CHAPTER SIX: Butterbeer and Eavesdropping
Once Ron had tickled the pear in the painting of the silver bowl of fruit covering the entrance to the kitchen, the painting swung forward to admit them. The vast kitchen which was thrumming with activity. Before Harry could look around for Dobby and Winky he heard a cry of "Jolly Good!" and saw Fred and George waving at them as best they could while holding arms full of food.
"Glad to see you're upholding family tradition, Ron" said Fred
"Right, you two bring up the rest, would you?" George said as he headed for the kitchen portrait hole.
"Hmmph." was all Ron would say.
Harry didn't have a chance to say anything for, at that moment something catapulted toward his shins at an astonishing rate of speed. The something turned out to be Dobby who, upon impacting Harry's legs nearly knocked him over. "Oh, Harry Potter sir! You has come to see me at last, sir! Dobby knew the great Harry Potter and his noble friend Wheezy would not forget Dobby!"
Ron seemed to be choking on something that Harry assumed must be laughter. He could see why. Dobby was dressed even more outrageously than ever. On one foot he was wearing a violently violet sock with a yellow pattern that literally flashed on and off. The other sock was a luridly patterned orange sock Harry Ron and Hermione had bought Dobby the year before. He was still wearing a tea cozy as a hat and had, over the summer, pinned more of a variety badges to it. The ensemble was completed by what looked like the outfit from a Raggedy Andy doll. Bright blue shorts topped with over-large buttons at the waist, sewn as one piece with a brightly patterned plaid shirt with a large white sailor collar and blue bow.
"Hello, Dobby, How are you?"
"Ooh, Harry Potter is to kind to worry about how Dobby is, sir!"
"Er, well, you look fine." Harry supplied
"Where is Winky?" Ron interrupted looking around.
"Winky is helping Madam Nurse now, Master Wheezy, sir!" Dobby squeaked.
"Er, Well, that's good, I suppose." Ron said casting about for something to say.
Harry saw the other house elves starting to glance darkly at the idle Dobby. Remembering the trouble he and his friends had inadvertently caused Dobby with his fellow elves the year before Harry quickly decided they'd better go.
"Well, we'd better be going now, hadn't we?." He said gathering up bottles of butterbeer from the table Fred and George had indicated. He and Ron filled their arms and headed for the portrait hole.
"See you, Dobby!" Harry called
"Sirs are too good to Dobby!" he heard him squeaking as the portrait swung shut behind him and Ron.
"Well, some things don't change, do they?" Ron said with a smile as they headed up the corridor toward the deserted entryway and the main staircase.
"Bit much of Fred and George to just assume we'd come to help them, though," Ron said with more than a touch of irritation.
Harry decided to change the subject,
"So Winky's working for Madam Pomfrey? I suppose that's a good thing, isn't it?"
"I guess that depends on how well she's pulled herself together. If she's like she was last year Pomfrey will be looking after her."
"She's got to be better or they'd just stash her in the kitchen," Harry reasoned aloud. "At least if she thinks Pomfrey is her mistress she won't tell on us if we wind up there with, er, ill-gotten injuries."
Ron grinned and began speaking in a high, squeaky voice, "No, Professor Snape, sir. Winky keeps her Mistresses secrets! Winky is no telling you how Mr. Draco got his nose broke!"
Harry sputtered with laughter at this thought but found himself suddenly choking the laughter back. He and Ron were a few yards shy of the open doors to the Great Hall and could hear raised voices coming from it.
"Don't be ridiculous, Severus, you know better!" Harry heard Arabella Figg say firmly.
"Ridiculous?" replied Snape in a voice that was a bit high for him.
Ron raised his eyebrows and looked at Harry who was frozen in his tracks. In order to get to the main staircase they would have to pass the open doors of the Great Hall. Harry doubted Snape would appreciate the possibility that Ron and he, in particular, had heard him arguing with another professor. Seeing as how his and Ron's arms were full of butterbeer it was a sure bet that Snape would take the opportunity to give them both detention and probably take a round 50 points from Gryffindor.
Ron was glancing nervously back toward the kitchen obviously thinking the same thing. Harry nodded and turned to creep back up the corridor when the words between Snape and Figg rooted him to the spot.
"Merlin's beard, Severus, this isn't still about Potter is it?"
"You have no idea what this is about!" Snape spat angrily, "You never have!"
Ron's eyes widened at this but in the next second he kicked Harry in the shin and hissed "Move!"
Harry followed Ron behind a tapestry just as Snape swept from the Great Hall. Harry watched through the gap between the fabric and the stone wall as Snape headed past the staircase toward, Harry supposed, his dungeon office.
Harry almost stepped out from behind the tapestry but Ron hissed "Wait!" Harry stood still for several moments until Arabella Figg emerged from the Great Hall looking troubled. Harry and Ron listened as her footsteps echoed away on the marble stairs of the main staircase. They waited a moment more to be sure and then emerged from behind the tapestry themselves, also heading for the stairs.
"That was close!" Ron breathed, "Harry what's gotten into you, anyway? We could have been caught!"
"Dunno," Harry responded, "That was weird, though, don't you think?"
"Yeah, but with Snape that's pretty much to be expected, isn't it?"
But Harry was shaking his head, that hadn't made sense at all. Why would Snape and Figg be arguing about him?
"I dunno, Ron, I know he hates me, but why would he argue with Figg about it?"
"Why does he do anything, Harry? I know Dumbledore trusts him and everything but I think he's nutters! Comon' lets get this stuff upstairs before someone else comes along."
Harry followed Ron as he made his way up the stone steps. He didn't realize that his thoughts were slowing his progress until Ron turned back from several steps ahead and told him to hurry.
They traveled to the tower in silence until they reached the painting of the Fat Lady who guarded the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.
"Well, where have you been?" She asked them irritably.
"Conjunctio!" Ron said and Fat Lady "humphed" and swung open to admit them.
They were met by a great deal of noise and movement. The common room was full of people obviously being led by Fred and George in a first night back party.
"Finally!" George shouted when he saw Ron and Harry. He and Fred rushed forward to relieve them of the butterbeer.
Harry looked around and saw Hermione sitting in a chair near the fire with her arms crossed. It was plain from her face that she felt torn. Harry imagined she was feeling that, as a prefect, she ought to call a halt to the revelries... certainly if McGonagall came in to break up the party herself Hermione would be very distressed. On the other hand he could imagined Hermione didn't want to alienate her peers.
"Comon, Harry," Ron said pulling at his arm. It was clear Ron was headed toward Hermione and Harry went along.
"Hullo, Hermione, having fun?" Ron asked with a wicked glint in his eye. So, Hermione's dilemma hadn't escaped him, either, and he was using the opportunity to rib her.
"No, I'm not. McGonagall is going to be so mad at me, we've got class in the morning!"
"Hermione, just send the first and second years to bed and let McGonagall worry about the rest of us." Harry urged.
Hermione regarded Harry thoughtfully for a moment then, without a word, she got out of the chair and climbed up on a hassock. Harry could see several students who noticed this beginning to groan but Hermione pre-empted any grumbling by raising her voice,
"First and second years to bed!" Everyone looked up at her for a second until she added a very menacing "NOW!" that sent the younger students scrambling for the staircases. Hermione looked quite pleased at this. She looked at the room from her perch and putting on a very serious face she said, "Carry on, then. Just keep it down." With that she hopped down from the hassock with a smile. After a second of stunned silence the older students did just that.
Ron looked scandalized. "Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?" he asked her.
Hermione just smiled a bit more broadly and headed toward a table with some butterbeer. Ron and Harry followed taking the bottles she offered them.
"Really, Ron, don't act so disappointed. Thought you'd be happy we're carrying on. After all, you and Harry nicked the butterbeer!" Hermione said irritably when she noticed Ron still looked a bit strange.
"Never mind that," Harry said, motioning them both toward a deserted corner. He told Hermione about the bit of argument they had heard. Hermione looked puzzled.
"You're right, Harry, it seems odd they'd be fighting about you. But Ron's right, too. Who knows why Snape does anything. Anyway, I'm just glad Dumbledore got her to come. I mean, she'll be great on helping us to get ready for O.W.L.s, don't you think?"
"Yeah, if I survive another year of potions with Snape." Harry countered.
"You and me and everyone else, Harry." Ron said, "One thing's sure, Snapes already in a foul temper and classes haven't even started."
