Chapter 3
The Last Stop

The Malfoy's and Snape were sitting there. "This-can't-be," said Ron, breathing very fast.

"Well, I hope they're not traveling in first-class," Harry said.

"Must be," said Hermione.

"What?"

"That boat is only for first and second-class," said Hermione, "And I don't think the Malfoys would be traveling in second-class and Snape, well..."

"You don't think that Snape is traveling with the Malfoys do you?" Ron said.

"Well, they are friends and besides why would Snape be traveling alone?" Hermione replied.

"What are we going to do?" Ron asked.

"I can go to the purser and ask him what class they're traveling in," Harry suggested.

"Yeah, but what good will it do to know what class they're in?" said Ron, "Harry?" Harry was running toward the Grand staircase, then stopped and disapparated.

Harry rang the bell and the purser appeared, "Yes, can I help you?"

"Yeah, I need to know what class the Malfoy family and Severus Snape are traveling in."

"Friends of yours?"

"Yes-er-you could call them friends." Harry thought carefully before saying this.

"Ah, yes, both are in second-class." Relief filled Harry.

"Thank you," he said, happily. Harry left the office and disapparated.

"Guess what!" Harry said when he appeared on the boat deck.

"What?"

"Both are in second-class!"

"Alright!" said Ron, excitedly. A bugle sounded from somewhere behind them, announcing the start of dinner.

"Lets go," Hermione said, "we'd better get to dinner." They disapparated.

Fred and George were already there sitting at a table, saving them seats. They walked over and sat down. "So what have you two been doing?" Ron asked his brothers.

"We broke into some empty third-class cabins," Fred said.

"Really?" Harry said.

"Mind you, it wasn't easy finding empty ones," George said.

"But how did you even get onto the deck, there's supposed to be gates?" said Hermione.

"There are," said Fred, "But with a simple alohomora charm it was easy."

"Yeah, stupid Muggles, didn't know how we got in," George added.

"So, how nice are the cabins?" Ron asked.

"Not bad, unless you compare them to this," George said.

"Oh, yeah, we forgot to tell you two about the Malfoys and Snape," said Harry.

"What about them?" said Fred, darkly.

"Well, we saw them boarding at Cherbourg," Hermione said, George looked around the dinning room. She continued before she was cut off, "They're both in second-class."

"Well, that will keep them out of our way, at least until we get to New York."

"Yeah, second and third-class passengers aren't allowed in first-class areas," said Fred, "Do they even know we're on board?"

"I don't think so," Hermione said. They spent the rest of the eleven-course meal plotting ways to throw the Malfoys and Snape overboard. They were fun to talk about even if they wouldn't work.

After dinner they were too tired to do anything, so they all went to relax in their cabins. Harry and Ron changed and climbed into bed two hours after dinner. Ron lay there for a minute before saying, "What are they going to do if they find out we're on board?"

"Not much they can do."

Ron said nothing.

"You know, Ron, I think Hermione may be right about the omen thing."

"Why?"

"Well, it has to be, because I don't think this is just bad luck."

"What do you mean, Harry?"

"What I mean is bad things keep happening to us, ever since we boarded this ship."

"You could be right, but I won't count on it. Night."

"Night." Little did they know Hermione would turn out to be right and the peaceful journey would end sooner than they thought.

Harry woke the next day to find the cabin filled with bright sunlight that was poring in through the windows. He got up, walked over to the windows and opened them; a light breeze came in, bringing the smell of the sea with it. He went over to the washbasin and washed his face. He walked back over to his bed and put on his glasses. Harry went to his wardrobe and took out a pair of black robes, put them on and went back to his bedside, where he reached into the green bag hanging on the bedpost and pulled out his watch and wand. Harry put on the watch and waved the wand over the bed; the bed made it self and the curtains were pulled back. He decided to wait for Ron and went to sit down at the writing table. He wondered if the others were awake yet. Harry glanced at his watch, nine. He wished Ron would get up. He picked up a piece of paper and the pen and wrote: Gone for breakfast. Harry. He pulled his wand out of a pocket in the robes and directed the note to the door of Ron's wardrobe. Then disapparated.

Hermione, Fred, and George were sitting at a table with-Ron. "Ron, I thought that you were still sleeping," Harry said, sitting down, "Why didn't you fix your bed?"

"Oh, no, I must have forgot," Ron said.

"I was waiting for you to get up, why didn't you leave a note?" said Harry.

"I didn't think that it mattered," Ron said, quietly.

"Well, next time leave one."

After breakfast Harry and Ron went up to the boat deck for some fresh air. It was cold and the wind was picking up. "I should go and close the portholes in our room," Harry said, "or it will be freezing when we go back to change for lunch."

"OK," Ron turned to look at his friend, but Harry had gone. A minute later he apparated beside Ron. "How cold do you think it is?"

"Close to zero," Harry said, "let's go and sit down." They sat in two deck chairs.

"Hey, you!" Ron yelled at a passing steward, "could you get us some blankets?"

"Sure." The steward hurried off. He returned several minutes later, with two blankets, tea, and cakes. They ate and watched the new passengers coming aboard from Queenstown.

After finishing the tea, they went back inside because the temperature continued to drop. When they returned to their stateroom to change for lunch, they found Hermione standing outside their door. "What's up?"

"Malfoy knows," she said.

"How?" Ron asked.

"A list of all the first and second-class passengers was distributed in the staterooms," she said, "he saw me in the library." Neither boy said anything; they just walked into their cabin. Harry and Ron changed then went to lunch. Malfoy was forgotten because they spent the rest of the day doing whatever they wished. They went swimming, played squash, cooled off on the boat deck, watched the sunset, and went to the lounge and played exploding snap. They were very tired and went to bed at eleven.