A/N: Takes place days after last chapter. Enjoy.

'How rude!' Arnold cried as a fifth year taunted Ginny about Gryffindor having no chance of winning.

Ginny raised her wand and before she could, they tore off. Arnold sniffed and the scent of Ginny's hair flew into through his nose.

Ginny put her wand down and patted Arnold reassuringly, 'It'll be okay, Arnold.'

She walked into the common room and spotted Harry in a chair, absorbed into a piece of Parchment, bending down so close that he didn't notice Ginny entered. Ginny sat down in the chair opposite him and said, 'Nice day for practice, right, Harry?'

Harry, still in his Quidditch robes, looked up, startled. He saw Ginny and bit his lip, nodding, speechless and apparently caught. He tapped the parchment with his wand and stuffed it in his bag. Arnold caught what was on it- it was blank. Why was Harry staring at a blank parchment?

'You haven't changed yet,' Ginny began.

'I was in a hurry,' he said blithely.

'You were in a hurry,' Ginny repeating, raising her eyebrows. 'To come here? Are you waiting for someone?'

'No, actually, I had to do transfiguration homework, McGonagall's tight about our NEWTs ,' he laughed shortly. Ginny joined in.

'My OWLs are approaching, and with the match approaching as well, I need some help balancing both.'

Arnold secretly thought that she was balancing three problems, one of them Harry.

'So…Harry, about the match. I was wondering whether you'd thought of actually letting our Beaters know that standing near the position of one of the goal posts would be best, because then they could fly to the Bludgers coming nearest to our players…' Ginny began talking of Quidditch. Arnold knew that Harry was trying to follow her, but had something desperate to do…and didn't want to hurt chances of being here with Ginny, talking to her…

The Room of Requirement! The Marauder's Map! That was it, Harry was trying to catch Draco. Arnold nudged Ginny to let her know he was hungry.

'…well, those are the tips I can think of, but now I've got to run, Arnold's hungry,' Ginny nodded, grabbed her bag and exited. Harry looked a bit confused, but relieved when Arnold aught a glimpse of him before leaving.

'Ginny, I would like some of that, and that,' Arnold said, even though she didn't understand. Ginny took two random bowls and poured some equally, exactly what Arnold wanted. Arnold thought it was amazing and perfect that she understood him, ever since they had met at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Ginny had scooped him up and talked to him in a normal way, not like the other girls did, in a baby voice. Ginny was talking to him as though she would talk to as Arnold was a friend of hers.

Ginny had named him Arnold that day, Arnold the Pygmy Puff. She had even brushed his fur just the way he wanted, and Arnold felt that it felt just right.

Arnold was glad to have an owner like Ginny. Whatever he asked, it was like Ginny knew what he wanted.

Arnold ate all he could that day, stomach full of sweets.

'The match is in a few days, Arnold; I think it's getting late. We'll go back to our dorm to get ready before dinner. I suppose you're all full now, right?'

Hermione had run past Ginny when they passed at the common room entrance.

'Hermione, what's the matter?' Ginny asked, turning around as Hermione sped through the corridor.

'I've got to see Professor Vector, need to check about my last Arithmancy essay!' she called without looking back.

'Where's Ron!' Ginny called, and Hermione answered something about the bathroom, her voice trailing as she turned a corner.

'I guess I'll have to go down to dinner with someone else, maybe Harry,' Ginny shrugged, looking round the common room. It was empty.

'He's gone too?' Ginny asked, puzzled. 'Isn't it a bit too early?'

Ginny shrugged and hurried through the girl's dormitory door, hoping that one of her friends were there.

After dinner, Ginny and Arnold made their way up a staircase which students often crossed.

'I'm full, Arnold, you are too, I expect, after that chicken salad,' Ginny patted Arnold as she began her first step. Suddenly, there was a shout and several heads turned, Harry, drenching in water and covered in red, ran past.

'Harry- what?' Ginny began, bewildered.

'It's Harry- hey, Harry what happened?' asked Terry Boot, who was right next to her.

'He's covered in blood!' a fourth year girl shrieked.

'Harry, what happened!' voices called, but Harry answered none, he ran up the staircase and disappeared, heading for Gryffindor Tower. Ginny followed, now running. She burst through the portrait hole, looking around, and spotted Ron near the boy's dormitory door.

'Where've you —? Why are you soaking —? Is that blood?' Ron was heard saying. Ginny pushed past people, the need to know what was going on. Ron handed Harry something, and Harry dashed past all the people, climbed into the portrait hole, and disappeared once again.

'What was that about?' asked a boy in her year, Ginny gasped and turned to Ron, who had come down, for an explanation. But he didn't have one. He was just lost as she was.

'He wanted my potions book,' Ron shook his head.

'Was he caught cheating?' gasped Ginny. She was one of the few that knew about the Half Blood Prince's potions book.

Once the common room clearing, people returned back from dinner, up tot their dorms or staying to finish homework in the common room. Half an hour later, Harry returned where Ginny, Ron and Hermione along with Crookshanks and Arnold, were sitting down in chairs. Harry took a seat, after being demanded an explanation and being washed off blood-free by Hermione, told them what had happened. They just stared.

'No…' Ginny began. Ron was still in silence.

'I won't say "I told you so,"' said Hermione.

'Leave it, Hermione,' said Ron angrily.

'Harry…the match…' Ginny said, still horrified.

'You know how Snape is, landing detention where he could have practiced.' Harry stared at the floor, defeated.

People were looking at them, whispering. Crookshanks and Hermione both knew that they had already heard what had happened.

Suddenly, there was a commotion as Professor McGonagall came in. She looked absolutely furious and walked straight up to Harry, who was in distress.

'Potter, I want a word with you in my office,' she said, barely able to keep her voice from breaking.

'Oh no,' Ron put a hand to his head once they were gone.