"I was just setting boundries."
y/n pov
"Are you kidding!?" Harry exclaimed. "He was practically eye-shagging you at breakfast this morning!"
"Eye-shagging?"
"Eye-shagging." He repeated sternly. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
Harry has been going on about this the entire walk to Hogsmede. He thinks Cormac is flirting with me, which he isn't. I don't think.
"You're being ridiculous, Harry."
"No! No I am not! Ron, am I being ridiculous?" Harry asked as he turned to face him.
"Do not drag me into this." Ron said quickly.
"Hermione?"
"I'm not denying that Cormac is definitely into y/n." Harry raised his arms in the air in victory. "But, why does it matter? y/n's not going to leave you for that troll."
"Thank you, Hermione." I turned to Harry once again. "I am not flirting back so drop it."
Harry huffed. "Fine, but I'm still going to kill him if he does it again."
"As long as you don't actually kill him, then we're good."
"Now that this little lovers quarrel has been resolved," Hermione started a few moments later. "we have important things to discuss."
"Like what?" Ron asked.
"Harry, for weeks you carry around this book, practically sleep with it and yet you have no desire to find out who he is?"
"I didn't say I wasn't curious, and I don't want to sleep with it." Harry defended.
"Well, it's true. I like a nice chat before I go to bed. Now all you do is read that bloody book. It's like being with Hermione."
Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's statement.
"Well, I was curious, so I went to-"
"The library." We all finished for her.
"So I went to the library and nothing. I couldn't find a reference anywhere to a half blood prince."
"There we go. That settles it, then. Now does anyone fancy a butter beer?" Harry asked.
~
I took off my coat as we entered The Three Broomsticks. The smell of butterscotch, whiskey, and burning wood filled the air of the small bar.
Hermione started to head towards a table near the bar.
"No, not there. Over here." Harry said as he looked over to the bar. Professor Slughorn was telling the bartender his entire life story over a bottle of bourbon.
I sat down next to Harry and across from Ron.
"Something to drink?" The waiter asked us.
"Four butterbeers, please." Hermione answered. He wrote it down and headed away from the table.
I looked over to Harry to see his attention fully on Professor Slughorn. Weird.
I turned back to look around at the bar. My eyes landed on Draco. He and I held eye contact for a second before he rushed off towards the back corner of the tavern.
Every chance I get I try to find him and see if I can get him to open up about what's going on. Everytime he manages to make a excuse and hurry off somewhere.
I continued to scan the room. Ginny and Dean sat in the corner, talking and laughing over two butterbeers.
"Oh, bloody hell." Ron said as he looked over to his sister and classmate. "Slick git."
"Honestly Ronald, their only holding hands." Hermione defended. Her blank expression changed a moment later.
I turned back to see Ginny and Dean making out.
"And snogging." I added in. Ron looked like he was either about to kill Dean or throw up.
"I'd like to leave." Ron said quickly.
"What? You can't be serious."
"That happens to be my sister."
"So?"
"So?" Hermione asked seeming rather offended. "What if she looked over here and saw you snogging me? Would you expect her to get up and leave?"
We all turned to Hermione in surpise. I had to stifle a laugh as Hermione and Ron's faces both turned bright red and they avoided eye contact with each other.
"Hey, my boy!" Slughorn greeted Harry as he came over to our table.
"Hello, sir. Wonderfulto see you."
I was a little confused as to why Harry was so exited to see our potions professor.
"What brings you here?" Harry asked him.
"The Three Broomsticks and I go way back, further than I care to admit." Slughorn laughed drowsily. "I can remeber when it was One Broomstick."
He leaned to the side and spilled some of his bourban on Hermione.
"Oh! All hands on deck, Granger." He exclaimed as he tried to rebalance himself. Hermione didn't share his bright expression.
"Listen, my boy, in the old days I used to throw together the occssinoal supper party for the select student or two. Would you be game?" Slughorn asked Harry.
"I'd consider it an honour, sir."
He turned to Hermione who was still cleaning up the mess he made.
"You'd be welcome too, Granger."
"I'd be delighted, sir." She forced out with a fake smile. Slughorn bought it. He turned to me next.
Oh no, please don't ask me.
"And Ms. l/n. You of course are invited."
I put on a convicing smile. "I'd love to attend. Thank you."
"Why of course!"
Not that Professor Slughorn isn't a great teacher or anything, but hes not exactly the type of person I'd want to hold a conversation with for more then a miniute or two.
He said his goodbyes and stumbled over to another students table.
"What are you playing at?" Ron asked. We all turned to Harry to see why hes being so buddy buddy with the new potions professor.
"Dumbledore's asked me to get to know him."
"Get to know him?" I asked.
"I don't know. It must be important. Otherwise Dumbledore wouldn't ask."
~
Hermione swung her arms around Harry and I's shoulders as we walked back to the castle. She may have had one or two more butterbeers than one should.
"y/n!" Ron whisper shouted from beside me. He made sure to lower his voice enough so that only I could hear him.
"Did you hear what she was saying back at the pub about me and her snogging?"
"Maybe she's hinting at something." I suggested quietly.
"As if."
"I don't know. All I'm saying is thats what Harry did and look at where we are now."
I couldn't tell Ron's expression. I think it may have been a mix of confusion and joy? I hope its joy. He and Hermione are perfect for each other.
There was a scream from behind us. We all turned quickly to see Katie being hoisted into the air.
"I warned her! I warned her not to touch it!" Leanne, another girl in our year, wailed.
Katie's legs and arms spread out and she let out a screech. I looked to the ground next to me.
A beautiful blue necklace laid on the package it had come in. I bent down to examine it.
Katie's limp body fell to the ground.
"Don't get any closer!" Hagrid yelled. He rushed up to the 5 of us. "Get back, all of you."
Hagrid slowly picked up Katie. Her entire body was slightly shaking as if she was having a seizure.
"Now, now, now," Hagrid cooed.
I reached my hand to pick up the necklace.
"Do not touch that." Hagrid ordered right before I my fingers reached it. "Except by the wrappings. Do you understand?"
We all nodded. I carefully grabbed the edges of the thin green paper the necklace had been wrapped in.
~
A little while later, we all gathered in Professor Mcgonagoll's office.
"You're sure Katie did not have this in her posession when she entered the The Three Broomsticks?" Mcgonagoll asked Leanne.
"It's like I said. She left to go to the loo, and when she came back she had the package. She said it was important that she deliver it." Leanne answered shakily.
"Did she say to whom?"
"To Professor Dumbledore."
Why would Dumbledore need a necklace?
"Very well. Thank you, Leanne. You may go."
Leanne nodded and exited the room. Mcgonagoll sighed and turned to the four of us.
"Why is it when something happens it is always you four?"
We all looked around at each other. She was right. Whenever anything at this school happens we always seem to be in the middle of it.
"Beleive me, professor," Ron finally answered. "I've been asking myself the same question for six years."
I heard someone else enter the room after us.
"Oh, Severus."
Snape didn't say anything. He quickly examined over the wand in silence.
"What do you think?" Mcgonagoll asked after a few miniutes.
"I think Ms Bell is lucky to be alive."
"She was cursed, wasn't she?" Harry asked. "I know Katie, off the qudditch ptice, she wouldn't hurt a fly. If she was delivering that to Professor Dumbledore, she wasn't doing it knowingly."
"Yes, she was cursed." Professor Mcgonagoll answered without looking away from the necklace.
"It was Malfoy."
We all turned to Harry in shock at his sudden accusation. He's been trying to convice us all for weeks Draco is up to something but I didn't think he was serious enough to tell a teacher about it.
"That is a very serious accusation, Potter."
"Indeed." Snape sent him a glare. "Your evidence?"
"I just know."
I mentally face palmed. Good job, Harry. That'll convince them.
"You just know." Snape repeated with a bored expression. "You astonish with your gifts, Potter. Gifts mere mortals can only dream of possessing. How grand it must be to be the chosen one."
I could be wrong but, it was almost as if Snape sounded jealous?
"I suggest you go back to your dormitories. All of you."
~
harry pov
Ever since we were called into Mcgonagoll's office yesterday, all I've been trying to do is get at least one person on my side about Malfoy.
No one beleives me. Though, I'm not sure I'd beleive me either. I don't technically have any evidence yet. I'll find some....somehow.
"So Cormac, do you see anything of your Uncle Tiberius these days?" Slughorn asked.
I tuned back into the dinner party. He had invited about 8 students and we all sat around a rather large circle table.
Its been uneventful and I keep having to pull myself out of my head.
"Yes, sir. In fact I'm meant to go hunting with him and the Minister of Magic over the holidays." He answered in a braggy tone.
"Well, be sure to give them both my best. What about your uncle Belby?"
I once again tuned Professor Slughorn out. I looked around at the people seated around me. Cormac, Neville, Hermione, Blaise, y/n, and a few other students I don't know.
My eyes landed on Cormac. He was sucking some icecream off his finger seductivley while staring at y/n.
I turned to her. She didn't seem to notice as she picked at her melted dessert.
I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. She gave me a light smile to which I returned.
When I turned back to Cormac he was glaring at me and wiping the rest of the resedue of his finger instead of whatever it was he was doing to get if off before.
Thats right, Cormac. I beat you to it. She's already mine.
"What about you, Mrs. Granger? What exactly does your family do in the muggle world?" Slughorn asked her once he finished his conversation with Belby.
Hermione shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "M-my parents are dentists."
I obviously knew what a dentist was but when I turned to y/n, she looked as confused as ever.
In fact, most people at the table looked confused.
"They tend to people's teeth." Hermione explained.
"Fascinating. And is that considered a dangerous profession?"
"No. Although, one boy, Robbie Fenwick, did bite my father once. He needed 10 stiches." Hermione laughed to ease the tension.
Everyone still looked at her in confusion. Well, excpept y/n.
"Really? You'll have to tell me more about these dentists later, mione."
Hermione expression brightended signifigantly and she nodded. The door ,to the room we had been dining in, creaked opened.
"Ah. Ms. Weasley. Come in, come in." Slughorn greeted.
Ginny's face was tear streaked and her eyes were bloodshot. I know she and Dean have been fighting lately.
The entire table shared sympathetic glances as she took her seat.
"Sorry. I'm not usually late."
"It's quite alright."
~
After another painfully boring half hour, dinner had finally ended.
Hermione, y/n, and I were some of the last to head to the door.
"Uh, you know what, I want to have a word with Slughorn." I said to them. Hermione nodded and continued on.
y/n moved closer to me and lowered her voice. "I know what you were doing. You're not slick, Harry."
"I was just setting boundries." I grinned. She rolled her eyes playfully and continued after Hermione.
"Potter?" Slughorn asked once he noticed I was still in the room.
"I'm sory, sir. I was just admiring your hourglass." I quickly made up.
"Ah yes, a most intriguing object. The sand runs in accordance with the quality of the conversation. If it is stimulating the sand runs slowly. If it is not..."
I noticed the sand getting slower and slower.
"I think I'll be going then."
"No, no! You have nothing to fear, dear boy. As to some of your classmates, well, let's just say they're unlikely to make the shelf."
I remebered back to the shelf he showed me back at the house Dumbledore and I found him at. Not only was my mother on the shelf, but many other sucsessful withces and wizards he had taught.
I decided to get right to the point.
"Did Voldermrot ever make the shelf, sir?" You knew him, didn't you, sir, Tom Riddle?"
He adjusted his collar uncomfortably and stutterd as he tried to come up with the right words to say.
"M-mr. Riddle had a number of teachers whislt here at Hogwarts."
"What was he like?"
Slughorn stayed quiet. He looked to be dwelling over old memories from his time with Riddle.
"I'm sorry, sir. Forgive me. He killed my parents." I don't usually like to use the guilt card but it this situation, it may be nescsessary.
"Of c-course. It's only natural you should want to know more, but I'm afraid I must disappoint you, Harry. When I fist met young Mr. Riddle, he was a quiet, albeit brillant, boy who comitted to becoming a first-rate wizard. Not unlike others I've known. Not unlike yourself."
His words made me feel uneasy.
"If the monster existed, it was buried deep within.
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(2338 Words - Published December 24, 2020)
Finallyyyy a new chapterrrrr