prince, he was called," said Harry. "How many girls have been Princes?"
"Me," said Estella as she wrote her essay on The Principles of Rematerialization.
Ten minutes later, Harry nudged her arm.
"It's five to eight, I'd better get going."
"Oh, I forgot about that," said Estella, looking up from her essay.
"Good luck! We'll wait up, we want to hear what he teaches you!" said Hermione.
"Have fun!" said Estella as Harry leaned down to kiss her before standing up.
"Hope it goes okay," said Ron, and the three of them watched Harry leave through the portrait hole.
There was silence.
"Estella?"
She looked up.
"Yes, Ron?"
He smiled sweetly at her. "What did you write about?"
"Ron," said Hermione, slapping his arm. He'd been trying to look at her paper but had no luck finding the answer he was looking for.
"What?" he gasped dramatically as though Hermione had accused him of committing a crime.
"Do your own work," she muttered, going back to her essay.
Estella rolled her eyes and showed him where he should be looking in the textbook, ignoring the look Hermione sent her.
They did, in fact, wait for Harry to get back before parting ways.
As Hermione had predicted, the sixth years' free periods were not the hours of blissful relaxation Ron had anticipated, but times in which to attempt to keep up with the vast amount of homework they were assigned. Not only were they studying as though they had exams every day, but the lessons had become more demanding than ever before. Estella even had to ask Professor McGonagall to repeat steps once or twice. To Hermione's increasing resentment, Harry's best subject had suddenly become Potions, thanks to the borrowed book.
Nonverbal spells were now expected, not only in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but in Charms and Transfiguration too. Estella frequently looked over at her classmates in the common room or at mealtimes to see them purple in the face and staring as though they had overdosed on U-No-Poo; but she knew that they were really struggling to make spells work without saying incantations aloud. They often asked her how she did it, but it came easier than saying them aloud to her. Estella dreaded Herbology, she and Neville had weekly study sessions, him in Charms and her in Herbology.
One result of their enormous workload and the frantic hours of practicing nonverbal spells was that Estella, Harry, Hermione, and Ron had so far been unable to find time to go and visit Hagrid. He had stopped coming to means at the staff table, an ominous sign, and on the few occasions when they had passed him in the corridors or out in the grounds, he had mysteriously failed to notice them or hear their greetings.
"We've got to explain," said Estella, looking up at Hagrid's huge empty chair at the staff table the following Saturday at breakfast.
"We've got Quidditch tryouts this morning!" said Ron. "And we're supposed to be practicing that Aguamenti Charm from Flitwick! Anyway, explain what? How are we supposed to tell him we hated his stupid subject?"
"We didn't hate it!" said Hermione.
"Hey, I only dropped because none of you were taking it, and I already have a full schedule," said Estella, offended.
"Speak for yourself, I haven't forgotten the skrewts," said Ron darkly. "And I'm telling you now, we've had a narrow escape. You didn't hear him going on about his gormless brother-we'd have been teaching Grawp how to tie his shoelaces if we stayed."
"I hate not talking to Hagrid," said Hermione, looking upset.
"I hate that he thinks it's because of him that we dropped," muttered Estella.
"We'll go down after Quidditch," Harry assured her. "But trials might take all morning, the number of people who have applied."
Harry was clearly nervous.
"I dunno why the team's this popular all of a sudden," said Harry.
Estella laughed, looking at him like he was crazy. "Harry, it's literally because of you, dum dum."
He sent an amused but confused look her way.
"It's not Quidditch that's popular, it's you! You've never been more interesting, and frankly, sorry Estella, you've never been more fanciable," said Hermione, suddenly impatient.
Ron gagged on a large piece of kipper. Hermione spared him one look of disdain before turning to Harry, leaving Estella to reach across the table and pat his back.
"What?" said Harry, more confused than before.
"Everyone knows you've been telling the truth now, don't they? The whole Wizarding world has to admit that you were right about Voldemort being back and that you really fought him twice in the last two years and escaped both times. And now they're calling you 'the Chosen One' - well, come on, can't you see why people are fascinated by you?"
Harry's face flushed.
"If it helps, I loved and found you fascinating before you were 'the Chosen One,' said Estella, kissing his cheek.
Despite his annoyance and anxiety, Harry smiled, ever-so-slightly at her, and kissed her cheek.
"And you've been through all that persecution from the Ministry when they were trying to make you out like an unstable liar. You can still see the marks on the back of your hand where that evil woman made you write with your own blood, but you stuck to your story anyway. Plus, you're dating a Seer, necromancer, and the granddaughter of Dumbledore himself..."
"You can still see where those brains got hold of me in the Ministry, look," said Ron, shaking back his sleeves.
Estella was the only one who looked.
"And it doesn't hurt you've grown about a foot over the summer either," Hermione finished, ignoring Ron.
"I'm tall," said Ron, inconsequentially.
"Practically a giant," said Estella, earning a glare from Ron.
The post owls arrive, swooping down through rain-flecked windows, scattering everyone with water droplets. Most people were receiving more post than usual; anxious parents were keen to hear from their children and to reassure them, in turn, that all was well at home. Estella received a bundle of letters and stowed them away as two identical packages landed in front of Ron and Hermione.
"Ha!" said Harry, unwrapping the parcel to reveal a new copy of Advanced Potion-Making, fresh from Flourish and Blotts.
"Oh good," said Hermione, looking delighted. "Now you can give that graffitied copy back."
"Are you mad?" said Harry. "I'm keeping it! Look, I've thought it out-"
He pulled the old copy of Advanced Potion-Making out of his bag and tapped the cover with his wand, muttering, "Diffindo!" The cover fell off. He did the same thing with the brand-new book (Hermione looked scandalized). He then swapped the covers, tapped each, and said, "Reparo!"
There sat the Prince's copy, disguised as a new book, and there sat the fresh copy from Flourish and Blotts, looking thoroughly secondhand.
"I'll give Slughorn back the new one, he can't complain, it cost nine Galleons."
Hermine pressed her lips together, and Estella laughed.
Harry certainly went to far lengths to keep that book.
A copy of the Daily Prophet dropped on the table. Hermione unfolded it hastily and scanned the front page.
"Anyone we know dead?" asked Ron in a determinedly casual voice; he posed the same question everything Hermione opened the paper.
"No, but there have been more dementor attacks," said Hermione. "And an arrest."
"Excellent, who?" said Harry.
"Stan Shunpike?" said Hermione.
"What?"
"'Stanley Shunpike, conductor on the popular Wizarding conveyance the Knight Bus, has been arrested on suspicion of Death Eater activity. Mr. Shunpike, 21, was taken into custody late last night after a raid on his Clapham home...'"
"Stan Shunpike, a Death Eater?" said Harry. "No way!"
"He might have been put under the Imperius Curse," said Ron reasonably. "You can never tell."
"It doesn't look like it," said Estella, reading along with Hermione. "It says here after he was overheard talking about the Death Eaters' secret plans in a club." She looked up. "If he were under the Imperius Curse, I don't think he'd gossip about their plans."
"It sounds like he was trying to make out he knew more than he did," said Ron. "Isn't he the one who claimed he was going to become Minister of Magic when he was chatting up those veela?"
"Yeah, that's him," said Harry. "I dunno what they're playing at, taking Stan seriously."
"They probably want to look as though they're doing something," said Hermione, frowning. "People are terrified-you know the Patil twins' parents want them to go home? And Eloise Midgen has already been withdrawn. Her father picked her up last night."
"What!" said Ron, goggling at Hermione. "But Hogwarts is safer than their homes, bound to be! We've got Aurors, and all those extra protective spells, and we've got Dumbledore!"
"He's not always here," said Estella quietly, glancing at the staff table. "His seat's been as empty as Hagrid's, if not more so."
"It probably has something to do with the Order," said Hermione in a low voice. "I mean...it's all looking serious, isn't it?"
No one answered, but Estella knew they were all thinking the same thing. There had been a horrible incident the day before, when Hannah Abbott had been taken out of Herbology to be told her mother had been found dead. They had not seen Hannah since.
They left the Gryffindor table five minutes later to head down to the Quidditch pitch. What surprised Estella was when Ron drew level with them, Parvati suddenly nudged Lavender, who looked and gave Ron a wide smile. Ron blinked at her, then returned the smile uncertainly. His walk instantly became something more like a strut. Estella resisted the temptation to laugh, remembering that Ron had refrained from doing so after Malfoy had broken Harry's nose; Hermione, however, looked cold and distant all the way down to the stadium through the cool, misty drizzle, and pulled Estella to the stands, rather than letting her say good look to Ron or Harry.
As Harry had expected, the trials took most of the morning. Half of the Gryffindor House seemed to have turned up, from first years who were nervously clutching a selection of the dreadful old school brooms, to seventh years who towered over the rest, looking coolly intimidating.
It was obvious that Harry was extremely annoyed as he started with a basic test and asked all applicants to divide into groups of ten and fly once around the pitch. It was a wise decision as the first ten were made up of first years and it could not have been plainer that they had hardly ever flown before. Only one boy managed to remain airborne for more than a few seconds, and he was so surprised he promptly crashed into one of the goalposts.
The second group was comprised of ten girls, who, when Harry blew his whistle, merely fell about giggling and clutching one another. When he told them to leave the pitch, they did so quite cheerfully and went to sit in the stands to heckle everyone else.
The third group had a pileup halfway around the pitch. Most of the fourth group had come without broomsticks.
After two hours, many complaints, and several tantrums, one involving a crashed Comet Two Sixty and several broke teeth, Harry had found three Chasers: Katie Bell, Demelza Robins, and Ginny. Harry had also shouted himself hoarse at the many complainers and was now enduring a similar battle with the rejected Beaters.
"That's my final decision and if you don't get out of the way of the Keepers I'll hex you," he bellowed.
Neither of his chosen Beaters had the old brilliance of Fred and George but were pretty decent.
"Hi, Stella," said a familiar voice, Ian.
"Hey, Ian," she said cheerfully.
"Hermione," he said, nodding to the girl next to Estella.
Hermione smiled at him before turning back to the field, and Ian took the available seat next to Estella.
"How're tryouts going?" he asked, observing Ron and McLaggen approach the field.
"Good, well, as good as you can imagine," said Estella. "People from other Houses tried to try out, and those who didn't get on the team threw tantrums."
Ian made a face. "Poor sportsmanship, eh?"
"You could definitely say that..." she trailed off, watching Ron save five goals.
"Wait, you're not spying are you?" said Estella, her eyes widening. "Oh, I forgot to ask, did you make the team?"
His face lit up, and he nodded. "No, I swear I'd never report information back to Slytherin. Plus, you're looking at Slytherin's newest Seeker. My mom even got me a Firebolt. Can you believe that?" said Ian, his voice full of excitement.
"Ian, that's great! I'm so happy for you-"
She stopped as McLaggen missed a shot he clearly should've saved.
She glanced at Hermione, who sat next to her, looking innocent, and back to Ian, who had a look of skepticism on his face.
"Did she just-?" he started.
"She did," Estella whispered, looking at Hermione in shock.
Ian leaned back on the bench, a look of awe on his face. "Hermione Granger-?"
"-using her magic-"
"-to help another during a Quidditch tryout where the use of magic is prohibited?'"
"I can't believe it," he muttered, staring between the pitch, Estella, and Hermione.
The two erupted in a fit of laughter, only to be cut short as Hermione grabbed her hand and began dragging her down to the pitch, Ian following behind.
"You did brilliantly, Ron!" said Hermione, rushing toward the two boys.
"That was great, Ron," said Ian, as they did the "bro" handshake.
Harry watched with narrow eyes, his attention was pulled as Estella kissed him.
He wasted no time deepening it. Silently hoping, Ian was watching so he'd know Estella was, without a doubt, taken.
"Great job, Captain," said Estella, smiling against his lips.
"Ah, only cause you told me how to run the tryouts," said Harry, grinning.
She shook her head. "No, I only hinted that you should try to get the less serious people out so that the interested ones remained."
"Yeah, yeah..."
After fixing the time of their first full practice for the following Thursday, Estella, Ron, Harry, and Hermione bade good-bye to the rest of the team and headed off toward Hagrid's. A watery sun was trying to break through the clouds now, and it had stopped drizzling at last.
"Did Ian make the team or was he just watching to feed information back to the Slytherin captain?" asked Ron, filling the brief silence.
Estella nodded. "No, he said he wasn't spying, but he is the newest Slytherin Seeker!"
"Seeker?" said Ron, looking between Harry and Estella.
She nodded.
"Competition, eh?" said Ron, in a teasing voice.
"I can handle competition. Should be refreshing since Malfoy wasn't much of a competition," said Harry confidently.
Estella hit his arm, and Ron laughed loudly.
Draco was good until he faced Harry. They were the book's definition of nemesis.
"I thought I was going to miss that fourth penalty," said Ron happily. "Tricky shot from Demelza, did you see, had a bit of spin on it-"
"Yes, yes, you were magnificent," said Hermione, looking amused.
"I was better than that McLaggen anyway," said Ron in a highly satisfied voice. "Did you see him lumbering off in the wrong direction on his fifth? Looked like he'd been Confunded..."
Estella stared straight ahead, fully knowing if she looked at Harry she'd tell him what she saw. It didn't help that he was already staring at her, as though waiting for an answer; one that he wasn't going to get.
The great gray hippogriff, Buckbeak, was tethered in front of Hagrid's cabin. He clicked his razor-sharp beak at their approach and turned his huge head toward them.
"Oh dear," said Hermione nervously. "He's still a bit scary, isn't he?"
"Come off it, you've ridden him, haven't you?" said Ron.
Harry stepped forward and bowed low to the hippogriff without breaking eye contact or blinking. After a few seconds, Buckbeak sank into a bow too.
"How are you?" asked Estella, doing the same, and moving toward to stroke the feathery head. "I know you're missing him, I am too. But you're okay here with Hagrid, aren't you?"
"Oi!" said a loud voice.
Hagrid had come striding around the corner of his cabin wearing a large flowery apron and carrying a sack of potatoes. His enormous boarhound, Fang, was at his heels; Fang gave a booming bark and bounded forward.
"Git away from him! He'll have yer fingers-oh. It's yeh lot."
Fang was jumping at Hermione and Ron, attempting to lick their ears. Hagrid stood and looked around at them all for a split second, then turned and strode into his cabin, slamming the door behind him.
"Oh dear!" said Hermione, looking stricken.
And people said Estella was dramatic.
"Don't worry about it," said Harry grimly. He walked over to the door and knocked loudly.
"Hagrid! Open up, we want to talk to you!"
There was no sound from within.
"If you don't open the door, we'll blast it open!" Harry said, pulling out his wand.
"Harry!" said Estella. "He's a teacher-"
"I don't care," said Harry. "Stand back-"
But before he could say anything else, the door flew open as they'd known it would and there stood Hagrid, glowering down at them and looking, despite the flowery apron, positively alarming.
"I'm a teacher!" he roared at Harry. "A teacher, Potter! How dare yeh threaten ter break down my door!"
"I'm sorry, sir," said Harry, emphasizing the last word as he stowed his wand inside his robes.
Hagrid looked stunned. "Since when have yeh called me 'sir'?"
"Since when have you called him 'Potter?" quipped Estella.
"Oh, very clever," growled Hagrid. "Very amusin'. That's me outsmarted, innit? All right', come in then, yeh ungrateful little..."
Mumbling darkly, he stood back to let them pass. Estella entered, followed by Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
"Well?" said Hagrid grumpily, as the four Gryffindors sat down around his enormous wooden table. Fang laid his head immediately upon Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes while his body leaned against Estella's legs. "What's this? Feelin' sorry for me? Reckon I'm lonely or summat?"
"No," said Estella at once. "We wanted to see you!"
"We've missed you!" said Hermione tremulously.
"Missed me, have yeh?" snorted Hagrid. "Yeah. Right."
He stomped around, brewing up tea in his enormous copper kettle, muttering all the while. Finally, he slammed down four bucket-sized mugs of mahogany-brown tea in front of them and a plate of his rock cakes. Harry was the only one who took one.
"Hagrid," said Hermione timidly, when he joined them at the table and started peeling his potatoes with a brutality that suggested each tuber had done him a great personal wrong, "we really wanted to carry on with Care of Magical Creatures, you know."
Hagrid gave another great snort, and Estella cringed. She was sure that some bogeys landed on the potatoes.
"We did!" said Estella. "It wouldn't fit in our schedules."
There was a funny squelching sound, and they all looked around: Estella pulled her feet off the ground, Hermione let out a shriek, and Ron leapt out of the seat and hurried around the table away from the large barrel standing in the corner that they'd just noticed. It was full of what looked like foot-long maggots, slimy, white, and writhing.
"What are they?" said Harry.
Estella stopped looking at them. They were disgusting.
"Jus
Giant grubs," said Hagrid.
"And they grow into..." said Ron, looking apprehensive.
"They won' grow inter nuthin'," said Hagrid. "I got 'em ter feed ter Aragog."
And without warning, he burst into tears.
"Hagrid!" cried Hermione, leaping and hurrying around the table the long way to avoid the barrel of maggots, and to Hagrid. "What is it?"
"It's...him..." gulped Hagrid, his beetle-black eyes streaming as he mopped his face with his apron. "It's Aragog...I think he's dyin'...He got ill over the summer an' he's not gettin' better...I don' know what I'll do if he...if he...We've bin together so long..."
Hermione patted Hagrid's shoulder, looking at a complete loss for anything to say. Estella was terrible at comforting crying people, especially since Hagrid had such a wide capacity of love for monstrous animals.
"Is there anything we can do?" Estella asked, ignoring Ron's frantic grimaces and head-shakings.
He was truly terrified of Aragog...and all spiders in general.
"I don' think there is, Estella,'' choked Hagrid, attempting to stem the flood of his tears. "See, the rest o' his tribe...Aragog's family, they're gettin' a bit funny now he's ill...bit restive..."
"Yeah, I think we saw a bit of that side of them," said Ron in an undertone.
"I don' reckon it'd be safe fer anyone but me ter go near the colony at the mo'," Hagrid finished, lowing his nose hard on his apron and looking up. "But thanks fer offerin'...It means a lot..."
After that, the atmosphere lightened considerably.
"Ar, I always knew yeh'd find it hard ter squeeze me inter yer timetables," Hagrid said gruffly, pouring them more tea. "Even if yeh applied fer Time-Turners-"
"We couldn't have done that," said Hermione. "We smashed the entire stock of Ministry Time-Turners when we were there last summer. It was in the Daily Prophet."
"Ar, well then," said Hagrid. "There's no way yeh could've done it...I'm sorry I've bin-yeh know-I jus' bin worried abou' Aragog...an' I did wonder whether if Professor Grubbly-Plank had bin teachin' yeh-"
At which all four of them stated categorically and untruthfully that Professor Grubbly-Plank was a dreadful teacher, with the result by the time Hagrid waved them off the premises at dusk, he looked quite cheerful.
"I'm starving," said Harry, once the door had closed behind them, and they were hurrying through the dark and deserted grounds. "And I've got that detention with Snape tonight, I haven't got much time for dinner..."
As they came into the castle, they spotted Cormac McLaggen entering the Great Hall. It took two attempts to get through the doors; he ricocheted off the frame on the first attempt. Ron merely guffawed gloatingly and strode off into the Hall after him, but Harry held the two girls back.
"What?" said Hermione defensively, while Estella avoided his eyesight.
She was not as good at lying to people who knew her well as compared to strangers.
"If you ask me," said Harry quietly, "McLaggen looks like he was Confounded this morning. And he was standing right in front of where you, Hermione, and Ian were sitting."
Hermione blushed, and Estella looked away from him.
"I did nothing," she said quickly.
"Oh, all right then, I did it," whispered Hermione. "But you should have heard the way he was talking about Ron and Ginny! Anyway, he's got a nasty temper, you saw how he reacted when he didn't get in-you wouldn't have wanted someone like that on the team."
"No," said Harry. "No, I suppose that's true. But wasn't that dishonest, Hermione? I mean, you're a prefect, aren't you?"
"Oh, be quiet. You've broken the rules more than I have," she snapped, as Harry smirked.
"When?" he asked mockingly.
Hermione scoffed. "Have you forgotten the time you spent the night in the girls' dormitories or the fact boys and girls aren't permitted to share a room?"
Harry chuckled. "I wouldn't say I've forgotten that."
"He did deserve it though," said Estella, as an afterthought.
Harry nodded, that was obvious. McLaggen was a world-class dick.
"What are you three doing?" demanded Ron, reappearing in the doorway to the Great Hall and looking suspicious.
"Nothing," said Estella, Harry, and Hermione together, and they hurried after Ron.
They were three steps from the Gryffindor table when Professor Slughorn appeared in front of them, blocking their path.
"Ah, just the two people I was hoping to see," he boomed genially, twiddling the end of his walrus mustache and puffing out his enormous belly. "I was hoping to catch you before dinner! What do you say to a spot of supper tonight in my room instead? We're having a little party, just a few rising stars, I've got McLaggen coming, Ian and Zabini, the charming Melinda Bobbin-I don't know whether you know her? Her family owns a large chain of apothecaries-and, of course, I hope very much that Miss Granger will favor me by coming too."
Slughorn made Hermione a little bow as he finished speaking. It was as though Ron was not present; Slughorn did not so much as look at him.
"I can't come, Professor," said Harry at once. "I've got detention with Professor Snape."
"Oh dear!" said Slughorn, his face falling comically. "Dear, dear, I was counting on you, Harry! You and Estella are the lives of the party! Well, now, I'll just have to have a word with Severus and explain the situation. I'm sure I'll be able to persuade him to postpone your detention. Yes, I'll see you three later!"
He bustled away out of the Hall.
"He's got no chance of persuading Snape," said Harry, the moment Slughorn was out of earshot. "This detention's already been postponed once; Snape did it for Dumbledore, but he won't do it for anyone else."
"Oh, I wish you could come," said Hermione anxiously.
"Ian will be there, Ginny's probably invited," snapped Ron, who did not seem to have taken kindly to being ignored by Slughorn.
Harry scowled at the mention of Ian's name. He had a strong feeling Ian liked Estella, one that Estella didn't notice.
"Do you think I can bring a plus one?" asked Estella.
"For who?" asked Hermione.
"Ron, of course," she said.
Ron beamed at her, and Estella smiled back. Ron would definitely help to make a dinner party as uncomfortable and boring as that a fun one.
After dinner, they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower. The common room was very crowded, as most people had finished their dinner by bow, but they managed to find a free table and sat down. Estella reached out for a copy of the Evening Prophet, which somebody had left abandoned on a chair.
"Anything new?" said Harry.
"Not really," said Estella, who opened the newspaper and was skimming the pages. "Oh, Ron, your dad's in here-he's all right!" she added quickly, for Ron had looked around in alarm. "It just says he's been to visit the Malfoys' house. 'This second search of the Death Eater's residence does not seem to have yielded any results. Arthur Weasley of the Office for the Detention and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects said that his team had been acting upon a confidential tip-off.'"
"Yeah, mine!" said Harry. "I told him at King's Cross about Malfoy and that thing he was trying to get Borgin to fix! Well, if it's not at their house, he must have brought whatever it is to Hogwarts with him-"
"But how can he have done that, Harry?" said Hermione, with a surprised look. "We were all searched, weren't we?"
"Were you?" said Harry, taken aback. "I wasn't!"
Estella nodded. "Well, you weren't searched because you were late. Filch ran over us with Secrecy Sensors when we got into the entrance hall. Any Dark object would have been found, I saw Crabble have a shrunken head confiscated. Malfoy couldn't have brought whatever it is here."
"Someone's sent it to him by owl, then," he said. "His mother or someone."
"All the owls are being checked too," said Hermione. "Filch told us so when he was jabbing those Secrecy Sensors everywhere he could reach."
Harry sat silent for a moment, looking to Ron, who was sitting with his arms folded, staring over at Lavender Brown.
"Can you think of any way Malfoy-?"
"Oh, drop it, Harry," said Ron.
"Listen, it's not my fault Slughorn invited Hermione, Estella, and me to his stupid party, none of us want to go, you know!" said Harry, fired up.
"You could come as my guest," said Estella quickly. "Slughorn won't say anything!"
"It's okay," said Ron, getting to his feet again. "I don't want to intrude. I think I'll go to bed."
He stomped off toward the door to the boys' dormitories, leaving Estella, Harry, and Hermione staring after him.
"Harry?" said the new Chaser, Demelza Robins, appearing at his shoulder. "I've got a message for you."
"From Professor Slughorn?" asked Harry, sitting up hopefully.
"No...from Professor Snape," said Demelza. "He says you're to come to his office at half-past eight tonight to do your detention-er-no matter how many party invitations you've received. And he wanted you to know you'll be sorting out rotten flobberworms from good ones, to use in Potions-and-and he says there's no need to bring protective gloves."
That was an absolutely disgusting punishment.
"Right," said Harry grimly. "Thanks, Demelza."
Hi guys, hope you liked the chapter. Vote and comment!
Here's another chapter a bit early because I'm so close to finishing Half-Blooded Prince and I'm literally internally freaking out. I can't believe I'm so close to the Deathly Hallows. I'm so sad to write these upcoming scenes like you have no idea, but I'm also so excited that my hands are literally shaking.
Thank you so much to everyone who's been reading. I appreciate it so much, honestly more than you could know. When I first published this fanfic I had no idea that anyone would actually read it, let alone enjoy it.
Also, today might be another double update because I'm in such a good mood.
Hope you enjoy the chapter.