Chapter eighteen
"I'm so stuffed." Ron groaned as he gathered his potion books.
"And why are you stuffed?" Harry asked, amused.
"Because Snape is going to eat me." Ron replied bluntly. He bumped his knee on the table and swore loudly, scoring a long lecture from his sister, Ginny.
" And why is Snape going to eat you?" Harry asked after an annoyed Ginny scuttled away to lecture a first year who littered in the Common Room.
"Because he's a moron." Ron cracked, being a smart arse.
"No, Ronald Weasley, It's because YOU couldn't be bothered doing your homework last night. Too busy STALKING innocent people." Hermione commented coldly as she pushed past him. Ron gawked after her.
"Oh yeah? Well-" Ron paused to think up a good back up statement. Hermione turned to face him and gave him a nasty smile.
"What?" She folded her arms and smirked. Harry noted with hurt that it was the smirk that Malfoy and Avolorm wore quite regularly.
" I-I wasn't stalking ." He said lamely. Hermione narrowed her eyes and sauntered towards him with her arms folded. She stood so close to him that he could smell her hair and worked out that she used the same shampoo that Ginny used.
"Then what were you doing? Oh smart one?" She asked sarcastically.
"Nothing." Ron replied, collecting all the courage he could muster. " Nothing important and would you please move out of my way." Harry shook his head sadly. He couldn't believe his own best friend could be so stubbornly stupid when dealing with a cross Hermione. Hermione laughed sourly.
"Oh. Don't you worry about that. I'll be out of your way forever." She snapped.
"Good." Ron said with a fake confidence and loud enough for the whole of the Common Room to hear. They watched in pitied silence as Ron scored himself another slap. On the right check this time. Hermione turned and left. The other Gryffindors moved out of her way in fear of injury. Harry helped Ron up to his feet and sighed.
Ginny confirmed to Ron that his right cheek was just swollen and not scratched like the left. All though it did have interesting shades of colour.
"I've told you once and I'll tell you again. Female hormones are a thing to fear." Harry chuckled.
" Yeah." Ron agreed bitterly. " Especially if those female Hormones are Hermione's.
Avolorm scowled as Harry and Ron sauntered casually into the dungeons. He couldn't believe it. He had failed. Again! He flinched as the image of the creature that was his father drifted into his head.
"Bring me the head of Harry Potter." He could hear it's eerie voice. Again. Again. Again. He couldn't take it any more. He held his head in his hands and dug his nails into his forehead, trying to make it all go away.
"Toby?" Hermione asked concerned. Ron noted with disgust that Hermione was seated between Avolorm and Malfoy. Harry noted with interest that Malfoy didn't make any fuss about sitting next to Hermione Granger. A muggle born.
"Have your essays ready as I come around with your tests." Snape drawled lazily as he stood up from his desk. Ron groaned and slid down as low as he could in his seat. Snape ignored Ron's groan and continued.
" You will have an hour to complete this sheet and I trust you will all get full marks, since your essays would have covered all of this. And if you don't achieve full marks, it's detention with me." Snape said with an evil laugh. That was too much for Ron. He slid right out of his chair.
After an hour, every one handed in their test answers and essays. Except Ron, who handed in two blank pieces of parchment. Snape grinned like a little boy who found a chocolate factory under the Christmas tree. Only, no child could have been as evil. Ron was granted two detentions and a whopping long speech from the potions master. The Slytherins were howling with laughter. And only one Gryffindor joined in. Hermione.
As Harry and Ron got ready to leave the classroom, Malfoy came to add further insult to an injury.
"Oh my! Look! Weasley has finally discovered how to cover his freckles! Nice colours. Blue, black, green, red, Oh! Even purple! Goes well with everything else that you own. All bruised and battered." Malfoy was of course referring to Ron's bruises. Ron looked away quickly. Hermione was just metres away, wearing, Harry noticed, a rather guilty expression.
" Malfoy. Get a life." Harry snapped, defending his friend.
"I have." Malfoy replied coolly. " I see you have just managed to keep yours too." Harry raised an eyebrow. How did he know about the other night? Was it him? Hermione, who was talking with Avolorm at the time, noticed him act strangely at Malfoy's words.
"Toby? What's the matter?" She asked. She noticed a drop of sweat slide down his forehead.
"I-I have to go." He replied flatly. Without another word he ran. He ran all the way to the Slytherin Common room. He didn't care that he was missing Herbology. He had to get away.
Hermione stared after him in a shocked silence. Things were far too strange for her to comprehend.
Harry grabbed Ron's arm, realising that he hadn't told Ron about the other night.
"Harry! What are you doing? Oi! Transfiguration is THAT way!" Ron yelled as Harry dragged him past the Transfiguration classroom and towards the toilets.
"AUGH! NO! HARRY! That's a GIRLS bathroom!!!" Ron hissed trying to yank free of Harry's grip. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Moaning Myrtle's bathroom." He said, " Honestly. The 'out of order' sign should of tipped you off that no ones in there."
"Oh." Ron looked around nervously as Harry pushed open the door.
"Listen." Harry said once inside the bathroom, " Someone tried to kill me last night."
"What else is new?" Ron commented dryly.
"No, seriously. Someone tried to stab me." Harry whispered.
"With a knife?" Ron asked, in doubt. No one would dare . not with Dumbledore at the school.
"No, with a bread roll." A voice said sarcastically from above their heads. The two boys looked up to see Moaning Myrtle drifting above their heads, wearing a huge grin.
"Were you eves dropping?" Harry asked, flushing a bright red.
"You could say that. But you can't blame me. YOU shouldn't be in here anyway!"
"She has a point." Ron said stupidly.
"Leave us alone!" Harry demanded hotly.
"Why? This is MY bathroom! MY death place!" The spectre's face was crumpling. " You don't care how I feel! No body cares! Let's all insult Myrtle, she's dead. She has no feelings!" With a shriek, she dived into the toilet.
________________________________________________________________________
"Thanks a bunch." Ron grumbled at lunch. " Now I've got TWO detentions, One from Snape, and another from Mcgonagol." Ron looked up to see Hermione walking over to the Gryffindor Table, and Harry watching in interest.
"Oi! YOU earned me that extra detention! The least you could do is LISTEN to me!" Ron yelled, impatient.
" Where's Avolorm." Harry murmured to himself.
"WHAT? Who cares where they are? They can soak their heads for all I care!" Ron ranted.
"RON! I know who it is!" Harry turned to Ron, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"You're not making any sense." Ron said bluntly.
"Ron, its Malfoy! HE'S the one who tried to kill me!" Harry hissed.
"Oh."
"I'm so stuffed." Ron groaned as he gathered his potion books.
"And why are you stuffed?" Harry asked, amused.
"Because Snape is going to eat me." Ron replied bluntly. He bumped his knee on the table and swore loudly, scoring a long lecture from his sister, Ginny.
" And why is Snape going to eat you?" Harry asked after an annoyed Ginny scuttled away to lecture a first year who littered in the Common Room.
"Because he's a moron." Ron cracked, being a smart arse.
"No, Ronald Weasley, It's because YOU couldn't be bothered doing your homework last night. Too busy STALKING innocent people." Hermione commented coldly as she pushed past him. Ron gawked after her.
"Oh yeah? Well-" Ron paused to think up a good back up statement. Hermione turned to face him and gave him a nasty smile.
"What?" She folded her arms and smirked. Harry noted with hurt that it was the smirk that Malfoy and Avolorm wore quite regularly.
" I-I wasn't stalking ." He said lamely. Hermione narrowed her eyes and sauntered towards him with her arms folded. She stood so close to him that he could smell her hair and worked out that she used the same shampoo that Ginny used.
"Then what were you doing? Oh smart one?" She asked sarcastically.
"Nothing." Ron replied, collecting all the courage he could muster. " Nothing important and would you please move out of my way." Harry shook his head sadly. He couldn't believe his own best friend could be so stubbornly stupid when dealing with a cross Hermione. Hermione laughed sourly.
"Oh. Don't you worry about that. I'll be out of your way forever." She snapped.
"Good." Ron said with a fake confidence and loud enough for the whole of the Common Room to hear. They watched in pitied silence as Ron scored himself another slap. On the right check this time. Hermione turned and left. The other Gryffindors moved out of her way in fear of injury. Harry helped Ron up to his feet and sighed.
Ginny confirmed to Ron that his right cheek was just swollen and not scratched like the left. All though it did have interesting shades of colour.
"I've told you once and I'll tell you again. Female hormones are a thing to fear." Harry chuckled.
" Yeah." Ron agreed bitterly. " Especially if those female Hormones are Hermione's.
Avolorm scowled as Harry and Ron sauntered casually into the dungeons. He couldn't believe it. He had failed. Again! He flinched as the image of the creature that was his father drifted into his head.
"Bring me the head of Harry Potter." He could hear it's eerie voice. Again. Again. Again. He couldn't take it any more. He held his head in his hands and dug his nails into his forehead, trying to make it all go away.
"Toby?" Hermione asked concerned. Ron noted with disgust that Hermione was seated between Avolorm and Malfoy. Harry noted with interest that Malfoy didn't make any fuss about sitting next to Hermione Granger. A muggle born.
"Have your essays ready as I come around with your tests." Snape drawled lazily as he stood up from his desk. Ron groaned and slid down as low as he could in his seat. Snape ignored Ron's groan and continued.
" You will have an hour to complete this sheet and I trust you will all get full marks, since your essays would have covered all of this. And if you don't achieve full marks, it's detention with me." Snape said with an evil laugh. That was too much for Ron. He slid right out of his chair.
After an hour, every one handed in their test answers and essays. Except Ron, who handed in two blank pieces of parchment. Snape grinned like a little boy who found a chocolate factory under the Christmas tree. Only, no child could have been as evil. Ron was granted two detentions and a whopping long speech from the potions master. The Slytherins were howling with laughter. And only one Gryffindor joined in. Hermione.
As Harry and Ron got ready to leave the classroom, Malfoy came to add further insult to an injury.
"Oh my! Look! Weasley has finally discovered how to cover his freckles! Nice colours. Blue, black, green, red, Oh! Even purple! Goes well with everything else that you own. All bruised and battered." Malfoy was of course referring to Ron's bruises. Ron looked away quickly. Hermione was just metres away, wearing, Harry noticed, a rather guilty expression.
" Malfoy. Get a life." Harry snapped, defending his friend.
"I have." Malfoy replied coolly. " I see you have just managed to keep yours too." Harry raised an eyebrow. How did he know about the other night? Was it him? Hermione, who was talking with Avolorm at the time, noticed him act strangely at Malfoy's words.
"Toby? What's the matter?" She asked. She noticed a drop of sweat slide down his forehead.
"I-I have to go." He replied flatly. Without another word he ran. He ran all the way to the Slytherin Common room. He didn't care that he was missing Herbology. He had to get away.
Hermione stared after him in a shocked silence. Things were far too strange for her to comprehend.
Harry grabbed Ron's arm, realising that he hadn't told Ron about the other night.
"Harry! What are you doing? Oi! Transfiguration is THAT way!" Ron yelled as Harry dragged him past the Transfiguration classroom and towards the toilets.
"AUGH! NO! HARRY! That's a GIRLS bathroom!!!" Ron hissed trying to yank free of Harry's grip. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Moaning Myrtle's bathroom." He said, " Honestly. The 'out of order' sign should of tipped you off that no ones in there."
"Oh." Ron looked around nervously as Harry pushed open the door.
"Listen." Harry said once inside the bathroom, " Someone tried to kill me last night."
"What else is new?" Ron commented dryly.
"No, seriously. Someone tried to stab me." Harry whispered.
"With a knife?" Ron asked, in doubt. No one would dare . not with Dumbledore at the school.
"No, with a bread roll." A voice said sarcastically from above their heads. The two boys looked up to see Moaning Myrtle drifting above their heads, wearing a huge grin.
"Were you eves dropping?" Harry asked, flushing a bright red.
"You could say that. But you can't blame me. YOU shouldn't be in here anyway!"
"She has a point." Ron said stupidly.
"Leave us alone!" Harry demanded hotly.
"Why? This is MY bathroom! MY death place!" The spectre's face was crumpling. " You don't care how I feel! No body cares! Let's all insult Myrtle, she's dead. She has no feelings!" With a shriek, she dived into the toilet.
________________________________________________________________________
"Thanks a bunch." Ron grumbled at lunch. " Now I've got TWO detentions, One from Snape, and another from Mcgonagol." Ron looked up to see Hermione walking over to the Gryffindor Table, and Harry watching in interest.
"Oi! YOU earned me that extra detention! The least you could do is LISTEN to me!" Ron yelled, impatient.
" Where's Avolorm." Harry murmured to himself.
"WHAT? Who cares where they are? They can soak their heads for all I care!" Ron ranted.
"RON! I know who it is!" Harry turned to Ron, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"You're not making any sense." Ron said bluntly.
"Ron, its Malfoy! HE'S the one who tried to kill me!" Harry hissed.
"Oh."