Rosabella's Point of View:
I returned with Winter to the common room to find Harry there. I gave him a small smile.
"When did you get back?" I asked as I walked over to him.
Harry was sitting on one of the sofas. Harry grabbed my hand and pulled me into his lap. I giggled slightly. I sat sideways on his lap, my arms around his neck and his arms wrapped around my waist.
"Just now." Harry said and he started to trail kisses from ear and down my neck.
"How did it go with Dumbledore?" I asked slightly breathless.
Harry stopped kissing my neck and told me about the Slughorns modified memory and Dumbledore's task.
". . . so I need your cunning mind to help me get the memory. Dumbledore even suggested I ask you for help." Harry said and I couldn't help but laugh slightly.
"Dumbledore knows me too well." I said chuckling.
I then pressed my lips to Harry's to give him a quick yet passionate kiss.
"Of course, I'll help you. We should take a slow approach and start accepting those part invites. Maybe if we get him drunk enough, he'll give us the memory." I said, thoughtfully.
"Can't you just use the famous black charm. It's helped us in the past. It especially worked on me." Harry said and he kissed me again before I could respond.
I laughed after we kissed.
"The Black charm is a powerful thing but it's not a miracle worker. Slughorn has gone to great length to hide the memory. We need to be cautious in our approach." I said.
Harry nodded and then suddenly looked confused.
"Where were you?" Harry asked.
I bit my lip hesitantly, debating on what to say.
"I talked to Malfoy." I said.
"What?" Harry said shocked but I think I could hear anger boiling in his voice.
"Calm down will you. I mainly just confirmed what we already know. He is working on Voldemort's orders but Malfoy also gave me a warning." I said with a frown.
"Warning? What did he say? Did he threaten you?" Harry demanded.
"No, he didn't threaten me. He'd be in Saint Mungo's if he did, you know that." I said playfully, nudging him slightly.
"Ro." Harry said, worried.
I sighed and changed our position so I was straddling him. I ran my fingers through his hair.
"He warned me about Bellatrix and that not to overestimate my importance to her." I told him.
"What do you mean?" Harry said, tightening his arms around my waist.
"I can't pass on the Black name, my brothers can. Really Bellatrix only needs one of them. My main use would be to lore them into a trap. Malfoy was warning me that if I kept defying them and become more trouble then I'm worth, they'd kill me." I said quietly.
Harry was silent. Neither of us knowing what to say. It was only when I yawned did Harry's eyes soften.
"It's late. Do you want to stay with me tonight?" Harry asked.
I nodded and we went up to his dorm. It was when Harry gathered his pyjamas did I realise mine were in my dorm.
"Crap. I forget to get Pyjamas." I whispered.
"You can wear one of my shirts if you want." Harry suggested in a whisper.
I nodded and thanked him. Harry rummaged quietly in his trunk and passed me one of his clean shirts. I crept over to the bathroom to change, while Harry changed in his dorm. Because Harry was quite a bit taller then me and had a more broader frame, the shirt was like a mini dress on me. I very slowly opened the door and when I saw Harry was already changed, I crept silently over to his bed and climbed in. I rested my head on Harry's chest as Harry kept his arms wrapped around me. Winter was curled into a ball at the bottom of the bed. I quickly fell asleep.
I made sure to wake up slightly earlier then everyone else so I could sneak in to my dorm. I gathered my clothes and Winter followed me as I quietly raced back to my dorm. I climbed into my own bed and got about another half hours sleep before I got up with everyone else. The girls all gushed when they realised I was wearing one of Harry's shirt. Crap, I had forgotten.
"Oh my Merlin! Ro did you and Harry like, you know, hook up?" Pavarti asked eagerly.
Hermione waited anxiously for the answer.
"No! I just wanted one of his shirts so I asked and he gave it. End of story." I said so convincing that even the gossip Queens Lavender and Pavarti couldn't spread rumors.
"Ro, tell me the truth. Did you and Harry . . ." Hermione trailed off when it was just us left in the dorm.
"We didn't Hermione. I don't really want our first time to be with four other boys in the room but I did stay with him last night. We just slept that's it." I said and Hermione study me intill she sighed in relief.
"I just want you to know, I wouldn't of judged you if you had. You and Harry have been together for two years now but I'm glad you're being responsible about it." Hermione said.
"Hermione, I love my parents but I don't want to follow their foot steps of having a baby in hogwarts. Or even like Lucas. I love Roseanna with all my heart, you know that, but I wouldn't want a baby when I was that young. There's no rush. I want kids, just in the far future." I said and Hermione agreed with me in the there's no rush to have kids department.
That day Harry confided in both Ron and Hermione the task that Dumbledore had set him, though separately, for Hermione still refused to remain in Ron's presence longer than it took to give him a contemptuous look.
Ron thought that Harry was unlikely to have any trouble with Slughorn at all.
"He loves you. Won't refuse you anything, will he? Not his little Potions Prince. Just hang back after class this afternoon and ask him." Ron said over breakfast, waving an airy forkful of fried egg.
I rolled my eyes.
"It's not going to be that simple, Ron." I insisted.
Hermione, however, took a gloomier view.
"He must be determined to hide what really happened if Dumbledore couldn't get it out of him. Horcruxes . . . Horcruxes . . . I've never even heard of them . . ." Hermione said in a low voice, as we stood in the deserted, snowy courtyard at break.
"You haven't? Have you, Ro?"
I bit my lip and shook my head.
Harry was obviously disappointed.
"They must be really advanced Dark magic, or why would Voldemort have wanted to know about them?" I said.
"I think it's going to be difficult to get the information, Harry, even with Ro's help. You'll both have to be very careful about how you approach Slughorn, think out a strategy . . ."
"Ron reckons I should just hang back after Potions this afternoon . . ." Harry said.
"Oh, well, if Won - Won thinks that, you'd better do it. After all, when has Won - Won's judgement ever been faulty?" Hermione said, flaring up at once.
"Hermione, can't you -" Harry tried to say.
"No!" she said angrily, and stormed away, leaving Harry and I alone and ankle - deep in snow.
Harry pulled me into his arms. My back was pressed against his chest. Harry leaned down to whisper in my ear.
"I can't wait intill you don't have to sneak back to your dorm and we can actually wake up together." Harry whispered in my ear.
I smiled and leaned back against him.
"Well, we'll both be adults this summer. Maybe we should get our own place." I suggested.
Harry loosened his arms around my waist so I could turn around to face him. I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Are you serious? You'd move in with me?" Harry asked, hopefully.
I smiled and nodded my head.
"Yes, I want to move in. No brothers watching our every move. No friends also monitoring where we are. Just you and me." I said and we beamed at each other.
Harry kissed me so passionately that I somehow ended up with my back pressed against a wall as Harry and I were wrapped in a passionate lock of lips.
Harry and I kissed intill it was time to go to our next class.
Potions lessons were uncomfortable enough these days, seeing as Harry, Ron Hermione and I had to share a desk. Today, Hermione moved her cauldron to the next table so that she was close to Ernie, and ignored both Harry and Ron.
"What've you done?" Ron muttered to Harry, looking at Hermione's haughty profile.
But before Harry could answer, Slughorn was calling for silence from the front of the room.
"Settle down, settle down, please! Quickly, now, lots of work to get through this afternoon! Golpalott's Third Law . . . who can tell me -? But Miss Black can, of course!" Slughorn said, good naturedly.
"Golpalott's - Third - Law - states - that - the - antidote - for - a - blended - poison - will - be - equal - to - more - than - the - sum - of - the - antidotes - for - each - of - the - separale - components." I recited at top speed.
"Precisely! Ten points for Gryffindor! Now, if we accept Golpalott's Third Law as true . . ." Slughorn said and beamed at me.
Harry and Ron looked at me very confused. Nobody apart from Hermione and I seemed to be following what Slughorn said next.
". . . which means, of course, that assuming we have achieved correct identification of the potion's ingredients by Scarpin's Revelaspell, our primary aim is not the relatively simple one of selecting antidotes to those ingredients in and of themselves, but to find that added component which will, by an almost alchemical process, transform these disparate elements -"
Ron was sitting beside Harry with his mouth half - open, doodling absently on his new copy of Advanced Potion - Making.
". . . and so, I want each of you to come and take one of these phials from my desk. You are to create an antidote for the poison within it before the end of the lesson. Good luck, and don't forget your protective gloves!" Slughorn finished.
Hermione and I had left our stools and was halfway towards Slughorn's desk before the rest of the class had realised it was time to move, and by the time Harry, Ron and Ernie returned to their tables, we had already tipped the contents of our phials into our cauldrons and was kindling a fire underneath it.
"It's a shame that the Prince won't be able to help you much with this, Harry. You have to understand the principles involved this time. No short cuts or cheats!" Hermione said brightly as she straightened up.
Harry, annoyed, uncorked the poison he had taken from Slughorn's desk, which was a garish shade of pink, tipped it into his cauldron and lit a fire underneath it. Neither Ron or Harry seemed to have the faintest idea what they were supposed to do next. I glanced at them. Ron, who was now standing there looking rather gormless, having copied everything Harry had done.
"You sure the Prince hasn't got any tips?" Ron muttered to Harry.
Harry pulled out his trusty copy of Advanced Potion - Making and turned to the chapter on Antidotes. I knew there wasn't anything in there about this, having copied the half blood Prince's notes into my own potion book.
"Nothing." Harry said gloomily.
Hermione and I were now waving our wands enthusiastically over our cauldrons. Hermione, now in a much better mood, moved back over to sit next to me. Hermione and I had become so good at non - verbal spells that we did them now without thinking. Hermione's expression could not have been any smugger as Harry and Ron struggled. She had loathed being out - performed in every Potions class. We were now decanting the mysteriously separated ingredients of our poison into ten different crystal phials.
Harry bent over the Half - Blood Prince's book and turned a few pages with unnecessary force.
I looked at him sympathetically. I didn't have a moment to spare to help them as this was not something that could easily be explained.
Harry suddenly hastened towards the store cupboard and rummaged within it. I looked at him curiously for a second but I then focused on my own potion as we didn't have long left.
"Two minutes left, everyone!" Slughorn shouted.
Harry had something clutched in his hand as he hurried back to his cauldron.
"Time's . . . UP!" Slughorn called genially.
"Well, let's see how you've done! Blaise . . . what have you got for me?" Slughorn said.
Slowly, Slughorn moved around the room, examining the various antidotes. Nobody had finished the task, although Hermione and I were trying to cram a few more ingredients into our bottles before Slughorn reached us.
Ron had given up completely, and was merely trying to avoid breathing in the putrid fumes issuing from his cauldron. Harry stood there waiting, clutching something in his hand.
Slughorn reached our table last. Slughorn sniffed Ernie's potion and passed on to Ron's with a grimace. He did not linger over Ron's cauldron, but backed away swiftly, retching slightly.
"Excellent, Rosabella. I'm sure this potion would be perfect of you had more time to finish it." Slughorn said said as he passed looked at my cauldron.
"And you, Harry. What have you got to show me?" Slughorn said.
Harry held out his hand, something shaped like a small kidney sitting on his palm.
Slughorn looked down at it for a full ten seconds. Then he threw back his head and roared with laughter.
"You've got a nerve, boy!" Slughorn boomed, taking the bezoar and holding it up so that the class could see it.
"Oh, you're like your mother . . . well, I can't fault you . . . a bezoar would certainly act as an antidote to all these potions!" Slughorn said.
Hermione, who was sweaty - faced and had soot on her nose, looked livid. I couldn't help but chuckle and I gave Harry a wink. Hermione's half-finished antidote, comprising fifty - two ingredients including a chunk of her own hair, bubbled sluggishly behind Slughorn, who had eyes for nobody but Harry.
"And you thought of a bezoar all by yourself, did you, Harry" Hermione asked through gritted teeth.
"That's the individual spirit a real potion - maker needs!" Slughorn said happily, before Harry could reply.
"Just like his mother, she had the same intuitive grasp of potion - making, it's undoubtedly from Lily he gets it . . . yes, Harry, yes, if you've got a bezoar to hand, of course that would do the trick . . . although as they don't work on everything, and are pretty rare, it's still worth knowing how to mix antidotes . . ." Slughorn said.
The only person in the room looking angrier than Hermione was Malfoy, who had spilled something that looked like cat sick over himself. Before either of them could express their fury that Harry had come top of the class by not doing any work, however, the bell rang.
"Time to pack up! And an extra ten points to Gryffindor for sheer cheek!" Slughorn said and still chuckling, he waddled back to his desk at the front of the dungeon.
Hermione, furious, stormed out. I sighed and followed her.
I just let Hermione rant about the unfairness of it all. Best to just let her get it all out.
Harry told us about his disastrous attempt to gain the memory. Neither Ron nor Hermione was at all sympathetic when Harry told them of this disastrous interview. Hermione was still seething at the way Harry had triumphed without doing the work properly. Ron was resentful that Harry hadn't slipped him a bezoar, too.
"It would've just looked stupid if we'd both done it!" Harry said irritably.
"Look, I had to try and soften him up so I could ask him about Voldemort, didn't I?" Harry said.
"Oh, will you get a grip!" I added in exasperation, as Ron winced at the sound of the name.
"Harry, I told you asking him straight out was not the way to go. Why ask me for help if your just going to do the opposite of what I said?" I said.
Infuriated by his failure and by Ron and Hermione's attitudes, Harry brooded for the next few days over what to do next about Slughorn. We decided that, for the time being, that it would be best if Harry would let Slughorn think that he had forgotten all about Horcruxes.
"It's best to lull him into a false sense of security before returning to the attack." I said casually as we did homework in the common room one night.
"You truly do have an evil mind." Ron said.
"And don't you forget it." I said with a smug smile.
When Harry did not question Slughorn again, the Potions master reverted to his usual affectionate treatment of him, and appeared to have put the matter from his mind. Harry and I awaited for an invitation to one of his little evening parties, determined to accept this time, even if Harry had to reschedule Quidditch practice.
Unfortunately, however, no such invitation arrived. Harry and I checked with Hermione and Ginny. Neither of them had received an invitation and nor, as far as we knew, had anybody else. could not help wondering whether this meant that
"Slughorn's was not quite as forgetful as we hoped." I said to Harry.
"What do we do?" Harry said.
"Well, the easiest way to get information from people is after they've had a few drinks snd there faurd is down. Slughorn now seems determined not to give you any additional opportunities to question him." I said, miserably.
Meanwhile, the Hogwarts library had failed Hermione and I for the first time in living memory. We were so shocked, Hermione especially was as she even forgot that she was annoyed at Harry for his trick with the bezoar.
"I haven't found one single explanation of what Horcruxes do!" Hermione told Harry.
Harry then looked at me.
"Not a single one! I've been right through the restricted section and even in the most horrible books, where they tell you how to brew the most gruesome potions - nothing! All I could find was this, in the introduction to Magic Most Evil - listen - "of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction" . . . I mean, why mention it, then?"I said impatiently and irritatedily, slamming the old book shut, it let out a ghostly wail.
"Oh, shut up!" I snapped, stuffing it back into my bag.
The snow melted around the school as February arrived, to be replaced by cold, dreary wetness. Purplish - grey clouds hung low over the castle and a constant fall of chilly rain made the lawns slippery and muddy. The upshot of this was that the sixth-years' first Apparition lesson, which was scheduled for a Saturday morning so that no normal lessons would be missed. It took place in the Great Hall instead of in the grounds because of the weather.
Michael gave us some advice before we left for the Great Hall.
"You're going to find it frustrating at first but be patient. It requires concentration. Good luck, careful not to splinch yourselves." Michael said and kissed the top of my head before he returned to sit with his friends, his arm around Danica.
I smiled at that. Now all I need to do is get Jacob and Ginny together.
Harry, Hermione and I arrived in the Hall (Ron had come down with Lavender) we found that the tables had disappeared. I told Winter to stay with Michael.
Rain lashed against the high windows and the enchanted ceiling swirled darkly above us as we assembled in front of Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick and Sprout - the Heads of House - and a small wizard whom I took to be the Apparition Instructor from the Ministry.
He was oddly colourless, with transparent eyelashes, wispy hair and an insubstantial air, as though a single gust of wind might blow him away. I wondered whether constant disappearances and reappearances had somehow diminished his substance, or whether this frail build was ideal for anyone wishing to vanish.
"Good morning. My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry-Apparition Instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparition test in this time -" The Ministry wizard, when all the students had arrived and the Heads of House had called for quiet.
"Malfoy, be quiet and pay attention!" Professor McGonagall barked.
Everybody looked round. Malfoy had flushed a dull pink, he looked furious as he stepped away from Crabbe, with whom he appeared to have been having a whispered argument. Harry and I glanced quickly at each other then at Snape, who also looked annoyed. Though I strongly suspected that this was less because of Malfoy's rudeness than the fact that McGonagall had reprimanded one of his house.
"- by which time, many of you may be ready to take your test." Twycross continued, as though there had been no interruption.
"As you may know, it is usually impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts. The Headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the Great Hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to practise. May I emphasise that you will not be able to Apparate outside the walls of this Hall, and that you would be unwise to try. I would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you have a clear five feet of space in front of you." Mr Twycross said.
There was a great scrambling and jostling as people separated, banged into each other, and ordered others out of their space. The Heads of House moved among the students, marshalling them into position and breaking up arguments.
"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione demanded.
But Harry did not answer. He was moving quickly through the crowd, past the place where Professor Flitwick was making squeaky attempts to position a few Ravenclaws, all of whom wanted to be near the front. Past Professor Sprout, who was chivvying the Hufflepuffs into line, until, by dodging around Ernie Macmillan, he managed to position himself right at the back of the crowd. Directly behind Malfoy, who was taking advantage of the general upheaval to continue with what looked like, his argument with Crabbe, standing five feet away and looking mutinous.
I watched them closely. Crabbe tried to say something but Malfoy spoke before he could. I then saw Harry say something.
Malfoy spun round on the spot, his hand flying to his wand, but at that precise moment the four Heads of House shouted, "Quiet!" and silence fell again. Malfoy turned slowly to face the front. Harry returned to stand next to me.
"Thank you. Now then . . ." Twycross said and he waved his wand.
Old-fashioned wooden hoops instantly appeared on the floor in from of every student.
"The important things to remember when Apparating are the three Ds! Destination, Determination, Deliberation!" Twycross said.
"Step one: fix your mind firmly upon the desired destination In this case, the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon that destination now." Twycross said.
Everybody looked around furtively, to check that everyone else was staring into their hoop, then hastily did as they were told. I gazed at the circular patch of dusty floor enclosed by my hoop and tried hard to think of nothing else.
"Step two, focus your determination to occupy the visualised space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!" Twycross said.
I glanced around surreptitiously. A little way to my left, Ernie Macmillan was contemplating his hoop so hard that his face had turned pink. It looked as though he was straining to lay a Quaffle-sized egg. I bit back a laugh and hastily returned my gaze to my own hoop.
"Step three, and only when I give the command . . . turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation. On my command, now . . . one -" Twycross called.
I glanced around again. Lots of people were looking positively alarmed at being asked to Apparate so quickly.
"- two -" Twycross called
I tried to fix my thoughts on my hoop again.
"- THREE!" Twycross called.
I spun on the spot, lost my balance and fell over. I was not the only one. The whole Hall was suddenly full of staggering people. Neville was flat on his back. Ernie Macmillan, on the other hand, had done a kind of pirouetting leap into his hoop and looked momentarily thrilled, until he caught sight of Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan roaring with laughter at him. Harry, chuckling slightly, held out his hands. I grabbed them and Harry pulled me to my feet, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. I giggled slightly and I caught sight of Malfoy, glaring at us.
"Never mind, never mind. Adjust your hoops, please, and back to your original positions . . ." Twycross said dryly, who did not seem to have expected anything better.
The second attempt was no better than the first. The third was just as bad. Not until the fourth did anything exciting happen. There was a horrible screech of pain and everybody looked around, terrified, to see Susan Bones of Hufflepuff wobbling in her hoop with her left leg still standing five feet away where she had started. I winced in sympathy.
The Heads of House converged on her. There was a great bang and a puff of purple smoke, which cleared to reveal Susan sobbing, reunited with her leg but looking horrified.
"Splinching, or the separation of random body parts, occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continually upon your destination, and move, without haste, but with deliberation . . . thus." Wilkie Twycross said dispassionately.
Twycross stepped forwards, turned gracefully on the spot with his arms outstretched and vanished in a swirl of robes, reappearing at the back of the Hall.
"Remember the three Ds, and try again . . . one - two - three -" Twycross said.
But an hour later, Susan's Splinching was still the most interesting thing that had happened. Twycross did not seem discouraged. Fastening his cloak at his neck, he merely said, "Until next Saturday, everybody, and do not forget: Destination. Determination. Deliberation."
With that, he waved his wand, Vanishing the hoops, and walked out of the Hall accompanied by Professor McGonagall. Talk broke out at once as people began moving towards the Entrance Hall.
"How did you two do? I think I felt something the last time I tried - a kind of tingling in my feet." Ron asked, hurrying towards Harry and I.
"I expect your trainers are too small, Won-Won." said a voice behind them, and Hermione stalked past, smirking.
"I didn't feel anything." I said, shrugging.
"Neither did I but I don't care about that now -" Harry said.
"What d'you mean, you don't care . . . don't you want to learn to Apparate?" Ron said incredulously.
"I'm not fussed, really. I prefer flying." Harry said, glancing over his shoulder to see where Malfoy was, and speeding up as we came into the Entrance Hall.
"Look, hurry up, will you, there's something I want to do . . ." Harry said, instinctively grabbing my hand.
Perplexed, Ron and I followed Harry back to Gryffindor Tower at a run. We were temporarily detained by Peeves, who had jammed a door on the fourth floor shut and was refusing to let anyone pass until they set fire to their own pants. But Harry, Ron and I simply turned back and took one of our trusted short cuts. Within five minutes, we were climbing through the portrait hole.
"Are you going to tell us what we're doing, then?" Ron asked, panting slightly.
Winter bounded happily over to me. I knelt down and scratched behind her ears.
"Is Mike not great company?" I said to Winter.
"Oi!" Michael said and I grinned teasingly at him.
"Do you have the Marauders Map?" Harry asked.
I took it out my pocket and Harry dragged us over to a secluded corner of the common room.
"Harry . . ." I started to say.
"Malfoy's using Crabbe and Goyle as lookouts. He was arguing with Crabbe just now. I want to know why." Harry said and then looked at me expectantly.
I took my wand out my pocket and pointed at the old plank folded piece of parchment.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good . . . or Malfoy is, anyway." I said.
At once, the Marauder's Map appeared on the parchment's surface. Here was a detailed plan of every one of the castle's floors and, moving around it, the tiny, labelled black dots that signified each of the castle's occupants.
"Help me find Malfoy." Harry said urgently.
I laid the map upon the table and we leaned over it, searching.
"There! He's in the Slytherin common room, look . . . with Parkinson and Zabini and Crabbe and Goyle . . ." Ron said, after a minute or so.
Harry looked down at the map, disappointed, but rallied almost at once.
"Well, I'm keeping an eye on him from now on. And the moment I see him lurking somewhere with Crabbe and Goyle keeping watch outside, it'll be on with the old Invisibility Cloak and off to find out what he's up to." Harry said firmly.
"Ro, can I borrow the map for a bit?" Harry added.
"Sure, I memerised the passengers years ago." I said with a shrug.
Despite Harry's determination to catch Malfoy out, Harry had no luck at all over the next couple of weeks. Although he consulted the map as often as he could, sometimes making unnecessary visits to the bathroom between lessons to search it, he did not once see Malfoy anywhere suspicious. Admittedly, he told me he had spotted Crabbe and Goyle moving around the castle on their own more often than usual. Sometimes remaining stationary in deserted corridors, but at these times Malfoy was not only nowhere near them, but impossible to locate on the map at all.
This was most mysterious. Harry and I toyed with the possibility that Malfoy was actually leaving the school grounds, but I could not see how he could be doing it, given the very high level of security now operating within the castle. Harry could only suppose that we were missing Malfoy amongst the hundreds of tiny black dots upon the map.
As for the fact that Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle appeared to be going their different ways when they were usually inseparable, well, these things happened as people got older. Ron and Hermione, I reflected sadly, were living proof. I was just at least glad Harry and I were stronger then ever.
February moved towards March with no change in the weather except that it became windy as well as wet. To general indignation, a sign went up on all common - room noticeboards that the next trip into Hogsmeade had been cancelled. Ron was furious.
"It was on my birthday! I was looking forward to that!" Ron said.
"Not a big surprise, though, is it?" Harry said.
"Not after what happened to Katie." I agreed.
Katie had still not returned from St. Mungo's. Jason said she was improving but still had a while to go before she made a complete recovery. According to the letters from Jacob and Lucas, they barely see Jason these days as when he's not at work he's at Saint Mungo's with Katie.
What was more,further disappearances had been reported in the Daily Prophet, including several relatives of students at Hogwarts.
"But now all I've got to look forward to is stupid Apparition! Big birthday treat . . ." Ron said, grumpily.
Three lessons on, Apparition was proving as difficult as ever, though a few more people had managed to Splinch themselves. Frustration was running high and there was a certain amount of ill - feeling towards Wilkie Twycross and his three Ds, which had inspired a number of nicknames for him, the politest of which were Dog-breath and Dung-head.
On Ron's birthday, I got up early and I went into the boys dorm. Winter by my side and Ron's present in one hand.
Harry was still asleep when I entered.
"Happy Birthday, Ron." I said happily as I passed him his present and sat on the edge of Harry's bed.
I waved to Dean and Seamus who were just about to leave for breakfast and they left noisily, resulting in waking Harry up.
"Happy birthday, Ron. Have a present." Harry said and he threw the package across on to Ron's bed, where it joined a small pile of them that must have been delivered by house - elves in the night.
"Cheers." Ron said drowsily, and as he ripped off the paper.
Harry sat up and wrapped his arms around my shoulders kissing my cheek.
"Your a nice sight to wake up to in the morning." Harry said tiredly.
"Even with the bed head and morning breath?" I asked playfully as Harry started to trail kisses down my neck.
"Bed head, morning breath and everything else about you." Harry said.
"At least she doesn't have bed head all the time." Ron said teasingly to Harry.
I laughed as Harry threw a pillow at Ron. Ron dodged and laughed with me.
"Really, I can't wait till I can see you first thing every morning." Harry said.
"Me too." I saulid sincerely and we kissed, not caring about morning breath.
"What are you two on about?" Ron said, looking at us suspiciously.
Harry smirked at him but didn't answer as he got out of bed, opened his own trunk and began rummaging in it for the Marauder's Map, which he hid after every use.
"Harry and I are planning to get our own place after he turns seventeen this summer." I told Ron as Harry turned out half the contents of his trunk before he found it hiding beneath the rolled-up socks
"You're kidding?" Ron gasped.
I shook my head and smiled.
"That's great. I wish you luck in telling your brothers and Remus." Ron said as he continued to open his presents.
"Yeah, I'd appreciate it if you don't tell them. I'm planning on telling them when I'm seventeen so they can't tell me I can't. Just trying to avoid an argument." I said.
Ron chuckled.
"I won't say anything." Ron promised as he moved onto his next present.
"Right." Harry murmured, taking the Msp back to bed with him, tapping it quietly and murmuring, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," so that Neville, who was passing the foot of his bed at the time, would not hear.
Winter looked curiously at the Map and looked to be scanning.
"That's exciting and at least you only have to keep it from one brother at the moment." Neville said and waved goodbye as he left the dorm.
I smiled at him as he left.
"Nice one, Harry!" Ron said enthusiastically, waving the new pair of Quidditch Keeper's gloves Harry had given him.
"No problem," said Harry absent - mindedly, as he searched the Slytherin dormitory closely for Malfoy.
"Hey. . .I don't think he's in his bed. . ." Harry said.
Ron did not answer; he was too busy unwrapping presents, every now and then letting out an exclamation of pleasure.
I payed attention to Ron as Harry studied at the Marauders Map.
"Seriously good haul this year!" Ron announced, holding up a heavy gold watch with odd symbols around the edge and tiny moving stars instead of hands.
"See what Mum and Dad got me? Blimey, I think I'll come of age next year too . . ." Ron said.
I laughed. It was a tradition for a wizard to get a watch when they come of age.
"Cool." Harry muttered, sparing the watch a glance before peering more closely at the map.
"Want one?" Ron said thickly, holding out a box of Chocolate Cauldrons.
"No thanks," Harry and I said, Harry now looking up.
"Malfoy's gone again!" Harry said angrily.
"Can't have done." Ron said, stuffing a second Cauldron into his mouth as he slid out of bed to get dressed.
I turned away and hid my face in Harry's pillow so Ron knew I wasn't looking.
"Come on. If you don't hurry up you'll have to Apparate on an empty - stomach . . . might make it easier, I suppose . . ." Ron said.
Harry tapped the map with his wand, and I heard him mutter, "Mischief managed," though it hadn't been, and he got dressed.
I used my wand to summon my clothes hair brush and tooth brush to me when the boys were ready. I quickly got ready and Harry let me put my stuff in the draw of his bed side table.
"Ready?" I said to Ron.
Harry and I were halfway to the dormitory door when we realised that Ron had not moved, but was leaning on his bedpost, staring out of the rain - washed window with a strangely unfocused look on his face.
"Ron? Breakfast." Harry said.
"I'm not hungry." Ron said.
Harry and I stared at him.
"What? But – but your my food friend! We never stop eating!" I exclaimed, shocked.
"I thought you just said -?" Harry said confused.
"- Well, all right, I'll come down with you both, but I don't want to eat." Ron sighed.
Harry scrutinised him suspiciously.
"You've just eaten half a box of Chocolate Cauldrons, haven't you?" Harry said.
I studied Ron carefully. He seemed off. His face had some weird dreamy expression.
"It's not that. You . . . you wouldn't understand." Ron sighed again
"Fair enough." Harry said, sounding puzzled as he turned to open the door.
"Harry!" Ron said suddenly, causing me to jump.
"What?" Harry said in a state of shock.
"Harry, I can't stand it!" Ron yelled.
"You can't stand what?" Harry and I asked, now starling to feel definitely alarmed.
Ron was rather pale and looked as though he was about to be sick.
"I can't stop thinking about her!" Ron said hoarsely.
Harry and I gaped at him. We had not expected this and was not sure we wanted to hear it. Friends we might be, but if Ron started calling Lavender 'Lav-Lav', I would have to put my foot down.
"Why does that stop you having breakfast?" Harry asked, trying to inject a note of common sense into the proceedings.
"I don't think she knows I exist." Ron said with a desperate gesture.
"She definitely knows you exist. She keeps snogging you, doesn't she?" I said, bewildered.
Ron blinked.
"Who are you talking about?" Ron said.
"Who are you talking about?" I said, with an increasing sense that all reason had dropped out of the conversation.
"Romilda Vane." Ron said softly, and his whole face seemed to illuminate as he said it, as though hit by a ray of purest sunlight.
Harry and I looked at each other before we stared at Ron for almost a whole minute.
"This is a joke, right? You're joking." Harry said.
"I think . . . Harry, Ro, I think I love her." Ron said in a strangled voice.
"Okay," I said, walking up to Ron to get a better look at the glazed eyes and the pallid complexion.
"Okay ... say that again with a straight face." I said, studying Ron intently.
"I love her." Ron repeated breathlessly.
"Have you seen her hair, it's all black and shiny and silky. Like your hair, Ro. So pretty. And her eyes? Her big dark eyes? And her -" Ron said.
"Please don't compare me to Romilda Vane." I said in a distasteful voice.
"This is really funny and everything, but joke's over, all right? Drop it." Harry said impatiently.
Harry looked at me and nodded his head towards the door.
Harry turned to leave. He had got two steps towards the door when a crashing blow hit him on the right ear. I jumped back. Shocked. Staggering, Harry looked round. Ron's fist was drawn right back, his face was contorted with rage. He was about to strike again.
I reacted instinctively.
'Levicorpus!' I thought pointing my wand at Ron.
Ron yelled as his heel was wrenched upwards once more. He dangled helplessly, upside - down, his robes hanging off him.
"What was that for?" Harry bellowed.
"You insulted her, Harry! You said it was a joke!" Ron shouted, who was slowly turning purple in the face as all the blood rushed to his head.
"This is insane!" I exclaimed as I held Ron up with my wand.
"What's got into -?" Harry said but he suddenly stopped talking.
I looked at him but he was looking at something lying on Ron's bed. The Chocolate Cauldrons.
"Where did you get those Chocolate Cauldrons?" Harry asked.
"They were a birthday present!" Ron shouted, revolving slowly in midair as he struggled to get free.
"I offered you one, didn't I?" Ron said.
"You just picked them up off the floor, didn't you?" Harry said and I was struggling to see what Harry was getting at.
"They'd fallen off my bed, all right? Let me go, Ro!" Ron said.
"They didn't fall off your bed, you prat, don't you understand? They were mine, I chucked them out of my trunk when I was looking for the map. They're the Chocolate Cauldrons Romilda gave me before Christmas and they're all spiked with love potion!" Harry said and I finally comprehended the situation.
I gasped.
But only one word of this seemed to have registered with Ron.
"Romilda?" Ron repeated.
"Did you say Romilda? Harry - do you know her? Can you introduce me?" Ron asked eagerly.
Harry and I stared at the dangling Ron, whose face now looked tremendously hopeful.
"Yeah, I'll introduce you." Harry said, quickly and gave me a subtle wink.
"I'm going to let you down now, okay?" I said.
I sent Ron crashing back to the floor (that punch looked like it hurt quite a lot), but Ron simply bounded to his feet again, grinning.
"She'll be in Slughorn's office." Harry said confidently, grabbing my hand and leading the way to the door.
"Why will she be in there?" Ron asked anxiously, hurrying to keep up.
"Oh, she has extra Potions lessons with him." I said Harry, playing along.
"Maybe I could ask if I can have them with her?" Ron said eagerly.
"Great idea." Harry said.
Lavender was waiting beside the portrait hole, a complication Harry and I had not foreseen.
"You're late, Won-Won! I've got you a birthday -" Lavender pouted.
"Leave me alone. Harry's going to introduce me to Romilda Vane." Ron said impatiently.
And without another word to her, he pushed his way out of the portrait hole. I tried to make an apologetic face to Lavender, but it might have turned out simply amused, because she looked more offended than ever as the Fat Lady swung shut behind us. I was fighting laughter.
Harry knocked on Slughorn's door and Slughorn answered his office door at the first knock, wearing a green velvet dressing-gown and matching nightcap and looking rather bleary-eyed.
"Harry, Rosabella. This is very early for a call . . . I generally sleep late on a Saturday . . ." Slughorn mumbled.
"You and me both, Professor. By all means call me Ro if you want. Rosabella is pretty but can be a mouthful." I said with a smile.
"Professor, we're really sorry to disturb you." Harry said as quietly as possible, while Ron stood on tiptoe, attempting to see past Slughorn into his room.
"But our friend Ron's swallowed a love potion by mistake. You couldn't make him an antidote, could you? I'd take him to Madam Pomfrey, but we're not supposed to have anything from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and, you know . . . awkward questions . . ." Harry said and I nodded in agreement.
"I'd have thought either of you could have whipped him up a remedy, expert potioneers like both of you?" Slughorn askec.
"Er," Harry sais, somewhat distracted by the fact that Ron was now elbowing him in the ribs in an attempt to force his way into the room.
"Well, neither of us have ever mixed an antidote for a love potion, sir, and by the time either of us get it right Ron might've done something serious -" I said.
Helpfully, Ron chose this moment to moan.
"I can't see her. Harry - is he hiding her?" Ron said.
"Was this potion within date?" Slughorn asked, now eyeing Ron with professional interest.
"They can strengthen, you know, the longer they're kept." Slughorn said.
"That would explain a lot." Harry panted, now positively wrestling with Ron to keep him from knocking Slughorn over.
"It's his birthday, Professor." I added imploringly.
"Oh, all right, come in, then, come in. I've got the necessary here in my bag, it's not a difficult antidote . . ." Slughorn said, relenting.
Ron burst through the door into Slughorn's overheated, crowded study, tripped over a tasselled footstool, regained his balance by seizing Harry and I around the neck and muttered, "She didn't see that, did she?"
"She's not here yet." Harry said, watching Slughorn opening his potion kit and adding a few pinches of this and that to a small crystal bottle.
"That's good. How do I look?" Ron said fervently.
"Very handsome." Slughorn said smoothly, handing Ron a glass of clear liquid.
"Now drink that up, it's a tonic for the nerves, keep you calm when she arrives, you know." Slughorn said.
"Brilliant." Ron said eagerly, and he gulped the antidote down noisily.
Harry, Slughorn and I watched him. For a moment, Ron beamed at them. Then, very slowly, his grin sagged and vanished, to be replaced by an expression of utmost horror.
"Back to normal, then?" I said grinning.
Slughorn chuckled.
"Thanks a lot, Professor." Harry and I said.
"Don't mention it, don't mention it," said Slughorn, as Ron collapsed into a nearby armchair, looking devastated.
"Pick-me-up, that's what he needs." I said sympathetically.
Slughorn chuckled and bustled over to a table loaded with drinks.
"I've got Butterbeer, I've got wine, I've got one last bottle of this oak-matured mead . . . hmm . . . meant to give that to Dumbledore for Christmas . . . ah well . . ." Slughorn said and he shrugged
". . . he can't miss what he's never had! Why don't we open it now and celebrate Mr Weasley's birthday? Nothing like a fine spirit to chase away the pangs of disappointed love . . ." Slughorn said and he chortled again and Harry and I joined in.
This was the first time we had found ourselves almost alone with Slughorn since Harry's disastrous first attempt to extract the true memory from him. Perhaps, if we could just keep Slughorn in a good mood . . . perhaps if we got through enough of the oak-matured mead . . .
"There you are, then," Slughorn said, handing Harry, Ron and I a glass of mead each, before raising his own.
"Well, a very happy birthday, Ralph -"
"- Ron--" Harry and I whispered.
But Ron, who did not appear to be listening to the toast, had already thrown the mead into his mouth and swallowed it.
There was one second, hardly more than a heartbeat, in which Harry and I knew there was something terribly wrong and Slughorn, it seemed, did not.
"- and may you have many more -" Slughorn said, happily.
"Ron!" Harry and I yelled.
Ron had dropped his glass. He half-rose from his chair and then crumpled, his extremities jerking uncontrollably. Foam was dribbling from his mouth and his eyes were bulging from their sockets.
I sprinted over to Ron.
"Professor! Do something!" Harry bellowed.
But Slughorn seemed paralysed by shock. Ron twitched and choked. His skin was turning blue.
"Anapneo!" I yelled desperately, pointing my wand at Ron.
Nothing happed. The spell is supposed to clear your airways.
I felt tears starting to fall from my eyes as I thought desperately of what to do.
"What - but -" Slughorn spluttered.
Harry leapt over a low table and sprinted towards Slughorn's open potion kit, pulling out jars and pouches, while the terrible sound of Ron's gargling breath filled the room.
Harry seemed to find what he was looking for and he hurtled back to Ron's side, wrenched open his jaw and thrust, what I realised was a bezoar, into Ron's mouth. Ron gave a great shudder, a rattling gasp and his body became limp and still.