Chapter Six – The Forgotten Friends Get Some Action
"Ginny!"
Harry ran along the corridor after his friend.
"Running is not permitted, Mr. Potter", an angry painting shouted. He ignored it. He didn't have much time. It was Friday and they had Potions in about seven minutes. But he had to talk to Ginny beforehand.
"Ginny! Hey, wait up!"
Ginny turned around. "Harry? What are you doing here? Don't you guys have Potions?"
He was out of breath from running. "I… wanted… to… talk to… you."
"What about? I have Charms and I was late last time. Professor Flitwick is gonna take points if I'm late again", Ginny said. She nervously glanced towards the Charms classroom. Everybody else was already inside.
"It's important", Harry said, his breathing back to normal. "Do you know where Hermione is? I haven't seen her at breakfast and she missed Arithmancy, according to a Ravenclaw in that class. Lavender says she wasn't there when she woke up." Harry looked concerned.
"Did you check the Infirmary? Maybe she is sick." Ginny looked pensive.
Harry nodded. Ron went to check, but Madam Pomfrey wasn't there. "The Infirmary's closed. According to a note, we are supposed to go to our Head of House when we are ill. But Professor McGonagall doesn't know where she is, either."
"Sometimes Hermione goes up to the library before everyone else is awake. Maybe she just forgot everything over 'Hogwarts: A History'. I heard they have the newest edition since yesterday."
Harry laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right."
"I'll go and check before lunch." Ginny turned around to go into the classroom.
"Oh, and Ginny, I wanted to ask you one more thing", Harry said.
"Yes?"
"I… Would you like to go to the Halloween Ball next week? As… my date?", he asked waiting anxiously for an answer.
Ginny smiled. "I would love to", she said and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you at lunch", she called before closing the door to the Charms classroom behind her.
Harry touched his cheek, wondering. 'Wow, she kissed me', he thought. A grin from one ear to the other appeared on his face. He was tempted to jump up and down. He felt relieved. He hadn't been sure she'd accept. But now, everything was fine.
'Oh, God, Potions!'
Harry's grin was replaced with a mask of horror as he hurried along another corridor towards the dungeons. He prayed he'd be there in time.
+~*#
Ron sat down at his normal place in the back of the Potions classroom. Harry was gonna be late. And Snape would have the time of his life deducting points from Gryffindor. Damn!
Neville looked scared. Ever since the last exploding cauldron, he became more nervous than ever in Potions. Snape hadn't let him so much as touch a cauldron for over a week. If Hermione hadn't protected Neville – and calmed him down – he'd surely have died from fear by now.
'Poor Neville', Ron thought. 'If Hermione doesn't show up today, he'll have to stand Snape's glares alone. He'll surely break down and cry.'
The faint sound of a bell ringing indicated the beginning of classes.
Ron turned around in surprise. Normally, Snape came blasting into the room as soon as the bell chimed. But today, only Harry came hurrying into the classroom.
"Professor, I…", he stopped. Snape wasn't there. Harry took the chance and sat down next to Ron. While he calmed his breathing once more in the last quarter hour, he wondered about Snape's absence. This was so much unlike him.
"Where's Snape? He's never late!", Seamus wondered. He and Dean occupied a table in the row before Ron and Harry. Ron shrugged.
"Dunno. Maybe he finally tripped over the hem of his robes and bumped into the next brick wall, head first, of course."
Dean snickered.
"I'd not talk so much, Weasel. Otherwise it may be you who bumps into a wall head first", Draco Malfoy sneered at them from across the room.
"Really, Malfoy? And how do you explain to your bodyguards what to do? They are too stupid for such a complicated task. They'd probably end up running into walls all the time, thinking they do an excellent job", Dean said, still snickering from the image of Snape tripping over his own feet.
Crabbe and Goyle didn't react. If they realized they'd just been insulted, they took it well. But Harry assumed they really were too stupid to understand. However, he didn't feel like fighting Malfoy today. He was in a too good mood for this. After all, he'd go to the Halloween Ball with Ginny.
"Come on, Ron. Don't think about it. He's not worth the quarrel." Harry said. Ron sat there, his head as red as his hair, and stared at Malfoy with disgust and hatred clearly visible on his face. Reluctantly, he turned his attention back to Harry.
"Yeah, you're right. I think I'll start the Divination essay. I still have to come up with some dream interpretations and a prophecy about a tragedy at Christmas." Ron took out a roll of parchment and a quill and ignored Malfoy for the time being, although he heard his last comment – "Yes, Weasel, always have to hide behind those pathetic friends of yours, don't you?" – quite clearly.
Then the door opened and Professor Dumbledore himself entered the room. The quiet conversations immediately stopped.
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning", they echoed in unison.
"As you may have noticed, Professor Snape will not be teaching today due to an accident with a potion which left him in no position to teach. However, he asked me to give you this", he said and waved his wand. In front of every student, a roll of parchment appeared. "Those are your assignments for this lesson and should be finished on Monday."
The students groaned. As they knew their Potions teacher, they'd have to spend the whole weekend on this assignment. To their surprise it only required a rather short essay on hemlock and its uses in potion brewing.
"You may leave the classroom now. Be sure to be quiet in the halls, others are not so fortunate
to have a free period – please don't disturb their lessons", Professor Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley – If I could have a word with you?"
"Of course, sir", Harry answered. He and Ron made their way up to where the Headmaster stood while everyone else hurried out of the classroom – Neville looked especially relieved.
"You have noticed the absence of your friend, Miss Granger", Dumbledore said. It wasn't really a question, more a statement.
They nodded.
"She and Professor Snape… suffer from a potion accident. She won't attend classes until the effects of the potion lessen or the antidote can be taken."
"Is this about Neville's… misfortune?", Harry asked.
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. I didn't want to mention this in the presence of your classmates. I'm sure Mr. Longbottom regrets this accident and doesn't need to be blamed."
"But what happened to Hermione? Is she going to be all right?" Ron asked. "She isn't hurt, is she?" He looked as if he was on the edge of panic.
"No. She's fine. She is in no danger", Dumbledore assured them. His voice was calm and soothing.
"Can we see her?", Harry asked.
Dumbledore seemed to think about this. "I'm not sure if she would want to see the two of you. Her situation is… embarrassing for her, I imagine, and for Professor Snape as well."
"But could you ask her? We're just worried about her, you know", Harry said. He looked concerned.
"Of course, boy, of course. I'll let you know at dinner. And now, off you go. Enjoy the free time", Dumbledore said, shooing them out of the classroom.
+~*#
"Well, I don't know if it's any use to look out for a date for Hermione. Maybe she won't even be able to attend the Halloween Ball. Who knows how long it takes to get her back to normal", Ron said. They were sitting at the Gryffindor table, enjoying dinner.
"What is wrong with her, anyway?", asked Neville.
"She and Snape were working on a potion and something went wrong, I suppose", said Ginny. "We were at the library last night and Snape came up to us. Dumbledore asked them to work together on some research."
"Really? Well, Neville, I guess you're not the only one to get a potion wrong. Even the Master isn't infallible", Harry laughed. Neville still looked sceptically but said nothing.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley", Dumbledore's voice came from behind them. "Miss Granger has agreed to see you, and you too, Miss Weasley." Dumbledore smiled at Ginny.
Ginny smiled back. "Thank you, sir."
"She will await you in the dungeons, once you've finished dinner", Dumbledore said and with another nod of his head he went to sit at his place at the High Table.
+~*#
"Why do you think she's in the dungeons?", Ron asked as they went down to the Potions classroom.
"I've no idea. Maybe she and Professor Snape need to take a potion regularly, and therefore have to brew it. Or she just didn't want to meet us in the common room to avoid running into the others", Harry guessed.
Ron shrugged. "I guess it's not that important."
When they finally reached the door, Ginny knocked. They heard muffled voices and a door closing, then Hermione's voice telling them to come in.
"Hermione, how are you?", Ginny asked. "You all right?" She looked concerned.
"You don't look ill", stated Ron. He said down on one of the tables and put out a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. He didn't want Hermione to know how worried he really was.
"That's because I feel great."
She hugged Ginny. "I have to tell you something", she whispered only for Ginny to hear. "Come down later again – without the two."
Ginny nodded. "Okay", she whispered back. "I'm glad you're feeling all right, Mione", she said aloud.
"Say, Hermione, why is it that you can't attend classes? You seem all right. And unless there's a very good reason you wouldn't miss a lesson." Ron looked suspicious.
Hermione sighed. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry. But you have to trust me. I really can't go to classes right now, and I'm afraid you have to go now, too."
"Why? Is it contagious?" Harry looked uneasy. "I wouldn't want to miss… school." He caught himself in time not to say 'the Halloween Ball'. Ron didn't know about him asking Ginny, and Harry wasn't sure how he would handle the news.
"No, of course not. I wouldn't want to infect you with… it." Hermione giggled somewhat out of reasons only she could understand.
"Okay, bye then", they said and hugged Hermione in a big group hug before they left.
Slowly the door to the adjoining supplies closet opened and Severus entered the room.
"So, you actually managed to keep your mouth shut. I didn't think you could do it", he grinned.
"Why, you don't want me to… be loud?", she asked, a lascivious look in her eyes. She bit her lower lip, knowing it would make him… nervous.
"You vixen", he laughed and pulled her into his arms.
+~*#
Harry, Ron and Ginny were halfway out of the dungeons, when Ron suddenly stopped.
"What?", Harry asked.
"I forgot my bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. I'll go and get it. You two can go ahead." Ron turned around.
"It's okay, we'll wait here", Ginny replied. "Does he know you asked me to the Halloween Ball?", she asked Harry quietly as Ron's footsteps faded.
Harry shook his head. "Nope. I'm not sure how he would react and I'm waiting for the right moment to tell him. Preferably when he's sleeping", Harry joked and was rewarded with the sound of Ginny's beautiful laughter.
"Well, he'll find out sooner or later and--" She stopped as she heard something. "Did you hear that?"
Harry concentrated and could hear it, too. Someone was screaming. Then it struck him. Not just anyone. "I think it's Ron", he said.
Panic flickered in Ginny's eyes for a second.
They started running back to the dungeons and found Ron – in the middle of their Potions classroom, screaming.
AN: Cliffhanger? Sorry, but it had to be. Oh, come on. You all know what made Ron scream on top of his lungs.
