Disclaimer: I don't get anything out of writing this story, except
happiness. : )
Dedication: To Spaced Out Space Cadet, Sparkles, Harriet Potter, Supernova8610, Nilfalasiel, and Sweetangel2592. I loved your reviews! Thank you! Hugs for you all! Oh, and thanks for the birthday wishes to those of you who sent them.
~*~ Well, here is the next chappie. This one includes a lot of relationship things, I'm sorry, but they are very important. Okay, I won't talk more because I'm excited. So, go ahead. Read.
*****************THE MYSTERY OF STONE MANSION*******************
Chapter 7: The Second Attack
Several hours later, long after lunch, Harry emerged from the lounge with Cho beside him. It was so incredible. They had talked about everything one could think of. 'How easy it is to talk to her,' he thought smiling to himself. 'Almost like talking to -' He was about to say Ron and Hermione. But what did it matter now? He had just kissed Cho Chang; who could he possibly be mad at?
"It's nearly dinner," Cho said glancing at a grandfather clock in the corner of the hall. "Would you mind if I went up to my room for a little while then catch you up later?"
"Of course, whatever you want," he said, smiling.
They walked together up the stairs toward Cho's bedroom. When they reached the end of the hall, she opened her door revealing a glimpse of a dazzling blue room. She stood facing the opening for a moment, and then turned back to Harry. "Thanks," she said, and she reached up, giving him a small kiss on the cheek. She entered her room and closed the door slowly, giving Harry another quick smile.
When the door clinked shut, Harry heaved a sigh and leaned against the velvet wall. This had been the best day of his life. He closed his eyes and reflected on everything. After a couple minutes passed, he sprang back to life and decided it was best not to lounge by Cho's door in case someone came by and suspected him of something.
He continued his route up to his room, on the way, passing Hermione's door. He felt rather guilty about being so cool to her just hours ago, yet he still walked passed. He came upon Ron's door and stopped. He felt a knot in his stomach. 'Cho does make a lot of sense,' he thought. 'Even if they do change, they'll still be my friends, right?'
He took a deep breath and knocked. Ron's freckled face appeared almost immediately and looked down the hall with a swift glance. He still seemed uncharacteristically nervous. "Hi, Harry," he said, letting him in.
Harry entered the bronze colored room while the door behind him closed. "Hey, Ron -" Harry began, but Ron cut him off speaking very fast.
"Look, Harry, I could tell that you're really uncomfortable about this whole - thing - with Hermione and me, so - I'm not going to talk to her about it. Friends come first." He ruffled the back of his hair as he spoke and looked anywhere but at Harry.
"No - Ron, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so cold. I think that it's really great about you and Hermione, so I think you should tell her."
"Really? You're - you're not mad?" Ron asked tentatively.
"No," Harry said honestly. "Sure, I was kind of surprised at first, but it's fine. People change, but they always stay friends."
Ron just looked at him. "Th - thanks, Harry."
"No problem."
Just as Harry turned to go, Ron asked, "Hey, Harry? What ever happened with you and Cho?"
Harry turned back to his best friend, smiling.
***
An hour later, Harry went back to his room feeling very pleased with himself. It's nice having someone to talk to about anything. 'It is better to have Ron as a friend than an enemy,' he decided.
He collapsed onto his bed. His stomach was bursting with happiness. If only he had a dementor and his wand, he could produce his strongest patronous yet. What could be better? He had his best friends and Cho... Cho - Cho! He had said that he could meet her in a little while for dinner.
He jumped off his bed and ran to his mirror. He hurriedly attempted to flatten his hair, though it was in vain. Still, he tried.
Harry bounded across the room and threw open his door. He took a deep breath and very coolly strolled down the corridor. As he reached Hermione's room, he heard a scream from downstairs. His stomach plummeted as all breath escaped from his lungs. He instinctively bolted at top speed to the direction of the noise. He flew down the stairs and skidded to a halt at the bottom.
Hermione was standing over Ron's body. His arms were pinned to his side. He was unconscious. Harry looked from Ron to Hermione. A small flame cast an eerie glow upon their faces. 'Another attack?' Harry thought. 'There weren't supposed to be two people killed - were there? Why did this have to happen now? Just when me and Ron were getting along again.'
He walked over to where Hermione was standing staring down at Ron. "Did you see who did it?" he asked.
"No," she answered. "I just came out of the library and found him."
Cho appeared at the top of the stairs. "What happened?" she asked. "I heard a scream. Is anything wrong?" Then she spotted Ron.
"There's been another attack," Harry said. "So, I guess we should take him into the study with Ginny."
"I'll help," Hermione said.
A door opened at the end of the hall. They turned around and saw Malfoy leaning against the doorway to the basement. He smirked at the sight them. "Suits him," he muttered. "He had it coming."
"What do you mean 'he had it coming?'" Harry asked coldly.
"Well, he's a mudblood lover, not to mention a Weasley. It wasn't long until his mistakes caught up with him."
Harry lunged for Malfoy, but Hermione grabbed the back of his robes and stopped him. "It's not worth it," she whispered. "Leave it be."
Harry straightened up and fixed his robes with a lurch of his shoulders. "Let's just do this." Together, with much effort, Harry, Hermione and Cho carried Ron into the study and rested him on the window seat.
As they leaned him down, something fell from the pocket of Ron's robes. It was an envelope, and on the front of it was a name written in Ron's untidy scrawl: Hermione. Hermione looked at the parchment with a puzzled look on her face. Slowly, she bent down and picked it up. She stared at it for a moment, then pocketed it.
Malfoy followed them into the room. Hermione crossed to the fireplaces and turned to face them.
"I honestly didn't think there was going to be another attack." She looked at everyone's faces. "We have to find out who is doing this and fast, before we're all gone. We need to take drastic measures. I suggest that we stay together at all times. Then no one would get a chance to attack."
Cho looked at her skeptically. "Wait a moment, what was that parchment on the floor?"
"Leave it," Harry whispered.
"No, what if it's a clue? Hermione, what is it?" Cho insisted.
"Oh, I suppose it's just a letter," Hermione answered.
"A letter? Did it have your name on it?"
"Why, yes it did, in fact," Hermione said a little more coolly.
"Well, what if Ron figured out who did it, knew that he would be attacked next, wrote the name of the murderer on the front, and included all of the clues inside?"
"I'm not the murderer," Hermione said coldly.
"Prove it, then," Cho said.
"Fine," she said with impatience. She took the letter out of her pocket, tore it open with an exasperated sigh and began to read. "'Dear Hermione, I don't know how to say this, but ..'" She suddenly stopped and became less tense. Her eyes widened. She snapped her head up and looked around at everyone. "I - I have to go." And she ran out of the room.
Cho opened her mouth to say something, but Harry stopped her. "It's not what you think it is."
Hermione didn't appear for the rest of the night. No one went to dinner; they didn't have an appetite anymore. Instead, they went to their separate rooms at eight to settle down for the night.
Harry lay down on his bed. 'This is getting serious,' he thought. 'Another attack. We need to find the murderer. Anyone of us could be next. There's only four of us left.' He suddenly bolt upright, comprehension dawning on his face. "No," he said out loud. "There are five."
~*~ So? Who's the fifth? My stomach is bursting. I know all of the clues, he he he. In nearly all of the chapters, there are very subtle clues, and I'm not sure if anyone has stumbled upon them yet. Well, there should only be two or three chapters left. Who done it? Love to hear what you think. Lots of love, Carmen
Dedication: To Spaced Out Space Cadet, Sparkles, Harriet Potter, Supernova8610, Nilfalasiel, and Sweetangel2592. I loved your reviews! Thank you! Hugs for you all! Oh, and thanks for the birthday wishes to those of you who sent them.
~*~ Well, here is the next chappie. This one includes a lot of relationship things, I'm sorry, but they are very important. Okay, I won't talk more because I'm excited. So, go ahead. Read.
*****************THE MYSTERY OF STONE MANSION*******************
Chapter 7: The Second Attack
Several hours later, long after lunch, Harry emerged from the lounge with Cho beside him. It was so incredible. They had talked about everything one could think of. 'How easy it is to talk to her,' he thought smiling to himself. 'Almost like talking to -' He was about to say Ron and Hermione. But what did it matter now? He had just kissed Cho Chang; who could he possibly be mad at?
"It's nearly dinner," Cho said glancing at a grandfather clock in the corner of the hall. "Would you mind if I went up to my room for a little while then catch you up later?"
"Of course, whatever you want," he said, smiling.
They walked together up the stairs toward Cho's bedroom. When they reached the end of the hall, she opened her door revealing a glimpse of a dazzling blue room. She stood facing the opening for a moment, and then turned back to Harry. "Thanks," she said, and she reached up, giving him a small kiss on the cheek. She entered her room and closed the door slowly, giving Harry another quick smile.
When the door clinked shut, Harry heaved a sigh and leaned against the velvet wall. This had been the best day of his life. He closed his eyes and reflected on everything. After a couple minutes passed, he sprang back to life and decided it was best not to lounge by Cho's door in case someone came by and suspected him of something.
He continued his route up to his room, on the way, passing Hermione's door. He felt rather guilty about being so cool to her just hours ago, yet he still walked passed. He came upon Ron's door and stopped. He felt a knot in his stomach. 'Cho does make a lot of sense,' he thought. 'Even if they do change, they'll still be my friends, right?'
He took a deep breath and knocked. Ron's freckled face appeared almost immediately and looked down the hall with a swift glance. He still seemed uncharacteristically nervous. "Hi, Harry," he said, letting him in.
Harry entered the bronze colored room while the door behind him closed. "Hey, Ron -" Harry began, but Ron cut him off speaking very fast.
"Look, Harry, I could tell that you're really uncomfortable about this whole - thing - with Hermione and me, so - I'm not going to talk to her about it. Friends come first." He ruffled the back of his hair as he spoke and looked anywhere but at Harry.
"No - Ron, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so cold. I think that it's really great about you and Hermione, so I think you should tell her."
"Really? You're - you're not mad?" Ron asked tentatively.
"No," Harry said honestly. "Sure, I was kind of surprised at first, but it's fine. People change, but they always stay friends."
Ron just looked at him. "Th - thanks, Harry."
"No problem."
Just as Harry turned to go, Ron asked, "Hey, Harry? What ever happened with you and Cho?"
Harry turned back to his best friend, smiling.
***
An hour later, Harry went back to his room feeling very pleased with himself. It's nice having someone to talk to about anything. 'It is better to have Ron as a friend than an enemy,' he decided.
He collapsed onto his bed. His stomach was bursting with happiness. If only he had a dementor and his wand, he could produce his strongest patronous yet. What could be better? He had his best friends and Cho... Cho - Cho! He had said that he could meet her in a little while for dinner.
He jumped off his bed and ran to his mirror. He hurriedly attempted to flatten his hair, though it was in vain. Still, he tried.
Harry bounded across the room and threw open his door. He took a deep breath and very coolly strolled down the corridor. As he reached Hermione's room, he heard a scream from downstairs. His stomach plummeted as all breath escaped from his lungs. He instinctively bolted at top speed to the direction of the noise. He flew down the stairs and skidded to a halt at the bottom.
Hermione was standing over Ron's body. His arms were pinned to his side. He was unconscious. Harry looked from Ron to Hermione. A small flame cast an eerie glow upon their faces. 'Another attack?' Harry thought. 'There weren't supposed to be two people killed - were there? Why did this have to happen now? Just when me and Ron were getting along again.'
He walked over to where Hermione was standing staring down at Ron. "Did you see who did it?" he asked.
"No," she answered. "I just came out of the library and found him."
Cho appeared at the top of the stairs. "What happened?" she asked. "I heard a scream. Is anything wrong?" Then she spotted Ron.
"There's been another attack," Harry said. "So, I guess we should take him into the study with Ginny."
"I'll help," Hermione said.
A door opened at the end of the hall. They turned around and saw Malfoy leaning against the doorway to the basement. He smirked at the sight them. "Suits him," he muttered. "He had it coming."
"What do you mean 'he had it coming?'" Harry asked coldly.
"Well, he's a mudblood lover, not to mention a Weasley. It wasn't long until his mistakes caught up with him."
Harry lunged for Malfoy, but Hermione grabbed the back of his robes and stopped him. "It's not worth it," she whispered. "Leave it be."
Harry straightened up and fixed his robes with a lurch of his shoulders. "Let's just do this." Together, with much effort, Harry, Hermione and Cho carried Ron into the study and rested him on the window seat.
As they leaned him down, something fell from the pocket of Ron's robes. It was an envelope, and on the front of it was a name written in Ron's untidy scrawl: Hermione. Hermione looked at the parchment with a puzzled look on her face. Slowly, she bent down and picked it up. She stared at it for a moment, then pocketed it.
Malfoy followed them into the room. Hermione crossed to the fireplaces and turned to face them.
"I honestly didn't think there was going to be another attack." She looked at everyone's faces. "We have to find out who is doing this and fast, before we're all gone. We need to take drastic measures. I suggest that we stay together at all times. Then no one would get a chance to attack."
Cho looked at her skeptically. "Wait a moment, what was that parchment on the floor?"
"Leave it," Harry whispered.
"No, what if it's a clue? Hermione, what is it?" Cho insisted.
"Oh, I suppose it's just a letter," Hermione answered.
"A letter? Did it have your name on it?"
"Why, yes it did, in fact," Hermione said a little more coolly.
"Well, what if Ron figured out who did it, knew that he would be attacked next, wrote the name of the murderer on the front, and included all of the clues inside?"
"I'm not the murderer," Hermione said coldly.
"Prove it, then," Cho said.
"Fine," she said with impatience. She took the letter out of her pocket, tore it open with an exasperated sigh and began to read. "'Dear Hermione, I don't know how to say this, but ..'" She suddenly stopped and became less tense. Her eyes widened. She snapped her head up and looked around at everyone. "I - I have to go." And she ran out of the room.
Cho opened her mouth to say something, but Harry stopped her. "It's not what you think it is."
Hermione didn't appear for the rest of the night. No one went to dinner; they didn't have an appetite anymore. Instead, they went to their separate rooms at eight to settle down for the night.
Harry lay down on his bed. 'This is getting serious,' he thought. 'Another attack. We need to find the murderer. Anyone of us could be next. There's only four of us left.' He suddenly bolt upright, comprehension dawning on his face. "No," he said out loud. "There are five."
~*~ So? Who's the fifth? My stomach is bursting. I know all of the clues, he he he. In nearly all of the chapters, there are very subtle clues, and I'm not sure if anyone has stumbled upon them yet. Well, there should only be two or three chapters left. Who done it? Love to hear what you think. Lots of love, Carmen