None of the characters in this story (except Rosemary Brooks, Kathy Weasley, Professor Clarke, and Sarah) belong to me.
They are the creations of JK Rowling.


Lying in bed much later, Harry thought about the ball. Ginny was a lot prettier than he'd thought... and a very good
dancer... and a very nice person to be with. Perhaps his dreams about Cho Chang had been fun while they lasted, but she
wasn't really interested in him at all. And Ginny wasn't just a dream... she was real.

"Harry?" Ron whispered from the next bed. "You got any food? I'm starving..."

"What are you talking about?" said Harry, smiling. "We just had a ball, Ron."

"Yeah, I know..." said Ron guiltily. "But I was kind of busy, I didn't eat much."

"There's some Every Flavour Beans in my bottom drawer," said Harry. He heard Ron get out of bed and root
around in his drawer. "Now, what exactly were you so busy doing?"

"Well, Rosemary and I -" Ron broke off as Harry laughed. "That's not what I was going to say, you git!"

"Surely you should tell me, Ron," said Harry jokingly. "She is my cousin after all."

"Ha ha, very funny," Ron said sarcastically, his mouth full of beans. "See you in the morning."

"Yeah, all right."

As Harry drifted off to sleep, he wondered about those Every Flavour Beans. They had been at the foot of his bed
on Christmas morning with all his other presents, but who had they been from...?

***

In the morning, Harry and Hermione were playing Exploding Snap lazily. Hermione didn't seem terribly keen to talk
about the previous night, and all Harry could think about was the ball, so they didn't speak much. At last, however,
Hermione said, "Where's Ron? Isn't he up yet?"

"Dunno," said Harry, looking at his watch. It was ten-thirty. "I'll go and see." As he made his way up the stairs, he
wondered again if Hermione really did like Ron. It didn't really seem like it at the moment... in fact she was hardly speaking
to him... but anything was possible. Especially after that whole fiasco with Rosemary and George. "Ron?" he called. "Aren't
you even awake yet?" Harry laughed. He pulled back the hangings around Ron's bed and --

***

"Hermione!" Harry gasped, running across the common room.

"Harry?" she said. "Are you all right?"

"Hermione, you need to get someone... quickly..." he panted.

Hermione grabbed Harry by his arms and shook him. "Harry, what's going on?"

"They... they've got Ron!"

"Who? Who've got Ron?" she shouted. "Harry, tell me!"

"They've... they've... poisoned..."

"Oh God..." said Hermione under her breath. "Oh, God, Harry. You're sure?"

"Yes."

"How?" said Hermione, sounding choked suddenly.

Harry had finally got his voice and his breath back. "I got some Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans for Christmas, I
don't know who they're from, and Ron ate some last night. This is my fault... I shouldn't have -"

"Don't you dare say it's your fault!" Hermione cried, near to tears. "This has nothing to do with you! You couldn't
have prevented anything, Harry! Don't you dare blame yourself!" People were beginning to stare. "This is just some sick,
bent person who wants to kill you, and don't you dare say that you being poisoned instead of Ron would've done any
good!" She stormed out, presumably to go and get Dumbledore. Harry looked around at the other Gryffindors.

"Don't say anything," he said quietly. "Just leave me alone."

***

Harry and Hermione were sitting in Dumbledore's office. Ron had been taken to the hospital wing with the other
victims, and Dumbledore had told them to wait for him while he talked to Professor Snape.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you, Harry," said Hermione. "I just... you know, it was very... upsetting. And I just couldn't
bear that..." she trailed off.

"Yeah, I know," said Harry. "It's okay. I didn't blame you."

"It's just that, you know, last night was a bit... stressful... and I really..."

At that moment, Dumbledore came in. "Ah," he said. "Harry, Hermione. I know this is all very upsetting for you,
I'm sorry. I just want to give you this opportunity to ask me any questions you may have."

"Yes," said Hermione. "This... poisoner... whoever it is, they're trying to kill Harry, aren't they?"

"Yes, that is our assumption," said Dumbledore.

"Then why have none of the victims died?"

"Ah," said Dumbledore. "Well, Mr Dennis Creevey ate only two pieces of chocolate, not the whole bar, and so he
ate only enough poison to render him unconscious. The same is true with the Beans that Mr Ron Weasley ate."

"But what about the orange juice?" said Harry suddenly. "Hannah drank the whole cupful."

"Our conjecture at the moment is that when Miss Chang knocked over your cup, Harry, only a little of the original
contents remained. The poison that was originally in the cup was very diluted by the time Miss Abbott drank it."

"Oh," said Harry. But then he realized something. "But, that means it wasn't Cho Chang!" He looked to
Dumbledore. "It can't have been, because she wasn't the one that pored the poison! So everyone was wrong!"

"Harry, pray do not jump to conclusions," said Dumbledore kindly. "We still have no clear idea of who is doing this,
and at the moment speculation is pointless."

"But -" said Harry.

"Now if you have no more questions," said Dumbledore, speaking over him, "I must ask you to leave."

***

"Hermione, do you believe that it wasn't Cho now?"

"I don't know Harry. I don't really care."

Harry looked at her in surprise. "Why not?"

"Don't you understand that it might be me next?" she demanded. "They might kill me by mistake! Or they might
actually succeed in killing you! I don't care who's doing it, I just don't want to die! I'm only sixteen, I shouldn't have to deal
with this sort of thing!" Tears began to run down her cheeks. "I half wish I wasn't a witch at all if this is how the rest of my
life is going to be! And now that Ron is -" At this point Hermione broke down completely, and Harry, to his own surprise,
hugged her tightly.

"Sorry, Herm," he said. "I didn't realize."

"That's okay," she said, calming down. "I've been so wrought-up lately that... but anyway." She smiled at him.
"Thanks. I'm sorry I've been so odd lately."

"Don't worry about it," said Harry. "It's been difficult for everyone lately...And now this..."

Author's Note: Okay, this story is getting weirder and weirder. I know that chapter was a bit shorter than usual, but I'm
trying to decide what to write next. And the chapter before was really long, that makes up for it, doesn't it? I kind of
wanted to get poisoning Ron out of the way (I know! I'm sorry, but I had to!). And yes, I'm very upset about it too. So,
what about the new poisoning developments? Was it really Cho? Is any of this changing anyone's mind at all? And is
Hermione starting to get annoying or what? Don't worry, she'll be back to her old self soon, it's just been very stressful for
her lately. Please r/r, and I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I figure out what's going to happen in it.