A/N: I apologize profusely for the long intervals between updates. It seems that I had some problems sending this chapter to my betas, so I just received it back. Sorry. Well, anyways, this chapter is… interesting? You'll see. Happy Reading!
Chapter: 12
~Obscene Rhymes and Trickery~
It seemed that Ron decided to put his fatal thoughts about Harry aside, for he was eager to help find out what was coming. It seemed that ever since the beginning of the year, whatever Ron decided to do, Hermione joined right after. Harry knew that something of the sort would eventually happen, for in everyone's opinion, except the two mentioned, they were just dancing around each other for years, hiding their feelings with multiple arguments.
It still seemed that way, for as soon as Ron would come up with an idea, Hermione would shoot it down, arguing the facts, and how it would never be possible. During these long and unforgettable moments, Harry and Ginny would just smother smiles and exchange knowing looks.
As much as Ron might object to the growing relationship between his best friend and his little sister, he was too busy with his arguments to and from Hermione to bother separating them.
Days passed by, and still Harry felt annoyed by the lack of greeting from his friends. Things may have improved between Ron and himself, but he was still ignored by fellow Gryffindors. One day he couldn't take it anymore, and he encouraged Ron to talk to them, explaining what really happened. So when he and Ron were struggling through their Divination homework, with Ginny beside them, laughing at their attempts at un-fogging the future, he brought up the subject.
"Hmm?" Ron answered him.
"Can you please tell everybody that I'm not going to jump out at them and kill them all? 'Cause it really is getting on my nerves." Harry replied.
"Why do you want me to tell them that?" Ron asked, Ginny was now looking up from the amusing homework, and listening to their conversation.
"Because everybody is acting like I'm some kind of monster or something."
Ron looked puzzled, then replied, "Well, I thought something was different with you before Ginny did that 'wishy-washy-shapish-thing'" he referred to the form that Ginny had shown him.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you went all weird when you were fighting Malfoy, you went all glowing and flashing and stuff."
"Huh?"
"Yeah, it was pretty strange." Ron shook his head, "It was scary. Hermione was shaking, I think she saw something different then I did though," he paused, "because when I asked her about it, she described something different then what I saw."
"What did you see?" Harry asked, almost wary of the answer.
"Well," Ron paused again, squinting as if the duel was re-playing itself before his eyes. "You went all gold, like an aura or something. And your eyes went red, like they flashed when you looked at Malfoy. It was very strange, and scary. Maybe that is why people aren't talking to you anymore."
Harry just started at him. His eyes have been flashing red? He remembered Malfoy's eyes changing red when he dueled at him, or when he became angry, or something. It puzzled him then, but the fact that it was happening to him as well worried him greatly.
"Are you sure?" he asked, wanting to believe that it wasn't true, it seemed all too real not to be, yet it seemed as if it was a fantasy.
Ron nodded gravely. Then he looked at Ginny, she was looking intently at Harry, staring at his face, but he was completely oblivious to her.
Harry sighed, and placed his head in his hands, completely frustrated with the present situation. Then when he added the stress of the mysterious notes on top of it, he felt completely drowned in the pool of tension. He was brought back into the reality, by a soft hand resting on his arm. He looked down, his head still in his hands, Ginny looked up at him.
"It'll be okay." She mouthed, smiling helpfully.
Harry was brought over with a weird feeling, a mixture of nervousness, and happiness surging through him. His stomach seemed o drop down to the floor, and his heart seemed to rise to the clouds. He was not used to this feeling, yet he got it every time Ginny smiled at him. He gratefully smiled back, feeling that if the world ended at this very moment, he would die happy, for he had received Ginny Weasley's smile. Laughing softly at himself for being so sappy, he changed his thoughts back to the problem at hand.
***
It appeared that Ron did have a discussion with some of the Gryffindors, for Harry seemed more welcome the next few days, then he had in a week. Maybe Ron did this out of the goodness of his heart, but Harry had a suspicion that he was feeling slightly guilty about his attitude earlier. No matter what the reason was, Harry was grateful.
He walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast, the Monday before Halloween, in a better mood then he had been in all week. The cool shoulders he had received were being replaced with warm welcomes from his friends, and bone crushing hugs from strangely enough, Lavender and Pavarti.
As he made his way to the Gryffindor table, he noticed that the menace of his thoughts, Ciaran, was sitting by himself at the end of the table, engrossed in a book. He looked up, noticing that Harry was looking at him, he sneered at Harry, then grabbed his book and left. Harry, knowing that the look was from the fact the Ciaran was suspended from the Quidditch team for the time being, for inviting Malfoy into the Gryffindor common, just shook it off, and plopped down next to Ginny and Fred.
Nodding to both of them in welcome, he helped himself to a piece of toast, and started to butter it. He was mid-way through his meal when the post began to arrive. He searched to crowd of owls, looking for Hedwig. She landed next to his plate, dropping a letter on his meal, nipped his hand affectionately, ate the half piece of toast in Harry's hand, and then took off.
Harry picked up the letter, reading the writing on the front of the envelope. Not recognizing the writing completely, he opened it. A shining letter fell into his lap.
Un-denied fun I'm having, as you know it's true. You have to be the smartest of wit, if you want to see it through.
Harry's good mood vanished, and it wasn't from the half piece of toast that Hedwig stole. His heart stopped, he had hoped that the last letter would indeed have been the last, but evidently, it was not.
Stranger still, the letter did not vanish this time; it stayed there, resting quietly on his lap. The words though, seemed to dance and haunt his mind, teasing him. Whoever sent it to him, well, that was what was bugging him the most.
"Oi, Harry, who's the letter from?" Fred's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Umm, nobody… I have to go." Harry jumped up and left, leaving a crowd of confused faces behind him.
***
Sirius paced back and forth, threatening to create a trench in the floor of Dumbledore's office. He kept on walking back, and forth, until finally, a force holding him still, stopped him.
"Finally," sighed Ivan Lehnor, "you were making me dizzy."
Sirius made an attempt to pace again, but being unable to move, looked at Ivan sourly. Professor Lehnor sighed and said;
"I'll let you go if you promise to stop that bloody pacing."
Sirius nodded, showing his understanding. Ivan flicked his hand, undoing the charm. Still glaring at Ivan, Sirius flopped in a chair next to Dumbledore's desk. He sighed, looking at Professor Lehnor.
"You know you can't tell Harry, even though you and I both want to."
"Yes, I know that. I'm just wondering why I can't."
"It would make things worse. You do know about the amulet don't you?"
Ivan sighed, "Of course I do, but Harry does have a right to know."
Sirius placed his head in his left palm, looking out the window at the lake. "Yes, I know. But it would make things too complicated. I can only be here for him so often. If he knew that you were great friends with James and me, he would continuingly ask about him."
"Sirius, I am not as stupid as to tell him that much."
Sirius blinked, "Yes, but important things have slipped before."
***
Harry walked down to the Potions dungeon, miserable that he would have to spend the next 2 hours listening to Snape, and being picked on mercilessly by him. He walked in, joining Ron and Hermione, who both seemed very red at the moment. Thinking that it was safer not to know why, he took out his books.
Snape came in looking fouler, and greasier then usual. He snarled at the class, stomped to his potions desk, took out a cauldron, rested his hands upon it and waited. The class sat in a total stupor. The silence was deafening.
Harry looked around, on the Slytherin side of the room, he noticed Malfoy lying casually across his chair. That was no different then usual, but he seemed almost arrogant in his lounging. Not that he wasn't normally, it just seemed that now, after the duel, he seemed to think that the world should bow down before him. Not a good sign. What happened next surprised him more than anything in his life, and if it happened again, Harry was sure that the world would be ending.
"Draco!" He heard Snape snarl, "Sit up straight in your chair. Nobody likes a lazy lay about!"
The Gryffindor's were brought out of their dazed stupor, and now looked unbelieving shocked. Snape had never, ever criticized Malfoy on anything, let alone his posture. Draco did as he was told, muttering under his breath. No doubt the words 'My father' were being said. Snape glared at him, and Malfoy stopped all muttering at once.
Snape looked around the room, glaring at each and every one of the students there. Finally he said, almost wearily:
"Get out your ingredients for the Hindering Draught; we'll start on that today."
Everybody, dazed at his tone, and the way he talked to Malfoy, just did, as he said, not even bothering to question him.
***
On the day of Halloween, all third years and above decided to spend a leisurely day exploring the village of Hogsmead. Every one was in a good mood, enjoying the crisp fall weather, relishing in the fact that it was the weekend, and all looking forward to the feast that awaited them on their return to Hogwarts.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, strolled around Hogsmead, talking and laughing, but the thought of the letters were still fresh in Harry's mind. Still, he did not feel the need to worry his friends, for everyone had their own problems, adding to them, would just ruin everybody's day. Harry didn't want to feel responsible for that as well. So he kept those thought to himself and concentrated on having a lovely day with his friends.
The weird thing was that his friends were not acting normally at all. The exchanged glances between Ron and Hermione were driving him crazy. Not the fact that they were exchanging glances, it was the fact that he didn't know what the glances meant.
Another thing, that didn't bug him at all, but he was worried about Ron's reaction, was the fact that under the long sleeves of his cloak, a slender hand was entwined with his. This in fact, brightened Harry's day considerably, almost making him forget the troubles in his world, almost. Ginny, on the other hand, blushed when Harry managed to catch her eye. She would just smile and look away, slightly reddened. It was a constant reminder of the few shared kisses, and the growing relationship between them.
Harry's fear of Ron's reaction, were completely wasted though. Ron was too engrossed with starting arguments with Hermione, that he didn't even notice who was looking at his sister, let alone, holding her hand.
They made their way towards the Three Broomsticks, wanting to bask in the warm glow of their Butterbeers. As they settled down in a booth near the window, they ordered their drinks, looked around them. The pub was packed, filled to the brim with students from Hogwarts. Fred and George, with their friend Lee Jordan were conspiring in a corner. Harry just shook his head; he did not want to know why they were huddled like that.
When their drinks arrived, Harry took a sip happily. He was seated next to Ginny, with Ron and Hermione across from them. Ginny's hand was boldly lying across his leg, trailing it back and forth. It was all Harry could do, not to choke on his drink. Ron and Hermione did seem to notice his on edge attitude.
"A little warm Harry?" Ron asked, thinking the sudden change in temperature was causing Harry's discomfort.
"Umm... you could say that." He managed to squeak out.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Hermione added, completely oblivious to the real reason.
"Umm, sure... If that's possible..." He said, looking quickly at Ginny. She just smiled innocently, sipping her drink.
"It is." Ron said simply, casually leaning back against the booth.
"If you say so." After one more glance at Ginny, Harry finished his Butterbeer placed it down, again glancing around.
His attention was brought from the careful, yet bold trailing of Ginny's fingers, to the sight of Ciaran, sitting in a lone booth, absorbed in the same book he saw him with earlier. Frowning at him, Harry mentally thought how fun it would be to place him in the Whopping Willow, and leaving him there. Sighing at the fact that it would never be possible without being caught, Harry's attention was drawn back towards Ginny's hand, which was now resting on his thigh.
He glanced at Ron, but it seemed that Ron himself was looking a little more red then usual.
"Did you want to go to Honeydukes?" he squeaked.
***
They did all decide to the sweetshop, all for different reasons. Ron's reason though, Harry didn't want to know. He walked slowly, Ginny's hand still grasping his. They entered the extremely crowded shop, squeezing there way through the thick crowd.
When they all had bought their fill of sweets, and decided that it was time to head back to Hogwarts, so they didn't miss the feast, the made their way out of the thinning crowd and headed back through the gates.
They walked back quickly towards the Gryffindor Tower, going into their separate dormitories. After dropping off their purchases and exchanging their cloaks for robes, they met back down in the common room, ready for the feast.
Walking down to the Great Hall, they laughed and talked about their day. Harry told them all about the twins huddling in the corner of the Three Broomsticks. With them all wondering what the twins were up to, they were surprised when they reached the brightly lit Hall, with pumpkins floating around, the tables covered in enjoyable food.
Harry was happily talking with his friends when it happened. His eyes lost focus, the world around him going dark. A high-pitched laugh filled the air, his mother's voice cutting through him. Then, for yet another time this year, the world faded out, and went black.
TBC…..
Blue Eyes: Thank you… here's more… Ron? Learning? Not likely…
Moonygirl13: Alan Rickman? Hot? Eww… bad picture. * shudders * nah, he's not on my list of hot celebrities… Some kind of demon you say? I deny everything. It may or may not be… Have you heard of a demon who could write, never mind rhyme? Just a suggestion.
Lucerito-del-alba: I know, Harry and Ron need to be friends… especially for what is in store for Harry… Thanks for reviewing.
Cyqnus-Crux: I must say, your reviews are always interesting to read… Good as well. Yes, something is happening to Malfoy, yet in this chapter, you don't find out much. Thank you for reviewing.
Evillamanotlamma(frogs: Thanks for reviewing, and I do plan to write more. Yes, Ginny will have a way of showing her older brothers that she is not a little girl anymore… Ron should be more cautious.
Angelis: Thanks so much. I'm glad that you liked the chapter.
Luigi: Expect to see more Quidditch soon… Harry has a little competition though… Ciaran doesn't seem to like him much does he?
Tigerlily: Your story, Glimpses of Truth… great by the way…post more! Anyways, yes Harry didn't tell Ginny about the letters… why? You'll see.