Alesco
Chapter Thirty---Theories Abound
*
The common room was quiet. Many students were in the Great Hall, but Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville were sitting alone, in a circle, in the common room.
Harry had noticed Neville finishing up his potion when the group arrived in the common room. He had been bottling potion in blue bottles, and tried to hide them when he saw Ron. Harry noticed Ron give Neville brief glare, before sitting heavily on the couch.
Everyone had been silent a long time, with Ginny only whispering briefly to Neville before sitting on the couch next to Ron.
After they all settled, there was silence. Harry took the opportunity to gaze at each person.
Hermione looked like she had a dozen thoughts running through her head. Ron looked sick. Harry couldn't quite read Ginny's face, because, at the moment, it was buried in Neville's shoulder.
Without warning, there was a SNAP-SNAP!
Harry gasped. Dobby appeared right in front of him, Winky in tow.
"Hello, Harry Potter!" Dobby jumped up and down, clapping his hands energetically. Winky dragged her feet, following Dobby about, giving everyone in the room a mournful stare.
Harry looked up to the others, to see Ron gazing numbly, with his mouth gaped, at Dobby. Hermione was giving Winky a pitiful look. Ginny was peeking with one eye at the spectacle, and when she noticed Harry looking at her, she buried her face again in Neville's shoulder.
"Harry Potter and his friends must eat, sir!" Dobby snapped his fingers, and without warning, a wooden tray appeared on each person's lap, complete with silverware and napkin. Dobby snapped his fingers again, and a large platter of bacon, ham, toast, eggs, and pumpkin juice popped up on the table in front of him.
Harry was about to open his mouth and thank Dobby, when Dobby suddenly turned to Ron.
"Dobby has heard the terrible things that have happened to Weazy's brother." Dobby uttered sadly. "The Great Headmaster Dumbledore has asked me to bring this food to you, Weazy, sir." Dobby nodded, and then turned to Winky.
"Winky and Dobby must return to the kitchens now, Harry Potter, sir." Dobby gave Harry a brief smile, and then he snapped his fingers a final time.
Winky and Dobby disappeared with a SNAP-SNAP!
The silence was greater than before.
"He thinks I can eat right now." Harry heard Ron mutter. Ron pushed the wooden tray off his lap, and set it on the table next to the food.
Harry watched as he and everyone else did the same, and turned his gaze toward Hermione. She was looking at Ron oddly, and she said unexpectedly, "You heard what Professor Dumbledore said, didn't you, Ron?"
"Yeah, I heard what he said." Ron said it loudly, irately.
"Well? Aren't you happy Bill's still alive?" Hermione said it purposefully. She took a deep breath, and then said forcefully, "What about Percy, Ron? I haven't seen you worry about him half as much as you're worrying about Bill."
Ron swivelled his head so fast, Harry was sure he'd get whiplash. Ron was glaring at Hermione, his face reddening. "What the bloody hell does Percy have to do with what's going on now?"
Hermione was looking at Ron with wide eyes, and a hurt expression. After a moment, she looked down at her hands. Harry feared that she might start crying. But then, he saw her fingering the silver ring on her left hand, and Harry noticed that Ron saw it, as well. Ron muttered something to her, and then took her left hand in his. She looked back at Ron, and she was smiling shakily.
She took a deep breath.
"For a while now, I've been developing my own theory about what's been happening." Hermione looked at Neville, and said softly, "Neville, we were told not to tell anyone what was going on, but I think we can all trust you to keep this a secret."
Harry noticed Ron glare fiercely at Neville again, and Neville pulled back. Ginny sat up at that, and looked at Ron. Her face was flushed, and she slapped Ron's upper arm. Ron sighed loudly, and turned back to Hermione.
"Are you done being a prat now, Ron?" Hermione breathed, so quietly Harry had to lean in to hear.
Ron grumbled a bit, and then Hermione continued.
"I've been thinking about what happened to Percy. He cares about his family; I'm still convinced of that. So....ever since I knew what was going on with Ron, I thought that maybe...just maybe....." Hermione bit her lip, and then turned to give Harry a hard look, and then Ron.
Harry wanted to hear more. He spoke up. "What, Hermione? What do you think?"
Hermione sighed, and rolled her eyes. "This is just a theory, you know. I have no way of proving it, in fact, I shouldn't even be--"
"Spill it, Hermione!" Ron shouted.
Hermione stopped, and looked into Ron's eyes. "Ron, do you have the power to make someone....appear normal, but in fact be doing something against their will?"
Harry watched Ron turn and look at Neville, who was giving Ron a surprised look. "Do you really think HE should be here when I answer that?"
"Yes, Ron, please." Hermione sighed.
"Well....what exactly do you mean?" Ron muttered, giving her a look.
"Say...you know someone's personality. Say you know their daily routine. Say you use your power to schedule out their day, instruct them to do things they WOULDN'T normally do. Would it be possible to plan something like that, with the power you have?" Hermione looked meaningfully at Ron.
Ron licked his lips. "Well, I've never done anything that detailed...."
Neville spoke up. "You mean Ron's able to.....control people?"
Ginny's head had been on Neville's shoulder, and now she leaned up and whispered into Neville's ear. Hermione reiterated her question. "Well, Ron, do you think it would be possible?"
Ron looked up at her. "Sure, it could be possible. It would take a lot of work, though."
Hermione nodded. "Okay. So it's possible. That means that if someone, possibly a Death Eater, had the same abilities you do, they'd be able to control Percy."
Harry felt his eyes widen. He'd never heard of anything so farfetched coming out of Hermione's mouth.
"WHAT!" Harry said, just as Ron said something foul.
Ginny had stopped whispering to Neville, and was looking at Hermione. She looked excited. "Right! But if that's true, wouldn't Voldemort have used their brain for...you know....the power he wants?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, Ginny, that's not my point. I think the first job was a test...a test to see if it would work. A Death Eater may have volunteered to be a guinea pig. They used the Siren brain, first, on the guinea pig, and then the Ministry confiscated the brain before Voldemort could use it."
"What you're saying doesn't make sense, Hermione! A Death Eater who has my powers would have gone off and killed people, and we haven't heard anything in the "Daily Prophet"...." Ron finished weakly.
Harry shook his head and spoke up. "You're wrong, Ron." Harry had been reading the "Daily Prophet." There had been subtle reports of wizards and witches going missing, and Bill's disappearance was the most recent. Harry didn't blame Ron for not reading the "Daily Prophet." Ron had been to busy dealing with things of his own to worry about the news.
Hermione nodded. "Witches and Wizards HAVE been going missing, Ron. I thought you knew."
"Oh." Ron said, in a defeated tone. Then he looked back up again. "What about Percy? He's been pushing the family aside ever since fourth year."
Hermione clenched Ron's hand, and said. "I know. That's why this is just a theory. My only explanation for that is that Percy wasn't thinking clearly, and the Death Eaters took advantage of it once they first obtained the brain. I think he's an experiment for them, and they're continuing to use Percy for all the information they can gain from the Ministry."
Hermione stopped for a moment, and then leaned in. "It's not just that, though. Did you see how guilty Professor Snape acted this morning?"
Ron snorted. "He didn't look guilty, he was his usually git-ful self."
Hermone hit Ron's left shoulder with her free hand.
"OW!" Ron muttered, and reached up to rub his arm. "That hurt!"
"Good." Hermione muttered, then continued. "Professor Snape is a spy, which means he needs to give and take. He can't just go to Lord Voldemort and swear his allegiance. He has to prove himself. Do you know what that means?"
Harry frowned. He could only imagine....
"Wait!" Harry blurted. "You mean, Snape's an expert at potions, which means--"
"That he may have inadvertently assisted the Death Eaters in creating the potion used for the brain." Hermione finished. Ron was still rubbing his shoulder, but Harry could tell his mind was no longer on his pain.
There was silence for a moment. Then Ron spoke up.
"Professor Forester was hiding something today." Ron said steadily.
Hermione looked at Harry, and then the both turned to Ron.
"Hiding something?" Hermione whispered.
"Yeah...like her whole explanation about the potion just didn't make sense. I mean....the reason they targeted Bill just doesn't fit." Ron shook his head. "Bloody hell...I don't know what I'm talking about!"
He dropped Hermione's hand, stood up, and began to pace.
Hermione was looking at the floor. She gave Harry a steady glance, and then looked up at Ron. "You make more sense then you give yourself credit for, Ron." She shot him a tremulous smile.
Harry took that opportunity to glance toward Ginny and Neville. Neville was pale, and Ginny was clutching Neville's jumper and glancing from Ron, to Hermione, and to Harry in turn. She had an almost proud look on her face.
When she saw Harry looking at her, she said, "You three are really good together, you know that?" She gave him a weak smile, and he smiled back.
"Thanks." It was all Harry could say, as he let thoughts tumble across his mind. What Hermione was thinking was awfully farfetched....but stranger things had happened. He was willing to accept her interpretation, but it was a pity they couldn't find out more information.
Hermione was fingering her lips, and leaning forward again. Ron was standing over her. "What are you thinking?" He asked her softly.
Her eyes moved up to Ron, and she pulled her finger from her lips. "I'm thinking about Bill. I didn't buy that whole 'Pureblood Weasley' bull-schanigans either."
Ron laughed, and Hermione's brow furrowed as she gazed at him. He stopped laughing, and she continued. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Ron?"
A corner of Ron's mouth curved upward. "Depends on what you're thinking, Hermione."
Hermione returned the smile, and said evenly, "I think the ingredients in the potion are tied to the brain that will be used. That's what scares me."
Ron sighed heavily, sat down next to Hermione, and put his head in his hands.
Harry was scared. What did she mean?
Hermione looked up at Harry, and glanced at Ginny. Finally, she said softly, "They may be targeting Ron. They may want him for the powers he now has."
Ginny shot forward. "You mean, they may want his...." She put her hands to her mouth, and inhaled sharply.
Harry stood up, shocked. "No, it can't be!"
Hermione took Ron's hand. Ron was leaning forward, looking more ill then he had all morning.
"It's why Ron's got to be careful." Hermione looked up again. "Now...to the final theory...the most unlikely one.
"I think....and this is just a theory, mind you....that there's another spy at Hogwarts. It's the only way they would know about Ron, because they wouldn't take Bill unless they knew for sure what Ron could do."
Harry began to pace. He couldn't believe all of this, and just like Hermione said, it was just a theory.
A theory that was becoming frightfully logical.
Harry closed his eyes, and thought back to only 12 hours before, when he'd been in Susan's arms. It had been...well, magical. Amazing. Wonderful. Incredible.
And now, he had to deal with the war against Voldemort. How the hell was he ever going to feel normal....how was he ever going to feel like a teenager again....a boy who'd just lost his virginity, a boy who had dreams and aspirations that had nothing to do with the sinister freak bent on killing him?
Killing him and those he loved.
Killing people like Sirius.
Harry grabbed the clean white plate still sitting empty on his wooden tray, and threw it on the floor. It shattered loudly, satisfyingly.
Before he knew what he was doing, he was shattering everyone else's plates. He couldn't even see the faces around him, he just threw. Finally, when there were no plates left, he tried to shove the food platter off the table. It was so heavy, it wouldn't budge.
Then he heard "Weasley Is Our King."
Ron was controlling him again. Brilliant. Ron and his rotten power.
Harry felt himself sitting down, and calming. His angry thoughts about Ron and everything else diminished.
He just felt tired. He felt beat up.
Hermione quietly repaired the plates with her wand and stacked them in a tidy pile for Dobby when he got back. After a moment, a couple of owls flew into the common room, dropping letters in laps and the "Daily Prophet" in Hermione's outstretched hands.
Harry wasn't surprised when he received nothing. He gazed at Hermione for a moment, trying to judge from her expression what she was reading.
He didn't have to wait for long.
"Listen to this! 'Breaking News: The Daily Prophet writer Kurt Klingenberger has just reported to us that a member of a long ancestral wizarding family has been found and is well at St. Mungo's Hospital. He is in serious condition and is recovering from his injuries. It appears that he may have been brutalized by followers of Lord Voldemort.
Kurt also reports that another member of that very same family did not arrive at the Ministry to complete vital duties, and Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, commented this was very unusual. The family member has not been seen at St. Mungo's. We are interviewing the family at this moment, and we will give you further details as they become available. We are unwilling to state the family name until we receive verbal consent.'"
Hermione put down the paper. "Percy. Something's going on, whether we like it or not."
Harry felt numb. There was very little they could do.
Or was there?
Harry sat up. He blurted, "We've got to find out who the other spy is!"
He turned and ran up the stairs, knowing exactly what they needed.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter Thirty---Theories Abound
*
The common room was quiet. Many students were in the Great Hall, but Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville were sitting alone, in a circle, in the common room.
Harry had noticed Neville finishing up his potion when the group arrived in the common room. He had been bottling potion in blue bottles, and tried to hide them when he saw Ron. Harry noticed Ron give Neville brief glare, before sitting heavily on the couch.
Everyone had been silent a long time, with Ginny only whispering briefly to Neville before sitting on the couch next to Ron.
After they all settled, there was silence. Harry took the opportunity to gaze at each person.
Hermione looked like she had a dozen thoughts running through her head. Ron looked sick. Harry couldn't quite read Ginny's face, because, at the moment, it was buried in Neville's shoulder.
Without warning, there was a SNAP-SNAP!
Harry gasped. Dobby appeared right in front of him, Winky in tow.
"Hello, Harry Potter!" Dobby jumped up and down, clapping his hands energetically. Winky dragged her feet, following Dobby about, giving everyone in the room a mournful stare.
Harry looked up to the others, to see Ron gazing numbly, with his mouth gaped, at Dobby. Hermione was giving Winky a pitiful look. Ginny was peeking with one eye at the spectacle, and when she noticed Harry looking at her, she buried her face again in Neville's shoulder.
"Harry Potter and his friends must eat, sir!" Dobby snapped his fingers, and without warning, a wooden tray appeared on each person's lap, complete with silverware and napkin. Dobby snapped his fingers again, and a large platter of bacon, ham, toast, eggs, and pumpkin juice popped up on the table in front of him.
Harry was about to open his mouth and thank Dobby, when Dobby suddenly turned to Ron.
"Dobby has heard the terrible things that have happened to Weazy's brother." Dobby uttered sadly. "The Great Headmaster Dumbledore has asked me to bring this food to you, Weazy, sir." Dobby nodded, and then turned to Winky.
"Winky and Dobby must return to the kitchens now, Harry Potter, sir." Dobby gave Harry a brief smile, and then he snapped his fingers a final time.
Winky and Dobby disappeared with a SNAP-SNAP!
The silence was greater than before.
"He thinks I can eat right now." Harry heard Ron mutter. Ron pushed the wooden tray off his lap, and set it on the table next to the food.
Harry watched as he and everyone else did the same, and turned his gaze toward Hermione. She was looking at Ron oddly, and she said unexpectedly, "You heard what Professor Dumbledore said, didn't you, Ron?"
"Yeah, I heard what he said." Ron said it loudly, irately.
"Well? Aren't you happy Bill's still alive?" Hermione said it purposefully. She took a deep breath, and then said forcefully, "What about Percy, Ron? I haven't seen you worry about him half as much as you're worrying about Bill."
Ron swivelled his head so fast, Harry was sure he'd get whiplash. Ron was glaring at Hermione, his face reddening. "What the bloody hell does Percy have to do with what's going on now?"
Hermione was looking at Ron with wide eyes, and a hurt expression. After a moment, she looked down at her hands. Harry feared that she might start crying. But then, he saw her fingering the silver ring on her left hand, and Harry noticed that Ron saw it, as well. Ron muttered something to her, and then took her left hand in his. She looked back at Ron, and she was smiling shakily.
She took a deep breath.
"For a while now, I've been developing my own theory about what's been happening." Hermione looked at Neville, and said softly, "Neville, we were told not to tell anyone what was going on, but I think we can all trust you to keep this a secret."
Harry noticed Ron glare fiercely at Neville again, and Neville pulled back. Ginny sat up at that, and looked at Ron. Her face was flushed, and she slapped Ron's upper arm. Ron sighed loudly, and turned back to Hermione.
"Are you done being a prat now, Ron?" Hermione breathed, so quietly Harry had to lean in to hear.
Ron grumbled a bit, and then Hermione continued.
"I've been thinking about what happened to Percy. He cares about his family; I'm still convinced of that. So....ever since I knew what was going on with Ron, I thought that maybe...just maybe....." Hermione bit her lip, and then turned to give Harry a hard look, and then Ron.
Harry wanted to hear more. He spoke up. "What, Hermione? What do you think?"
Hermione sighed, and rolled her eyes. "This is just a theory, you know. I have no way of proving it, in fact, I shouldn't even be--"
"Spill it, Hermione!" Ron shouted.
Hermione stopped, and looked into Ron's eyes. "Ron, do you have the power to make someone....appear normal, but in fact be doing something against their will?"
Harry watched Ron turn and look at Neville, who was giving Ron a surprised look. "Do you really think HE should be here when I answer that?"
"Yes, Ron, please." Hermione sighed.
"Well....what exactly do you mean?" Ron muttered, giving her a look.
"Say...you know someone's personality. Say you know their daily routine. Say you use your power to schedule out their day, instruct them to do things they WOULDN'T normally do. Would it be possible to plan something like that, with the power you have?" Hermione looked meaningfully at Ron.
Ron licked his lips. "Well, I've never done anything that detailed...."
Neville spoke up. "You mean Ron's able to.....control people?"
Ginny's head had been on Neville's shoulder, and now she leaned up and whispered into Neville's ear. Hermione reiterated her question. "Well, Ron, do you think it would be possible?"
Ron looked up at her. "Sure, it could be possible. It would take a lot of work, though."
Hermione nodded. "Okay. So it's possible. That means that if someone, possibly a Death Eater, had the same abilities you do, they'd be able to control Percy."
Harry felt his eyes widen. He'd never heard of anything so farfetched coming out of Hermione's mouth.
"WHAT!" Harry said, just as Ron said something foul.
Ginny had stopped whispering to Neville, and was looking at Hermione. She looked excited. "Right! But if that's true, wouldn't Voldemort have used their brain for...you know....the power he wants?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, Ginny, that's not my point. I think the first job was a test...a test to see if it would work. A Death Eater may have volunteered to be a guinea pig. They used the Siren brain, first, on the guinea pig, and then the Ministry confiscated the brain before Voldemort could use it."
"What you're saying doesn't make sense, Hermione! A Death Eater who has my powers would have gone off and killed people, and we haven't heard anything in the "Daily Prophet"...." Ron finished weakly.
Harry shook his head and spoke up. "You're wrong, Ron." Harry had been reading the "Daily Prophet." There had been subtle reports of wizards and witches going missing, and Bill's disappearance was the most recent. Harry didn't blame Ron for not reading the "Daily Prophet." Ron had been to busy dealing with things of his own to worry about the news.
Hermione nodded. "Witches and Wizards HAVE been going missing, Ron. I thought you knew."
"Oh." Ron said, in a defeated tone. Then he looked back up again. "What about Percy? He's been pushing the family aside ever since fourth year."
Hermione clenched Ron's hand, and said. "I know. That's why this is just a theory. My only explanation for that is that Percy wasn't thinking clearly, and the Death Eaters took advantage of it once they first obtained the brain. I think he's an experiment for them, and they're continuing to use Percy for all the information they can gain from the Ministry."
Hermione stopped for a moment, and then leaned in. "It's not just that, though. Did you see how guilty Professor Snape acted this morning?"
Ron snorted. "He didn't look guilty, he was his usually git-ful self."
Hermone hit Ron's left shoulder with her free hand.
"OW!" Ron muttered, and reached up to rub his arm. "That hurt!"
"Good." Hermione muttered, then continued. "Professor Snape is a spy, which means he needs to give and take. He can't just go to Lord Voldemort and swear his allegiance. He has to prove himself. Do you know what that means?"
Harry frowned. He could only imagine....
"Wait!" Harry blurted. "You mean, Snape's an expert at potions, which means--"
"That he may have inadvertently assisted the Death Eaters in creating the potion used for the brain." Hermione finished. Ron was still rubbing his shoulder, but Harry could tell his mind was no longer on his pain.
There was silence for a moment. Then Ron spoke up.
"Professor Forester was hiding something today." Ron said steadily.
Hermione looked at Harry, and then the both turned to Ron.
"Hiding something?" Hermione whispered.
"Yeah...like her whole explanation about the potion just didn't make sense. I mean....the reason they targeted Bill just doesn't fit." Ron shook his head. "Bloody hell...I don't know what I'm talking about!"
He dropped Hermione's hand, stood up, and began to pace.
Hermione was looking at the floor. She gave Harry a steady glance, and then looked up at Ron. "You make more sense then you give yourself credit for, Ron." She shot him a tremulous smile.
Harry took that opportunity to glance toward Ginny and Neville. Neville was pale, and Ginny was clutching Neville's jumper and glancing from Ron, to Hermione, and to Harry in turn. She had an almost proud look on her face.
When she saw Harry looking at her, she said, "You three are really good together, you know that?" She gave him a weak smile, and he smiled back.
"Thanks." It was all Harry could say, as he let thoughts tumble across his mind. What Hermione was thinking was awfully farfetched....but stranger things had happened. He was willing to accept her interpretation, but it was a pity they couldn't find out more information.
Hermione was fingering her lips, and leaning forward again. Ron was standing over her. "What are you thinking?" He asked her softly.
Her eyes moved up to Ron, and she pulled her finger from her lips. "I'm thinking about Bill. I didn't buy that whole 'Pureblood Weasley' bull-schanigans either."
Ron laughed, and Hermione's brow furrowed as she gazed at him. He stopped laughing, and she continued. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Ron?"
A corner of Ron's mouth curved upward. "Depends on what you're thinking, Hermione."
Hermione returned the smile, and said evenly, "I think the ingredients in the potion are tied to the brain that will be used. That's what scares me."
Ron sighed heavily, sat down next to Hermione, and put his head in his hands.
Harry was scared. What did she mean?
Hermione looked up at Harry, and glanced at Ginny. Finally, she said softly, "They may be targeting Ron. They may want him for the powers he now has."
Ginny shot forward. "You mean, they may want his...." She put her hands to her mouth, and inhaled sharply.
Harry stood up, shocked. "No, it can't be!"
Hermione took Ron's hand. Ron was leaning forward, looking more ill then he had all morning.
"It's why Ron's got to be careful." Hermione looked up again. "Now...to the final theory...the most unlikely one.
"I think....and this is just a theory, mind you....that there's another spy at Hogwarts. It's the only way they would know about Ron, because they wouldn't take Bill unless they knew for sure what Ron could do."
Harry began to pace. He couldn't believe all of this, and just like Hermione said, it was just a theory.
A theory that was becoming frightfully logical.
Harry closed his eyes, and thought back to only 12 hours before, when he'd been in Susan's arms. It had been...well, magical. Amazing. Wonderful. Incredible.
And now, he had to deal with the war against Voldemort. How the hell was he ever going to feel normal....how was he ever going to feel like a teenager again....a boy who'd just lost his virginity, a boy who had dreams and aspirations that had nothing to do with the sinister freak bent on killing him?
Killing him and those he loved.
Killing people like Sirius.
Harry grabbed the clean white plate still sitting empty on his wooden tray, and threw it on the floor. It shattered loudly, satisfyingly.
Before he knew what he was doing, he was shattering everyone else's plates. He couldn't even see the faces around him, he just threw. Finally, when there were no plates left, he tried to shove the food platter off the table. It was so heavy, it wouldn't budge.
Then he heard "Weasley Is Our King."
Ron was controlling him again. Brilliant. Ron and his rotten power.
Harry felt himself sitting down, and calming. His angry thoughts about Ron and everything else diminished.
He just felt tired. He felt beat up.
Hermione quietly repaired the plates with her wand and stacked them in a tidy pile for Dobby when he got back. After a moment, a couple of owls flew into the common room, dropping letters in laps and the "Daily Prophet" in Hermione's outstretched hands.
Harry wasn't surprised when he received nothing. He gazed at Hermione for a moment, trying to judge from her expression what she was reading.
He didn't have to wait for long.
"Listen to this! 'Breaking News: The Daily Prophet writer Kurt Klingenberger has just reported to us that a member of a long ancestral wizarding family has been found and is well at St. Mungo's Hospital. He is in serious condition and is recovering from his injuries. It appears that he may have been brutalized by followers of Lord Voldemort.
Kurt also reports that another member of that very same family did not arrive at the Ministry to complete vital duties, and Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, commented this was very unusual. The family member has not been seen at St. Mungo's. We are interviewing the family at this moment, and we will give you further details as they become available. We are unwilling to state the family name until we receive verbal consent.'"
Hermione put down the paper. "Percy. Something's going on, whether we like it or not."
Harry felt numb. There was very little they could do.
Or was there?
Harry sat up. He blurted, "We've got to find out who the other spy is!"
He turned and ran up the stairs, knowing exactly what they needed.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________