"What? Hermione, you're not serious. Are you?" Hermione had just told Harry
what she'd found out.
"Please, Hermione, Malfoy? Harry's brother? What d'you think you're playing at?" Ron was scornful. Hermione turned bright red.
"I'm serious Ron. If you don't believe me check the mark. Go on, check it." With that she seized Harry's arm and held it out to Ron. Ron scowled and examined the mark. To Harry it really looked like a stag but Ron snorted loudly.
"That's it Hermione. Those subjects you're taking have overtaxed your brain and you've lost it." Ron was not convinced. Hermione looked unhappy.
"You've got to believe me Ron, it could lead to something really important." she tried to say. Then Harry cut in.
"Can we stop discussing my arm and go for Transfiguration class now?" he interrupted her and began to stuff his books, quill, ink and parchment into his bag rather forcefully. Hermione did the same and Ron followed. They walked off to class in silence, still thinking about what Hermione had said.
After the class was over it was time for lunch. As they trooped to the Hall, Hermione timidly said, "I still think that I could be right about Malfoy."
"Oh please Hermione." Ron began but Harry interrupted him.
"So what should we do about it?" Harry looked at Hermione seriously.
"I think we should go to Malfoy and ask him about it." Hermione looked serious. Ron was furious.
"Talk to Malfoy on purpose?" Ron looked incredulous.
"I never said you had to come along you know." Hermione sounded offended.
"OK, can we eat first then we'll go see Malfoy all right?" Harry was quite exasperated about all this Brother of Fate business. Best to go and get it over with, he thought to himself.
After a rather heavy lunch, they walked to the Slytherin table. Malfoy was still stuffing his face with Crabbe and Goyle even though everyone else had left. Harry swallowed his pride and tapped Malfoy on the shoulder.
"What?" Malfoy snapped, turning around. "Was that you Goyle?" His expression changed swiftly. "Oh, it's you."
"Um. Malfoy, can we have a look at your arm?" Harry said, stammering.
"Oh. I'll play your little game. Out of pity, you understand." Disdainfully, Malfoy pulled up the sleeve of his right hand and held it out.
"A snake?" Harry could hardly believe his eyes. Malfoy sat bolt upright and grabbed Harry's arm.
"A stag?" Malfoy's face turned bright pink.
"I told you!" Hermione said triumphantly. "Harry?" Harry had run out of the room.
"Firebolt," Harry mumbled the password to the common room. The Fat Lady obediently swung forwards.
"You look a bit shocked, dear," she told Harry as he climbed through the hole.
"Tell me about it," he murmured as he sat down on one of the bean bags near the fire. It was a cold day and Seamus Dean had decided to warm up too.
"Hi Harry," he greeted Harry. "What's the problem?"
"Nothing," Harry didn't feel like talking. After a bit, Colin Creevey came in with his brother Dennis.
"Click!" Colin's camera went off and Harry stifled a groan.
"I really don't want a picture, Colin," he mumbled and Colin obediently put away his camera.
"Anything Harry," he babbled. "I'll even leave right now if you want me to." Without waiting for Harry to say anything, he scuttled up the stairs. A few minutes later, Hermione came in.
"Are you all right Harry? I know that was a shock for you," she said, sounding concerned. Harry just nodded. Just then, Ron entered the room. Ignoring Hermione and Harry, he stomped up the stairs to the dormitory.
"Leave Ron alone, he hates to be proved wrong," Harry said to Hermione. A few minutes later though, Ron came back down to apologise to Harry and Hermione.
"You don't have to say it," Harry offered. Ron turned as red as his hair and grinned. Hermione shifted from foot to foot feeling uncomfortable.
"I think I'll go to class now," she said a bit too loudly and picked up her book bag, hurrying out the portrait hole.
"We'd better go too Ron, it's- bleuch!-Divination after this," Harry told Ron. They packed their books and left for Professor Trelawney's stuffy classroom.
"Please, Hermione, Malfoy? Harry's brother? What d'you think you're playing at?" Ron was scornful. Hermione turned bright red.
"I'm serious Ron. If you don't believe me check the mark. Go on, check it." With that she seized Harry's arm and held it out to Ron. Ron scowled and examined the mark. To Harry it really looked like a stag but Ron snorted loudly.
"That's it Hermione. Those subjects you're taking have overtaxed your brain and you've lost it." Ron was not convinced. Hermione looked unhappy.
"You've got to believe me Ron, it could lead to something really important." she tried to say. Then Harry cut in.
"Can we stop discussing my arm and go for Transfiguration class now?" he interrupted her and began to stuff his books, quill, ink and parchment into his bag rather forcefully. Hermione did the same and Ron followed. They walked off to class in silence, still thinking about what Hermione had said.
After the class was over it was time for lunch. As they trooped to the Hall, Hermione timidly said, "I still think that I could be right about Malfoy."
"Oh please Hermione." Ron began but Harry interrupted him.
"So what should we do about it?" Harry looked at Hermione seriously.
"I think we should go to Malfoy and ask him about it." Hermione looked serious. Ron was furious.
"Talk to Malfoy on purpose?" Ron looked incredulous.
"I never said you had to come along you know." Hermione sounded offended.
"OK, can we eat first then we'll go see Malfoy all right?" Harry was quite exasperated about all this Brother of Fate business. Best to go and get it over with, he thought to himself.
After a rather heavy lunch, they walked to the Slytherin table. Malfoy was still stuffing his face with Crabbe and Goyle even though everyone else had left. Harry swallowed his pride and tapped Malfoy on the shoulder.
"What?" Malfoy snapped, turning around. "Was that you Goyle?" His expression changed swiftly. "Oh, it's you."
"Um. Malfoy, can we have a look at your arm?" Harry said, stammering.
"Oh. I'll play your little game. Out of pity, you understand." Disdainfully, Malfoy pulled up the sleeve of his right hand and held it out.
"A snake?" Harry could hardly believe his eyes. Malfoy sat bolt upright and grabbed Harry's arm.
"A stag?" Malfoy's face turned bright pink.
"I told you!" Hermione said triumphantly. "Harry?" Harry had run out of the room.
"Firebolt," Harry mumbled the password to the common room. The Fat Lady obediently swung forwards.
"You look a bit shocked, dear," she told Harry as he climbed through the hole.
"Tell me about it," he murmured as he sat down on one of the bean bags near the fire. It was a cold day and Seamus Dean had decided to warm up too.
"Hi Harry," he greeted Harry. "What's the problem?"
"Nothing," Harry didn't feel like talking. After a bit, Colin Creevey came in with his brother Dennis.
"Click!" Colin's camera went off and Harry stifled a groan.
"I really don't want a picture, Colin," he mumbled and Colin obediently put away his camera.
"Anything Harry," he babbled. "I'll even leave right now if you want me to." Without waiting for Harry to say anything, he scuttled up the stairs. A few minutes later, Hermione came in.
"Are you all right Harry? I know that was a shock for you," she said, sounding concerned. Harry just nodded. Just then, Ron entered the room. Ignoring Hermione and Harry, he stomped up the stairs to the dormitory.
"Leave Ron alone, he hates to be proved wrong," Harry said to Hermione. A few minutes later though, Ron came back down to apologise to Harry and Hermione.
"You don't have to say it," Harry offered. Ron turned as red as his hair and grinned. Hermione shifted from foot to foot feeling uncomfortable.
"I think I'll go to class now," she said a bit too loudly and picked up her book bag, hurrying out the portrait hole.
"We'd better go too Ron, it's- bleuch!-Divination after this," Harry told Ron. They packed their books and left for Professor Trelawney's stuffy classroom.