LXXIX. THE CURSE
21:12 ─❁────────── 21:79
◁ Ⅱ ▷
❝When we're disintegrating
No return❞
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FOR THE REMAINDER OF THEIR date, Lucia and Harry had spent playing around with Mr. Maestro's Music Shop, not bothering to go out to the cold weather and instead stay inside the warm confinements of the shop, which was well-insulated and cosy.
And with the consent of the shopkeeper himself, they played around with the instruments and Mr. Maestro had even given a brief lesson for them both.
It was simple, but it was truly an unforgettable experience for either of them.
Unfortunately, they had to bid the old man goodbye and continue roaming around Hogsmeade together, swinging their hands back and forth with a content look upon their faces.
They were together. Like, really, really, together. Not snogging buddies, or anything. They were actually and finally in a real relationship. It was kind of unbelievable how far they've came from being friends to now, and quite honestly, they were satisfied.
"Guessing that the date went well?" Hermione said once they finally met up with her and Ron.
"Oh, yes," Lucia chirped.
"What did you two do? Snogged all day?" said Ron, suspicious of their radiant happiness.
"Nope," Harry shook his head, surprising the two very much. You would think two hormonal teenagers would spend their time alone snogging or worse, shagging... but no.
"Then what did you two do?" Hermione asked, perplexed.
"We played music!" Lucia said serenely, much to Hermione and Ron's confusion. "Now, can we go to the Three Broomsticks? I'm parched."
"Yeah," Harry nodded. "Did you two saw Zonko's?"
They nodded solemnly. "They boarded it up," said Hermione.
"Fred, George, and Lee wouldn't like that," said Ron. "Well, it's a good thing that Honeydukes were opened."
They turned to the said shop and saw that it was crowded with students.
"Can we go back in there and stay there forever instead?" said Ron.
"Haven't you raid them enough?" Hermione scoffed.
"Well, admiring and buying are both different things, Hermione!"
Before Hermione could rebut, a booming voice came from behind them. "Harry, m'boy!"
"Oh no," muttered Harry. The four of them turned to see Professor Slughorn, who was wearing an enormous furry hat and an overcoat with matching fur collar, clutching a large bag of crystalized pineapple.
"Harry, that's three of my little suppers you've missed now!" said Slughorn, poking him genially in the chest. "It won't do, m'boy, I'm determined to have you! Miss Granger and Miss DiFiore loves them, don't you both?"
"Yes," said Hermione helplessly, "they really are."
"Eh," shrugged Lucia. "Would be better if McLaggen —"
"So why don't you come along, Harry?" demanded Slughorn.
Why do I even bother anymore?
"Well, I've had Quidditch practice, Professor," said Harry, who had indeed been scheduling practices every time Slughorn had sent him a little, violet ribbon-adorned invitation.
Although this strategy was indeed genius as it meant that Ron was not left out, but it also meant that Ginny would not be there during the dinner, which Lucia found it quite annoying. While Harry, Ron, and Ginny were having a laugh and fun and all, she and Hermione had to be shut up with McLaggen who would just not shut up about anything.
Truthfully, she was really closed to breaking and committing homicide right there.
"Well, I certainly expect you to win your first match after all this hard work!" said Slughorn. "But a little recreation never hurt anybody. Now, how about Monday night, you can't possibly want to practice in this weather..."
"I can't, Professor, I've got — er — an appointment with Professor Dumbledore that evening."
"Unlucky again!" cried Slughorn dramatically. "Ah, well... you can't evade me forever, Harry!"
"Yeah, Harry, you can't evade him forever," said Lucia quietly for only Harry to hear as with a regal wave, Slughorn waddled away from them, taking as little notice of Ron as though he had been a display of Cockroach Clusters.
"I can't believe you've wriggled out of another one," said Hermione, shaking her head. "They're not that bad, you know... They're even quite fun sometimes..."
"Says you," said Lucia, huffing at the memory of the last dinner they had. "You didn't have McLaggen and Zabini on either side of you because you were busy entertaining Slughorn about what your parents do for a career,"
"It didn't look all that bad," said Hermione. "You look like you enjoyed the dinner,"
"Did I? I don't remember any of that since I was too busy trying to tune out those two idiots silently arguing! The only thing I like about that dinner is the parfait," she mumbled.
"Slughorn did pay attention to you,"
"Yeah, by asking what my mum's culture was! How am I supposed to know?"
"B-Because it's your mum's culture?" Ron said slowly.
Lucia sighed, crossing her arms together. "Exactly, it's my mum's culture. I was born in Verona, childhood in Bristol, raised in Surrey — I have little-to-no idea the extent of my mum's culture except the one that I was exposed to by her and my ah-ma back when I was like, what? Six?" a solemn look crossed her face, "Heck, I don't even know much about my Italian side either except for the basic,"
"Like what?" Harry asked.
"Like the fact that the guy who made the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper was from there,"
"You mean Leonardo DiCaprio?"
"I think you're confusing with the muggle actor, Ron. You mean Michelangelo," said Harry.
"Really?" said Ron.
"No," Hermione looked at both of them, bemused. "It's Leonardo da Vinci,"
As both Harry and Ron let out a chorus of "Aahhhs," Lucia only groaned, hiding her face in her arms. "Last night really made me realised just how little I know about my heritage..."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared solemn gazes with one another. They didn't know what to do to reassure her, for they never had such complication in their life before.
Lucia got back up and stared ahead. "I really hope next dinner is much more fun. Like, some celebrity come or something," she said blankly.
"I'm sure there will be, knowing Slughorn and all..." Hermione trailed, but then she caught sight of Ron's expression. "Oh, look — they've got deluxe sugar quills, those would last for hours! I didn't notice that before, let's go inside!"
Trying to boost Ron's mood, they went inside Honeydukes and paid more interest in the new extra-large sugar quills than they would normally have done, but Ron continued to look moody and merely shrugged when Hermione asked him where he wanted to go next.
"How about we finally go to the Three Broomsticks finally? It's warmer in there," said Lucia.
They bundled their scarves back over their faces and left the sweetshop. The bitter wind was like knives on their faces after the sugary warmth of Honeydukes. The street was not very busy; nobody was lingering to chat, just hurrying toward their destinations. The exceptions were two men a little ahead of them, standing just outside the Three Broomsticks.
One was very tall and thin; squinting through his rain-washed glasses Harry recognized the barman who worked in the other Hogsmeade pub, the Hog's Head. As Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Lucia drew closer, the barman drew his cloak more tightly around his neck and walked away, leaving the shorter man to fumble with something in his arms. They were barely feet from him when Harry realized who the man was.
"Mundungus!"
Lucia's nose scrunched as the squat, bandy-legged man with long, straggly, ginger hair jumped and dropped an ancient suitcase, which burst open, releasing what looked like the entire contents of a junk shop window.
"Oh, 'ello, 'Arry," said Mundungus Fletcher, with a most unconvincing stab at airiness. "Well, don't let me keep ya."
And he began scrabbling on the ground to retrieve the contents of his suitcase with every appearance of a man eager to be gone.
"Are you selling this stuff?" asked Harry, watching Mundungus grab an assortment of grubby-looking objects from the ground.
"You look like you're in a hurry..." said Lucia skeptically, pointing out the obvious.
"Oh, well, yes, gotta scrape a living," said Mundungus. "Gimme that!"
Ron had stooped down and picked up something silver.
"Hang on," Ron said slowly, causing Lucia to let curiosity to overwhelm her. She peered over Ron's shoulder and widened her eyes. "This looks familiar —"
"Thank you!" said Mundungus, snatching the goblet out of Ron's hand and stuffing it back into the case. "Well, I'll see you all — OUCH!"
Harry had pinned Mundungus against the wall of the pub by the throat. Holding him fast with one hand, he pulled out his wand.
"Oh god," grimaced Lucia.
"Harry!" squealed Hermione.
"You took that from Sirius's house," said Harry, who was almost nose to nose with Mundungus and was breathing in an unpleasant smell of old tobacco and spirits. "That had the Black family crest on it."
"I — no — what — ?" spluttered Mundungus, who was slowly turning purple.
"What did you do, go back the night he died and strip the place?" snarled Harry.
"I — no —"
"As much as this is understandable and very much well deserved, he's not going to be able to talk if you're choking him," said Lucia flatly.
But Harry didn't heed. He saw red when he caught sight of the goblet with Black family crest that belonged to Sirius — well, now, Harry. The memories of the battle in the Department of Mysteries came haunting him back in his mind and just as he had thought he was free of them already... "Give it to me!"
"Harry, you mustn't!" shrieked Hermione, as Mundungus started to turn blue.
There was a bang, and Harry felt his hands fly off Mundungus's throat. Gasping and spluttering, Mundungus seized his fallen case, then — CRACK — he Disapparated.
Harry swore at the top of his voice, spinning on the spot to see where Mundungus had gone. "COME BACK, YOU THIEVING — !"
"There's no point, Harry."
Tonks had appeared out of nowhere, her mousy hair wet with sleet.
"Mundungus will probably be in London by now. There's no point yelling."
"He's nicked Sirius's stuff! Nicked it!"
"Yes, but still," said Tonks, who seemed perfectly untroubled by this piece of information. "You should get out of the cold."
She watched them go through the door of the Three Broomsticks.
The moment he was inside, Harry burst out, "He was nicking Sirius's stuff!"
"We know, Harry," said Lucia quietly, playing with his fingers aimlessly, feeling a bit nervous from the eyes that made their way toward them.
"Please don't shout, people are staring," whispered Hermione. "Go and sit down, I'll get you a drink."
Harry was still fuming when Hermione returned to their table a few minutes later holding three bottles of butterbeer and a cup of hot earl grey tea.
"Can't the Order control Mundungus?" Harry demanded of the other two in a furious whisper. "Can't they at least stop him stealing everything that's not fixed down when he's at headquarters?"
"Shh!" said Hermione desperately, looking around to make sure nobody was listening; there were a couple of warlocks sitting close by who were staring at Harry with great interest, and Zabini was lolling against a pillar not far away. "Harry, I'd be annoyed too, I know it's your things he's stealing —"
Harry gagged on his butterbeer; he had momentarily forgotten that he owned number twelve, Grimmauld Place.
"Yeah, it's my stuff!" he said. "No wonder he wasn't pleased to see me! Well, I'm going to tell Dumbledore what's going on, he's the only one who scares Mundungus."
While Hermione and Harry were conversing, Lucia and Ron had their own things to talk about. Especially Lucia as she casted Ron a teasing gaze, gesturing over towards Madam Rosmerta whom he was staring at. Madam Rosmerta had always been such a kind woman, so seeing Ron's small crush on the woman really brought amusement to Lucia.
Lucia continued wiggling her brows teasingly at Ron even after he was glaring at her. "Cover your eyes, sweetheart. You're being too obvious,"
"Oh, bugger off," scoffed Ron.
"Maybe I should bring a blindfold every time we come to the Three Broomsticks from now on," she teased.
Ron was about to rebut when Hermione suddenly interjected herself into the conversation.
"Ron, what are you staring at?" Hermione questioned.
"Nothing," said Ron quickly.
"I expect 'nothing's' in the back getting more firewhiskey," said Hermione waspishly.
"Can you blame him, Hermione? If Harry hadn't caught my heart already, I would've probably had a crush on Madam Rosmerta too," said Lucia wistfully
"Right," Harry nodded until he realised what his girlfriend had just said. "Wait as second..."
"It's nothing, Harry, I promise," she mused.
"Well, I hope so," said Harry. "I'm already dealing with Ginny, Smith, Davies, Seamus, and McLaggen and so many already. I do not need Madam Rosmerta too, okay?"
"It's not like anything would happen," she snorted. "A simple eye candy," she winked.
Harry scoffed, but his heart fluttered. It baffles him how easily she could have him wrap around her pinky finger.
Hermione drummed her fingers on the table, her eyes flickering between Ron and the bar. The moment they drained the last drops of their drinks she said, "Shall we call it a day and go back to school, then?"
The other three nodded; it had not been a fun trip and the weather was getting worse the longer they stayed. Once again, they drew their cloaks tightly around them, rearranged their scarves, pulled on their gloves, then followed Katie Bell and a friend out of the pub and back up the High Street.
"Should we go to Madam Puddiffoot's next time?" Lucia teased Harry, swinging their hands.
"As much as I adore you, no way in hell will I enter that shop again," Harry deadpanned. "You can't make me step a foot in that pink hell,"
"Hmm," Lucia glanced mischievously, "We'll see,"
It was a little before the air became away that the voices of Katie Bell and her friend, which were being carried back to them and the wind, had become shriller and louder. Lucia looked up ahead at their indistinct figures. The two girls were having an argument about something Katie was holding in her hand. "It's nothing to do with you, Leanne!" Lucia heard Katie say.
They rounded a corner in the lane, sleet coming thick and fast, that almost blinded her eyes if it weren't for Harry's quick reflex in covering her head, but in return it did blurred his glasses. Just as he raised a gloved hand to wipe them, Leanne made to grab hold of the package Katie was holding; Katie tugged it back and the package fell to the ground.
At once, Katie rose into the air, but not in the comedic sense that Lucia wished it was. Gracefully, her arms outstretched, as though she was about to fly. Yet there was something wrong, something eerie... Her hair was whipped around her by the fierce wind, but her eyes were closed, and her face was quite empty of expression. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Lucia, and Leanne had all halted in their tracks, watching.
Then, six feet above the ground, Katie let out a terrible scream. Her eyes flew open but whatever she could see, or whatever she was feeling, was clearly causing her terrible anguish. She screamed and screamed; Leanne started to scream too and seized Katie's ankles, trying to tug her back to the ground.
"Oh, what in the world..." Lucia drawled in horror before she, Hermione, Ron, and Harry rushed forward to help, but even as they grabbed Katie's legs, she fell on top of them; Harry and Ron managed to catch her but she was writhing so much they could hardly hold her. Instead, they lowered her to the ground where she thrashed and screamed, apparently unable to recognize any of them.
Lucia immediately dropped beside Katie as she writhed under Ron's touch. She went to examine, but the moment Katie had snapped her eyes open, they were only met by darkness. It surprised Ron, causing him to jump back, making Lucia to be the one to hold back Katie while Harry looked around the landscape that seemed deserted.
"Stay there!" he shouted at the others over the howling wind. "I'm going for help!"
"What's happening to her?" cried Leanne, horrified, dropping down beside her friend to help
"Honestly," grunted Lucia, struggling to keep Katie down while also attempting to be as delicate as she could on the cursed girl as she screamed and writhed more. "We don't know —"
Ron and Hermione went back to help and calm Katie, but to no avail, they could not help her. The tried and tried until Harry came back with Hagrid, rushing to the scene.
"Get back!" shouted Hagrid. "Lemme see her!"
Lucia was pulled off the girl by Ron and Hermione immediately.
"Something's happened to her!" sobbed Leanne. "I don't know what —"
Hagrid stared at Katie for a second, then without a word, bent down, scooped her into his arms, and ran off toward the castle with her. Within seconds, Katie's piercing screams had died away, and the only sound was the roar of the wind.
Lucia panted, watching Katie intently, still in Ron's arms as Hermione hurried over to Katie's wailing friend and put an arm around her.
"It's Leanne, isn't it?"
The girl nodded.
"Did it just happen all of a sudden, or — ?"
"It was when that package tore," sobbed Leanne, pointing at the now sodden brown-paper package on the ground, which had split open to reveal a greenish glitter. Ron bent down, his hand outstretched, but Harry seized his arm and pulled him back.
"Don't touch it!"
He crouched down. An ornate opal necklace was visible, poking out of the paper.
"How pretty..." said Lucia breathlessly. Too bad it could make her drop dead for real...
"I've seen that before," said Harry, staring at the thing. "It was on display in Borgin and Burkes ages ago. The label said it was cursed. Katie must have touched it." He looked up at Leanne, who had started to shake uncontrollably. "How did Katie get hold of this?"
"Well, that's why we were arguing. She came back from the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks holding it, said it was a surprise for somebody at Hogwarts and she had to deliver it. She looked all funny when she said it... Oh no, oh no, I bet she'd been Imperiused, and I didn't realize!"
Leanne shook with renewed sobs. Hermione patted her shoulder gently.
"Don't blame yourself, Leanne," Lucia puffed out a cold air, running her hand through her ebony hair restlessly. "No one would have noticed either..."
"She didn't say who'd given it to her, Leanne?"
"No... she wouldn't tell me... and I said she was being stupid and not to take it up to school, but she just wouldn't listen and... and then I tried to grab it from her... and — and —"
Leanne let out a wail of despair.
"We'd better get up to school," said Hermione, her arm still around Leanne. "We'll be able to find out how she is. Come on..."
Harry hesitated for a moment, then pulled his scarf from around his face and, ignoring Ron's gasp, carefully covered the necklace in it and picked it up.
"We'll need to show this to Madam Pomfrey," he said.
As they followed Hermione and Leanne up the road, Lucia watched the two figures sadly. The safest place was no longer safe, and that was the sign that the war was nearing them. They had just entered the grounds when Harry spoke.
"Malfoy knows about this necklace. It was in a case at Borgin and Burkes four years ago, I saw him having a good look at it while I was hiding from him and his dad. This is what he was buying that day when we followed him! He remembered it and he went back for it!"
"I — I dunno, Harry," said Ron hesitantly. "Loads of people go to Borgin and Burkes... and didn't that girl say Katie got it in the girls' bathroom?"
"Maybe that day, Malfoy was trying to get something else?" said Lucia, also a bit skeptical of this accusation.
"She said she came back from the bathroom with it, she didn't necessarily get it in the bathroom itself —"
"McGonagall!" said Ron warningly.
Sure enough, Professor McGonagall was hurrying down the stone steps through swirling sleet to meet them.
"Hagrid says you five saw what happened to Katie Bell — upstairs to my office at once, please! What's that you're holding, Potter?"
"It's the thing she touched," said Harry.
"Good lord," said Professor McGonagall, looking alarmed as she took the necklace from Harry. "No, no, Filch, they're with me!" she added hastily, as Filch came shuffling eagerly across the entrance hall holding his Secrecy Sensor aloft. "Take this necklace to Professor Snape at once, but be sure not to touch it, keep it wrapped in the scarf!"
They followed Professor McGonagall upstairs and into her office. The sleet-spattered windows were rattling in their frames, and the room was chilly despite the fire crackling in the grate. Professor McGonagall closed the door and swept around her desk to face Harry, Ron, Hermione, Lucia, and the still sobbing Leanne.
"Well?" she said sharply. "What happened?"
Haltingly, and with many pauses while she attempted to control her crying, Leanne told Professor McGonagall how Katie had gone to the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks and returned holding the unmarked package, how Katie had seemed a little odd, and how they had argued about the advisability of agreeing to deliver unknown objects, the argument culminating in the tussle over the parcel, which tore open. At this point, Leanne was so overcome, there was no getting another word out of her
"All right," said Professor McGonagall, not unkindly, "go up to the hospital wing, please, Leanne, and get Madam Pomfrey to give you something for shock."
When she had left the room, Professor McGonagall turned back to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Lucia.
"Why is it when something happens, it is always you three?" Professor McGonagall deadpanned before adding, "And now you have even brought in Miss DiFiore into the mix,"
Ron blinked. "Believe me, Professor, I've been asking myself the same question for six years."
Lucia nudged his ribs, hard. Ron whined in pain.
"What happened when Katie touched the necklace?"
"She rose up in the air," said Harry, before either of the three could speak, "and then began to scream, and collapsed. Professor, can I see Professor Dumbledore, please?"
"The headmaster is away until Monday, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, looking surprised.
"Away?" Harry repeated angrily.
"Yes, Potter, away!" said Professor McGonagall tartly. "But anything you have to say about this horrible business can be said to me, I'm sure!"
For a split second, Harry hesitated. Professor McGonagall did not invite confidences; Dumbledore, though in many ways more intimidating, still seemed less likely to scorn a theory, however wild. This was a life-and-death matter, though, and no moment to worry about being laughed at.
"I think Draco Malfoy gave Katie that necklace, Professor."
On Lucia's left, Ron rubbed his nose in apparent embarrassment; on her right beside Harry, Hermione shuffled her feet as though quite keen to put a bit of distance between herself and Harry. Lucia could merely blink as she attempted to repress the memory; she closed her eyes and gnawed on her bottom lip, dreading for whatever Professor McGonagall has to say about this.
"That is a very serious accusation, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, after a shocked pause. "Do you have any proof?"
"No," said Harry, "but..." and he told her about following Malfoy to Borgin and Burkes and the conversation they had overheard between him and Mr. Borgin.
When he had finished speaking, Professor McGonagall looked slightly confused.
"Malfoy took something to Borgin and Burkes for repair?"
"No, Professor, he just wanted Borgin to tell him how to mend something, he didn't have it with him. But that's not the point, the thing is that he bought something at the same time, and I think it was that necklace —"
"You saw Malfoy leaving the shop with a similar package?"
"No, Professor, he told Borgin to keep it in the shop for him —"
"But Harry," Hermione interrupted, "Borgin asked him if he wanted to take it with him, and Malfoy said no —"
"Because he didn't want to touch it, obviously!" said Harry angrily.
"What he actually said was, 'How would I look carrying that down the street?'" said Hermione.
"He probably asked for something big to be mended..." added Lucia quietly. "Also, Malfoy doesn't look like someone that would like to wear an opal necklace,"
"Probably would look a bit of a prat carrying a necklace," interjected Ron.
"I see him more of a jade person, not an opal," Lucia nodded.
"Huh, I do see that too," said Ron.
"Oh, you two," said Hermione despairingly, "it would be all wrapped up, so he wouldn't have to touch it, and quite easy to hide inside a cloak, so nobody would see it! I think whatever he reserved at Borgin and Burkes was noisy or bulky, something he knew would draw attention to him if he carried it down the street — and in any case," she pressed on loudly, before Harry could interrupt, "I asked Borgin about the necklace, don't you remember? When I went in to try and find out what Malfoy had asked him to keep, I saw it there. And Borgin just told me the price, he didn't say it was already sold or anything —"
"To be fair," said Lucia gingerly, "It wasn't like you were being discreet in the first place. To Borgin — or Burke — or whoever — you probably stank with suspicion, not to mention that you're a terrible actor, Hermione,"
Harry nodded in agreement. "You were being really obvious, he realized what you were up to within about five seconds, of course he wasn't going to tell you — anyway, Malfoy could've sent off for it since —"
"That's enough!" said Professor McGonagall, as Hermione opened her mouth to retort, looking furious. "Potter, I appreciate you telling me this, but we cannot point the finger of blame at Mr. Malfoy purely because he visited the shop where this necklace might have been purchased. The same is probably true of hundreds of people —"
"— that's what I said —" muttered Ron.
"— and in any case, we have put stringent security measures in place this year. I do not believe that necklace can possibly have entered this school without our knowledge —"
"But —"
"— and what is more," said Professor McGonagall, with an air of awful finality, "Mr. Malfoy was not in Hogsmeade today."
Harry gaped at her, deflating.
"How do you know, Professor?"
"Because he was doing detention with me. He has now failed to complete his Transfiguration homework twice in a row. So, thank you for telling me your suspicions, Potter," she said as she marched past them, "but I need to go up to the hospital wing now to check on Katie Bell. Good day to you all."
She held open her office door. They had no choice but to file past her without another word.
"That's weird..." hummed Lucia thoughtfully, once they were out of the office. "Malfoy have always been one to never not complete his homework — he's a wannabe badboy who's actually a dork, don't you think? He always follows the rules..."
"Well, now we know it's not Malfoy," said Hermione loudly for Harry to hear, much to his annoyance.
"Can you both just give it a rest already?" said Lucia agitatedly at them both. "You've been at it for days now and quite honestly, it's irking me," she huffed.
But Harry and Hermione only glared at one another.
"So who do you reckon Katie was supposed to give the necklace to?" asked Ron, as they climbed the stairs to the common room.
"Goodness only knows," said Hermione. "But whoever it was has had a narrow escape. No one could have opened that package without touching the necklace."
"It could've been meant for loads of people," said Harry. "Dumbledore — the Death Eaters would love to get rid of him, he must be one of their top targets. Or Slughorn — Dumbledore reckons Voldemort really wanted him and they can't be pleased that he's sided with Dumbledore. Or —"
"Or you," said Hermione, looking troubled.
"Loads of people would love to get a hold of you and just off you from the world already," Lucia said. Harry shrugged his shoulders; he would also love to get rid of himself if he could... "If you were an Undesirable, you would no doubt be number one with a big reward on top of your head for people who successfully catch or kill you,"
"Couldn't have been," said Harry, shaking his head, "or Katie would've just turned around in the lane and given it to me, wouldn't she? I was behind her all the way out of the Three Broomsticks. It would have made much more sense to deliver the parcel outside Hogwarts, what with Filch searching everyone who goes in and out. I wonder why Malfoy told her to take it into the castle?"
"Harry, Malfoy wasn't in Hogsmeade!" said Hermione, actually stamping her foot in frustration.
"He must have used an accomplice, then," said Harry. "Crabbe or Goyle — or, come to think of it, another Death Eater, he'll have loads better cronies than Crabbe and Goyle now he's joined up —"
"Am I the only one that's kind of concern that Malfoy, for once, did not complete his schoolwork in a row now?" said Lucia, perplexed, but neither of the three were as bothered as she was.
"Probably Zabini... he was there in Hogsmeade..." mumbled Harry.
Ron and Hermione exchanged looks that plainly said There's no point arguing with him.
"Dilligrout," said Hermione firmly as they reached the Fat Lady.
The portrait swung open to admit them to the common room. It was quite full and smelled of damp clothing; many people seemed to have returned from Hogsmeade early because of the bad weather. There was no buzz of fear or speculation, however: Clearly, the news of Katie's fate had not yet spread.
"It wasn't a very slick attack, really, when you stop and think about it," said Ron, casually turfing a first year out of one of the good armchairs by the fire so that he could sit down. "The curse didn't even make it into the castle. Not what you'd call foolproof."
"You're right," said Hermione, prodding Ron out of the chair with her foot and offering it to the first year again. "It wasn't very well thought-out at all."
"I feel like I would've done better in planning than this person did," said Lucia, sitting herself in between Harry's legs, leaning back as he sat in one of the armchairs, playing with her hair now. "And that's saying something,"
"I disagree," said Harry briefly to Lucia before a thought popped into his head: "But, you know, since when has Malfoy been one of the world's great thinkers?"
Neither of the other three said anything.
❬ ⸙: ✰❛ AUTHOR'S NOTE; ❀❜ ❭
Sorry I haven't been updating for awhile. I was trying to find motivation in continue this fanfic for the past few days and fortunately, I did.
Thank you for being patient with me <<33
- Winnie