Hello again, readers! Bunnie here with a brand spankin' new chapter! Oh,
and before I forget.....thank you so much for reviewing guys! Thank you to
Lia, Lunarian Amethyst, Lydia, Kitty, Tamika, and all those anonymous
reviewers out there! *sniff* I feel so appreciated now.....oh, and very
good comments too! Lunarian Amethyst, thanks so much for the constructive
criticism, but I do have some explanations for what I have done so
far.....where to start......Hmm.......I know Dumbledore is lenient.....and
she did many things wrong on the first day, let me remind you......and even
if what she has done so far doesn't seem very troublesome, well, you
haven't seen what she can do yet! Teeheehee......:) Cya Later,
peoples! ~bunnie
OH!!!! WAIT!!! I remembered something......u don't have to review every chapter, but I guess it's okay if you do ( ************************************************************************
Chapter 6
Despite the late hour that everyone went to bed at, the students of Hogwarts were still up bright and early. Of course, that could be due to the events of the next morning......
Harry was having a very pleasant dream about being in a meadow with some tiny furry woodland creature (think Geico commercial, with that woman and the Gecko), when he felt very hot. He woke up and got out of bed, wondering why there was so much heat. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he looked around the room. The other boys were also up and looking uncomfortable. Ron fanned himself as he walked over to Harry. His flaming red hair was plastered to his forehead.
"Oi, Harry. What's wrong? Why is it so hot all of a sudden?" Ron mumbled, his shoulders sagging under the humidity.
"I don't know, Ron," Harry said, walking to the window. He couldn't see very clearly, because he didn't have his glasses on, but what he did see was the sun rising over the Forbidden Forest. He wiped his forehead again, and looked back at Ron. Although Ron was just a blurred silhouette to Harry's bad vision, Harry was able to determine a look of awe, perhaps even of fright on his best friend's face. Harry sensed something terribly wrong, and ran to get his glasses from the nightstand next to his bed. He put his glasses on with his back to the window, then turned around. But, the sun was not rising anymore. The burning light that had caught Harry's, and the rest of the boys', eyes was none other than a....
"FIRE!!!" yelled Hermione as she burst into the boys' room in her pajamas. The boys stood, dazed for a moment, still staring at the burning horizon. "Hello?! FIRE!!!!!" Hermione yelled once again, and she took a pitcher of water from next to one of the beds and threw it on Ron.
"Hey, what'd you do that for?" Ron said, rubbing his eyes.
"Earth to Ron! There is a fire burning up the Forbidden Forest! If we don't go over there and help put it out, then it will reach Hagrid's hut, the greenhouse, the Quidditch Field, and pretty soon, Hogwarts itself!" Hermione took a few deep breaths. She then tugged on Harry, Ron, Dean, and Seamus out the door and down the stairs, where the rest of the Gryffindor's were waiting.
"As a prefect of Gryffindor House, I order all of you to stay here in the Common Room until we are sure that the threat of the fire is gone!" Hermione announced. "C'mon Ron" she added, tugging on Ron again, but this time to lead him where the staffwas already trying to douse the flames. "Harry!" she yelled as they were going through the portrait hole. "You're in charge until we get back, okay?"
"Okay!" Harry yelled at them as they disappeared. He was overwhelmed with the passing events, and looked around the round room. He thought of what he should do next, then an idea popped into his head.
"Where are the first years? First years, please come forward!" he shouted, cupping his hands over his mouth. Some nervous little children stepped forward. Harry counted them. "Five girls and five boys. Good. Now, second years, please!" he yelled again. Again, he counted, and continued to count, noting that no one was missing from the five girls and boys of each of the years. That is, until he got to the fifth year. He counted off the boys first. But, one was missing, and it wasn't Ron.
"Has anyone seen Neville?!" he yelled out over the crowd. There was low hum of mumbling as Dean's eyes grew wider and wider.
"Hermione forgot him....still in room...." Dean said shakily.
"Stay here, everyone!" Harry said urgently as he ran back up the stairs to where his dorm was. He opened the door and looked inside to see Neville still staring out the window.
"It's still dark! I don't get what the whole commotion about a bloody fire is about," he said. He turned to Harry, who saw immediately why Neville had no clue what was going on. Harry ran to Neville, and pulled off the black night shade that he had strapped on his eyes. Neville blinked a couple of times, and turned back the window. He seemed to shrink as he saw what was really going on. Harry pulled him out of the room and away from the heat. They went downstairs, as Harry continued taking the roll call of Gryffindors.
"Three girls for the fifth year. The fourth is Hermione," Harry said, ticking off the numbers in his head. "No, wait a second. I think we're missing someone....."
"Don't worry, Harry!" Seamus said. "You remember, there's always been one less girl in our year." Harry considered this for a moment, combing back his hair from his forehead with his fingers. He put his hands on his hips, deep in thought. Then, without warning, he took off through the portrait hole.
"Where's he goin'?" said a sleepy Fred from the back of the group. "Yeah, what's the fire?" George added. Everyone turned around and stared at them. One person pointed to an available window. The twins walked to it and stared outside.
"AHH!!!!! Someone has gotten into our secret stash!!!!" they both yelled. Then, they both keeled over, unconscious.
Alicia and Angelina ran up to them, catching them. They then hauled the heavy seventh years out of the portrait hole and towards the hospital wing. Lavender and Parvati looked out the window.
"There goes last year's boyfriend," Lavender remarked, pointing to a small speck running towards the fire.
Harry was running towards the teachers, headboys and girls, and the prefects that were trying desperately to put out the flames. He looked around wildly.
"Harry! What are you doing here?" Hermione said, stopping to look at Harry. "And what's wrong?" she said, her ash-covered face growing sympathetic.
"Cassie. She's missing. And I think I know why," Harry said gruffly. He then ran into an opening in the forest fire.
"Harry!" Ron yelled, realizing what had just happened. He ran in after Harry. Hermione rolled her eyes, and followed in after Ron.
Harry ran deep into the forest, when at once he realized that he didn't have his wand with him. He ignored it and ventured deeper and deeper into the woods. A little rabbit darted out in front of him, then hopped frantically to his left. Harry decided to run after it, and ended up in a clearing surrounded by fire.
"Harry!" yelled a voice from behind him. Harry turned and saw Ron and Hermione panting hard. Ron leaned over and placed his hands on his knees. "Man, Harry. You had to run in......you had to save her....."
"What do you mean save her? I ran in to save everyone else from her!" he huffed, looking around. In one corner, next to a burning bush, he saw several figures crouching down. Harry motioned for Ron and Hermione to be quiet and follow him. They inched closer and closer. Harry could feel his heart beating faster and faster. What if this was the work of Voldemort? Was Cassie one of the Dark Lord's Minions? All these thoughts ran through his head as they finally got in hearing distance. Harry, Ron, and Hermione crouched behind another bush. "Thank you so much, sweetie, for bringing us those goodies," sneered that all too familiar drawling voice. Harry looked over the bush to see Malfoy, pinching the cheek of an unconscious Cassie, Crabbe and Goyle laughing idiotically at something they didn't even understand. "Now all we have to do is run out and blame it on the little Mudblood. Maybe they'll come save her, maybe they won't," Malfoy said, getting up and walking towards the opening in the burning clearing. Harry felt the anger welling up in him as Malfoy passed by the bush hiding Hermione, Ron, and him. He was about to pounce when Ron pulled him back.
"Relax, Harry," Hermione said with a little smile. "I got it all recorded." She held up her hand, which had a little quill and parchment madly taking notes. "I stole it form Rita." Harry nodded, and they watched as Malfoy walked out with his two lackeys behind him.
As soon as they had left, Harry rushed out and picked up Cassie. She groaned as he carried her out, following behind Ron and Hermione who had gone ahead. As he reached the sunlight outside, he turned back to see the Forbidden Forest, no longer on fire. Actually, it looked all black, but at least that was a major improvement. The teachers in their robes were crowded around in a circle. Harry got to them and listened for a moment.
"When the twins came in, I went to check on Mr. Malfoy and how his face was doing, and he was gone!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed.
"Yes, I see. I was checking the dorms this morning in the Slytherin tower and Crabbe and Goyle were missing too," said an unhappy Professor Snape.
"This is a very grave and serious offense, boys," a stern Professor Dumbledore said. Harry pushed into the circle, still carrying Cassie, only to see Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, their heads hung low to the ground.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Professor McGonagall said, taking a look at Harry and Cassie. "We thought you two were lost for sure! Why, when Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger came running with this scandalous report, and said you were still in the forest, well, we thought we would never find you again!" Professor McGonagall hugged Harry, and Madame Pomfrey led them up to the hospital wing. Cassie was laid onto one of the beds, and was diagnosed with third degree burns. But, according to Madame Pomfrey, that was a minor injury that could be fixed lickety-split. Fred and George were up and about, complaining to the teachers that someone had stolen their personal belongings.
"We know, we know," Professor Dumbledore explained. "It seems that Mr. Malfoy had forced our poor new student here to smuggle out your belongings. Just look at this recording that Ms. Granger artfully obtained." He held out the parhment, and Malfoy was revealed as the culprit.
"Surely, you'll expell him then?" Hermione interrupted.
"Afraid not. If we let him go, his father will have my head," Dumbledore said gloomily. Professor Snape seemed lightened by this, and the teachers exited.
"Oh, and don't forget," said Professor McGonagall, peeking her head back in the door. "Classes begin in a couple of hours. I suggest you forget what has happened and go down to breakfast." She then left. Harry was shaken by all this. Go down to breakfast and forget about the fire?!
"Is Cassie okay?" Hermione asked Madame Pomfrey.
"Oh, don't worry so much about it dear," Madame Pomfrey said, waving Hermione away. "She'll be down to breakfast shortly. It's not the first time I've had to cure burns, thanks to those cauldron bottoms melting out. It's a wonder that the Ministry didn't catch up with it soon enough..." Ron rolled his eyes, remembering his dorky brother who had changed that cauldron bottom rule. Harry, Ron and Hermione headed up to their common room to see that everyone had already gotten ready and gone done to breakfast. They, too, got ready for the day. Harry looked out the window to see the real sun rising up this time. He sighed, then met Ron and Hermione in the common room. They were fighting about who did a better job. Harry laughed at them for a little bit, then headed out by himself to the Great Hall.
He walked down the empty halls, and had a feeling of foreboding. His feelings were justified when he was nearly tackled by Ginny, who had a million and one questions about what had happened. Harry gladly answered each of them, and when her curiosity was satisfied, they walked into the Great Hall together. Harry waved goodbye to his little friend as she ran to meet some other fourth years.
Harry plopped down next to Fred and George, who seemed to be down in the dumps. Probably unhappy that all their cool stuff is gone, thought Harry. He grabbed a roll and buttered it, then stuffed it into his mouth. Ron and Hermione came down presently.
"I was the one that recorded the whole thing!" Hermione was saying.
"You wouldn't have recorded it if I hadn't led you into the forest!" Ron yelled back.
"It was such a bonehead thing to run into a forest on fire!" Hermione said as she sat down next to Harry.
"Well, it saved our lives in the end, didn't it?" Ron snapped, sitting on the opposite side of the table, in front of Hermione.
"Well, I think it was Harry who saved our butts today," chirped someone behind Harry. Harry turned around to receive a huge hug from an ecstatic, and healed, Cassie. "Thank you! Thank You! Thank you!" she said over and over again. She sat on the other side of Harry at the table and began to eat ravenously. Harry stared in amazement as she polished off five times as many rolls as he did. "Gee, someone's eating like they just came out of the desert after a 40-day fast!" came another voice. Cho Chang came down upon Cassie, hugging her so tight that Harry was sure that Cassie was suffocating. "Oh, my little cuz! I thought you were dead!" Cho squeezed even harder, and Cassie hugged back just as hard. Cho let go of her embrace, winked at Harry, and walked back to her table with the Ravenclaws. Had she just acknowledged him? Wow, he thought. Harry, now full of curiosity, turned back to Cassie and asked her some questions.
"Are you okay now?" he asked.
"Hell yeah!" she said, her mouth full of more rolls. Harry leaned closer.
"Did they really blackmail you?" he whispered. Cassie shook her head, then nodded.
"Umm...well, you see.....at the end they blackmailed me," she said hesitantly. "I was going to give everyone a call with the Filibuster Fireworks that I found behind some bricks in the wall. I was walking past the hospital wing with them in my arms, when Malfoy burst out of it and knocked me to the ground. He and those two goons of his forced me to go outside into the woods with them, and then lit the fireworks and caused the fire. The stupid blond then pointed his wand at me and said something that caused me so much pain, I felt like I was going to die....."
"The Cruciatus Curse?" Harry asked, now concerned.
"Yeah, that's what Malfoy said. What's a Mudblood? He called me that a lot and said he was just paying em back for ruining his perfect face."
"Mudblood means that you don't have wizard parents," Hermione broke in. She had been eavesdropping all along. "I'm one too, so don't worry. It's just a derogatory word."
"A what?" Harry asked.
"It means it's a dirty word. Honestly, don't you study the dictionary?" Hermione said.
"What, and be an egghead like you?" Ron said snidely. Hermione's eyes became dangerous slits.
"I don't believe it," she said angrily. "Ronald Weasley has sunk down even lower." And she left as quickly as she could.
"Wait! I didn't mean it! Honest!" yelled Ron, rushing after her and trying to catch up. Harry sighed again. Will they never learn?, he thought.
OH!!!! WAIT!!! I remembered something......u don't have to review every chapter, but I guess it's okay if you do ( ************************************************************************
Chapter 6
Despite the late hour that everyone went to bed at, the students of Hogwarts were still up bright and early. Of course, that could be due to the events of the next morning......
Harry was having a very pleasant dream about being in a meadow with some tiny furry woodland creature (think Geico commercial, with that woman and the Gecko), when he felt very hot. He woke up and got out of bed, wondering why there was so much heat. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he looked around the room. The other boys were also up and looking uncomfortable. Ron fanned himself as he walked over to Harry. His flaming red hair was plastered to his forehead.
"Oi, Harry. What's wrong? Why is it so hot all of a sudden?" Ron mumbled, his shoulders sagging under the humidity.
"I don't know, Ron," Harry said, walking to the window. He couldn't see very clearly, because he didn't have his glasses on, but what he did see was the sun rising over the Forbidden Forest. He wiped his forehead again, and looked back at Ron. Although Ron was just a blurred silhouette to Harry's bad vision, Harry was able to determine a look of awe, perhaps even of fright on his best friend's face. Harry sensed something terribly wrong, and ran to get his glasses from the nightstand next to his bed. He put his glasses on with his back to the window, then turned around. But, the sun was not rising anymore. The burning light that had caught Harry's, and the rest of the boys', eyes was none other than a....
"FIRE!!!" yelled Hermione as she burst into the boys' room in her pajamas. The boys stood, dazed for a moment, still staring at the burning horizon. "Hello?! FIRE!!!!!" Hermione yelled once again, and she took a pitcher of water from next to one of the beds and threw it on Ron.
"Hey, what'd you do that for?" Ron said, rubbing his eyes.
"Earth to Ron! There is a fire burning up the Forbidden Forest! If we don't go over there and help put it out, then it will reach Hagrid's hut, the greenhouse, the Quidditch Field, and pretty soon, Hogwarts itself!" Hermione took a few deep breaths. She then tugged on Harry, Ron, Dean, and Seamus out the door and down the stairs, where the rest of the Gryffindor's were waiting.
"As a prefect of Gryffindor House, I order all of you to stay here in the Common Room until we are sure that the threat of the fire is gone!" Hermione announced. "C'mon Ron" she added, tugging on Ron again, but this time to lead him where the staffwas already trying to douse the flames. "Harry!" she yelled as they were going through the portrait hole. "You're in charge until we get back, okay?"
"Okay!" Harry yelled at them as they disappeared. He was overwhelmed with the passing events, and looked around the round room. He thought of what he should do next, then an idea popped into his head.
"Where are the first years? First years, please come forward!" he shouted, cupping his hands over his mouth. Some nervous little children stepped forward. Harry counted them. "Five girls and five boys. Good. Now, second years, please!" he yelled again. Again, he counted, and continued to count, noting that no one was missing from the five girls and boys of each of the years. That is, until he got to the fifth year. He counted off the boys first. But, one was missing, and it wasn't Ron.
"Has anyone seen Neville?!" he yelled out over the crowd. There was low hum of mumbling as Dean's eyes grew wider and wider.
"Hermione forgot him....still in room...." Dean said shakily.
"Stay here, everyone!" Harry said urgently as he ran back up the stairs to where his dorm was. He opened the door and looked inside to see Neville still staring out the window.
"It's still dark! I don't get what the whole commotion about a bloody fire is about," he said. He turned to Harry, who saw immediately why Neville had no clue what was going on. Harry ran to Neville, and pulled off the black night shade that he had strapped on his eyes. Neville blinked a couple of times, and turned back the window. He seemed to shrink as he saw what was really going on. Harry pulled him out of the room and away from the heat. They went downstairs, as Harry continued taking the roll call of Gryffindors.
"Three girls for the fifth year. The fourth is Hermione," Harry said, ticking off the numbers in his head. "No, wait a second. I think we're missing someone....."
"Don't worry, Harry!" Seamus said. "You remember, there's always been one less girl in our year." Harry considered this for a moment, combing back his hair from his forehead with his fingers. He put his hands on his hips, deep in thought. Then, without warning, he took off through the portrait hole.
"Where's he goin'?" said a sleepy Fred from the back of the group. "Yeah, what's the fire?" George added. Everyone turned around and stared at them. One person pointed to an available window. The twins walked to it and stared outside.
"AHH!!!!! Someone has gotten into our secret stash!!!!" they both yelled. Then, they both keeled over, unconscious.
Alicia and Angelina ran up to them, catching them. They then hauled the heavy seventh years out of the portrait hole and towards the hospital wing. Lavender and Parvati looked out the window.
"There goes last year's boyfriend," Lavender remarked, pointing to a small speck running towards the fire.
Harry was running towards the teachers, headboys and girls, and the prefects that were trying desperately to put out the flames. He looked around wildly.
"Harry! What are you doing here?" Hermione said, stopping to look at Harry. "And what's wrong?" she said, her ash-covered face growing sympathetic.
"Cassie. She's missing. And I think I know why," Harry said gruffly. He then ran into an opening in the forest fire.
"Harry!" Ron yelled, realizing what had just happened. He ran in after Harry. Hermione rolled her eyes, and followed in after Ron.
Harry ran deep into the forest, when at once he realized that he didn't have his wand with him. He ignored it and ventured deeper and deeper into the woods. A little rabbit darted out in front of him, then hopped frantically to his left. Harry decided to run after it, and ended up in a clearing surrounded by fire.
"Harry!" yelled a voice from behind him. Harry turned and saw Ron and Hermione panting hard. Ron leaned over and placed his hands on his knees. "Man, Harry. You had to run in......you had to save her....."
"What do you mean save her? I ran in to save everyone else from her!" he huffed, looking around. In one corner, next to a burning bush, he saw several figures crouching down. Harry motioned for Ron and Hermione to be quiet and follow him. They inched closer and closer. Harry could feel his heart beating faster and faster. What if this was the work of Voldemort? Was Cassie one of the Dark Lord's Minions? All these thoughts ran through his head as they finally got in hearing distance. Harry, Ron, and Hermione crouched behind another bush. "Thank you so much, sweetie, for bringing us those goodies," sneered that all too familiar drawling voice. Harry looked over the bush to see Malfoy, pinching the cheek of an unconscious Cassie, Crabbe and Goyle laughing idiotically at something they didn't even understand. "Now all we have to do is run out and blame it on the little Mudblood. Maybe they'll come save her, maybe they won't," Malfoy said, getting up and walking towards the opening in the burning clearing. Harry felt the anger welling up in him as Malfoy passed by the bush hiding Hermione, Ron, and him. He was about to pounce when Ron pulled him back.
"Relax, Harry," Hermione said with a little smile. "I got it all recorded." She held up her hand, which had a little quill and parchment madly taking notes. "I stole it form Rita." Harry nodded, and they watched as Malfoy walked out with his two lackeys behind him.
As soon as they had left, Harry rushed out and picked up Cassie. She groaned as he carried her out, following behind Ron and Hermione who had gone ahead. As he reached the sunlight outside, he turned back to see the Forbidden Forest, no longer on fire. Actually, it looked all black, but at least that was a major improvement. The teachers in their robes were crowded around in a circle. Harry got to them and listened for a moment.
"When the twins came in, I went to check on Mr. Malfoy and how his face was doing, and he was gone!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed.
"Yes, I see. I was checking the dorms this morning in the Slytherin tower and Crabbe and Goyle were missing too," said an unhappy Professor Snape.
"This is a very grave and serious offense, boys," a stern Professor Dumbledore said. Harry pushed into the circle, still carrying Cassie, only to see Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, their heads hung low to the ground.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Professor McGonagall said, taking a look at Harry and Cassie. "We thought you two were lost for sure! Why, when Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger came running with this scandalous report, and said you were still in the forest, well, we thought we would never find you again!" Professor McGonagall hugged Harry, and Madame Pomfrey led them up to the hospital wing. Cassie was laid onto one of the beds, and was diagnosed with third degree burns. But, according to Madame Pomfrey, that was a minor injury that could be fixed lickety-split. Fred and George were up and about, complaining to the teachers that someone had stolen their personal belongings.
"We know, we know," Professor Dumbledore explained. "It seems that Mr. Malfoy had forced our poor new student here to smuggle out your belongings. Just look at this recording that Ms. Granger artfully obtained." He held out the parhment, and Malfoy was revealed as the culprit.
"Surely, you'll expell him then?" Hermione interrupted.
"Afraid not. If we let him go, his father will have my head," Dumbledore said gloomily. Professor Snape seemed lightened by this, and the teachers exited.
"Oh, and don't forget," said Professor McGonagall, peeking her head back in the door. "Classes begin in a couple of hours. I suggest you forget what has happened and go down to breakfast." She then left. Harry was shaken by all this. Go down to breakfast and forget about the fire?!
"Is Cassie okay?" Hermione asked Madame Pomfrey.
"Oh, don't worry so much about it dear," Madame Pomfrey said, waving Hermione away. "She'll be down to breakfast shortly. It's not the first time I've had to cure burns, thanks to those cauldron bottoms melting out. It's a wonder that the Ministry didn't catch up with it soon enough..." Ron rolled his eyes, remembering his dorky brother who had changed that cauldron bottom rule. Harry, Ron and Hermione headed up to their common room to see that everyone had already gotten ready and gone done to breakfast. They, too, got ready for the day. Harry looked out the window to see the real sun rising up this time. He sighed, then met Ron and Hermione in the common room. They were fighting about who did a better job. Harry laughed at them for a little bit, then headed out by himself to the Great Hall.
He walked down the empty halls, and had a feeling of foreboding. His feelings were justified when he was nearly tackled by Ginny, who had a million and one questions about what had happened. Harry gladly answered each of them, and when her curiosity was satisfied, they walked into the Great Hall together. Harry waved goodbye to his little friend as she ran to meet some other fourth years.
Harry plopped down next to Fred and George, who seemed to be down in the dumps. Probably unhappy that all their cool stuff is gone, thought Harry. He grabbed a roll and buttered it, then stuffed it into his mouth. Ron and Hermione came down presently.
"I was the one that recorded the whole thing!" Hermione was saying.
"You wouldn't have recorded it if I hadn't led you into the forest!" Ron yelled back.
"It was such a bonehead thing to run into a forest on fire!" Hermione said as she sat down next to Harry.
"Well, it saved our lives in the end, didn't it?" Ron snapped, sitting on the opposite side of the table, in front of Hermione.
"Well, I think it was Harry who saved our butts today," chirped someone behind Harry. Harry turned around to receive a huge hug from an ecstatic, and healed, Cassie. "Thank you! Thank You! Thank you!" she said over and over again. She sat on the other side of Harry at the table and began to eat ravenously. Harry stared in amazement as she polished off five times as many rolls as he did. "Gee, someone's eating like they just came out of the desert after a 40-day fast!" came another voice. Cho Chang came down upon Cassie, hugging her so tight that Harry was sure that Cassie was suffocating. "Oh, my little cuz! I thought you were dead!" Cho squeezed even harder, and Cassie hugged back just as hard. Cho let go of her embrace, winked at Harry, and walked back to her table with the Ravenclaws. Had she just acknowledged him? Wow, he thought. Harry, now full of curiosity, turned back to Cassie and asked her some questions.
"Are you okay now?" he asked.
"Hell yeah!" she said, her mouth full of more rolls. Harry leaned closer.
"Did they really blackmail you?" he whispered. Cassie shook her head, then nodded.
"Umm...well, you see.....at the end they blackmailed me," she said hesitantly. "I was going to give everyone a call with the Filibuster Fireworks that I found behind some bricks in the wall. I was walking past the hospital wing with them in my arms, when Malfoy burst out of it and knocked me to the ground. He and those two goons of his forced me to go outside into the woods with them, and then lit the fireworks and caused the fire. The stupid blond then pointed his wand at me and said something that caused me so much pain, I felt like I was going to die....."
"The Cruciatus Curse?" Harry asked, now concerned.
"Yeah, that's what Malfoy said. What's a Mudblood? He called me that a lot and said he was just paying em back for ruining his perfect face."
"Mudblood means that you don't have wizard parents," Hermione broke in. She had been eavesdropping all along. "I'm one too, so don't worry. It's just a derogatory word."
"A what?" Harry asked.
"It means it's a dirty word. Honestly, don't you study the dictionary?" Hermione said.
"What, and be an egghead like you?" Ron said snidely. Hermione's eyes became dangerous slits.
"I don't believe it," she said angrily. "Ronald Weasley has sunk down even lower." And she left as quickly as she could.
"Wait! I didn't mean it! Honest!" yelled Ron, rushing after her and trying to catch up. Harry sighed again. Will they never learn?, he thought.