Ron and Ginny walked into the crowded Hall and sat next to Harry on one of
the benches. The ghostly Hermione sat next to Harry on the other side,
searching wildly for the girl who that had switched the blood.
Hermione remembered that the girl had had a small silver flask with an ornate mermaid emblem on the front. The flask, Hermione presumed, was filled with the mermaid blood that she had added to the potion. Hermione had been in the potion's class after every one had left, working on a potion to help her straighten her hair. She didn't want people to know how much it really bothered her. Usually she was so careful when she mixed potions but that day, her mind had been elsewhere. She had been thinking about Ron.
She smiled, looking at him. His cheeks were flushed from crying and his eyes were bloodshot. Hermione wished she could tell him how she felt. She wished she could hold him hand in hers, just intertwining her tiny fingers with his freckled ones. Maybe she still would, she thought.
A group of girls walked in, their voices a bit louder than most. Hermione looked over and caught a glance of one she recognized that walked slightly behind the girls, off to herself. Hermione got up and followed the group as they sat down.
"Why would someone do this to her," one of the girls said. Hermione recognized her as a Ravenclaw, as was the rest of the group. The girl that had hung back a bit sat with the group, still a bit off to herself. "She was such a sweet girl. It is such a shame."
"Is it," the loner girl said, her voice biting sharply. "Maybe Hermione was just stupid for once. Maybe little Ms. Perfect just messed up for once in her life. For once in her perfect little life," the girl said, causing gasps and stares to follow from the group and from Hermione herself.
Why would Luna hate her so much? What had she ever done to her? Hermione looked down and saw Luna holding the flask with the mermaid on it, rubbing slowly. Hermione's eyes teared up, remembering how she had tried to help Luna in classes. She has taken the younger girl under her wing really, trying to help her find friends.
Luna was a quiet girl, with frizzy blond hair, that didn't have any real friends. People talked to her but no one was friends with her. Hermione, being the good person she was, had only tried to help. Look where it had gotten her.
"Luna, what are you saying," one of the girls asked, her eyes getting wide in disbelief. All of the other girls stared at her, waiting for her explanation to her outburst.
Luna just stared at them, her mouth gaping like a fish out of water. She shook her head, not saying anything really. Hermione stared along with the group in disbelief. One of the girls got up and walked over to another group, leaning in to whisper something. The boy, a tall Gryffindor looked over at Luna in shock. It was moving quickly as he leaned over to a girl sitting next to him.
Luna got up and walked quickly out of the Hall as Dumbledore walked in. He looked down at her sadly; his usual twinkling eyes slightly teared up. He shook his head slowly. Luna's lips began to tremble as the flask with mermaid's blood slipped from her fingers. The sound echoed on the stone floor, reverberating in the now silent Great Hall. Every one was staring, some shaking their heads, others crying openly.
Ginny leaned over to Harry. "I just heard that Luna s the one who killed Hermione. Why would she do that? Hermione was her friend," she said, her red hair falling in her face. Ron turned and looked at Dumbledore as he led Luna out of the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall rose from the front row and quickly followed, her trademark long skirts billowing as she ran out the door, following Dumbledore.
Hermione also followed, her footsteps silent in the empty hallways. Several times she fell behind but Dumbledore always slowed down, letting her catch up. Even though she was but a ghost and no one could see her, Dumbledore could. The group arrived at the doorway to Dumbledore's office.
"Pickled Peppermints," he said sadly, the large bird opening its wings for them. Everyone got into the "bird elevator" and stood awkwardly as it rose to his office. Luna was crying silently, clutching her mermaid flask tightly like a security blanket.
"Come along everyone. Let's talk," Dumbledore said, walking into his candlelit office. "We have many things to discuss. Many things."
Hermione remembered that the girl had had a small silver flask with an ornate mermaid emblem on the front. The flask, Hermione presumed, was filled with the mermaid blood that she had added to the potion. Hermione had been in the potion's class after every one had left, working on a potion to help her straighten her hair. She didn't want people to know how much it really bothered her. Usually she was so careful when she mixed potions but that day, her mind had been elsewhere. She had been thinking about Ron.
She smiled, looking at him. His cheeks were flushed from crying and his eyes were bloodshot. Hermione wished she could tell him how she felt. She wished she could hold him hand in hers, just intertwining her tiny fingers with his freckled ones. Maybe she still would, she thought.
A group of girls walked in, their voices a bit louder than most. Hermione looked over and caught a glance of one she recognized that walked slightly behind the girls, off to herself. Hermione got up and followed the group as they sat down.
"Why would someone do this to her," one of the girls said. Hermione recognized her as a Ravenclaw, as was the rest of the group. The girl that had hung back a bit sat with the group, still a bit off to herself. "She was such a sweet girl. It is such a shame."
"Is it," the loner girl said, her voice biting sharply. "Maybe Hermione was just stupid for once. Maybe little Ms. Perfect just messed up for once in her life. For once in her perfect little life," the girl said, causing gasps and stares to follow from the group and from Hermione herself.
Why would Luna hate her so much? What had she ever done to her? Hermione looked down and saw Luna holding the flask with the mermaid on it, rubbing slowly. Hermione's eyes teared up, remembering how she had tried to help Luna in classes. She has taken the younger girl under her wing really, trying to help her find friends.
Luna was a quiet girl, with frizzy blond hair, that didn't have any real friends. People talked to her but no one was friends with her. Hermione, being the good person she was, had only tried to help. Look where it had gotten her.
"Luna, what are you saying," one of the girls asked, her eyes getting wide in disbelief. All of the other girls stared at her, waiting for her explanation to her outburst.
Luna just stared at them, her mouth gaping like a fish out of water. She shook her head, not saying anything really. Hermione stared along with the group in disbelief. One of the girls got up and walked over to another group, leaning in to whisper something. The boy, a tall Gryffindor looked over at Luna in shock. It was moving quickly as he leaned over to a girl sitting next to him.
Luna got up and walked quickly out of the Hall as Dumbledore walked in. He looked down at her sadly; his usual twinkling eyes slightly teared up. He shook his head slowly. Luna's lips began to tremble as the flask with mermaid's blood slipped from her fingers. The sound echoed on the stone floor, reverberating in the now silent Great Hall. Every one was staring, some shaking their heads, others crying openly.
Ginny leaned over to Harry. "I just heard that Luna s the one who killed Hermione. Why would she do that? Hermione was her friend," she said, her red hair falling in her face. Ron turned and looked at Dumbledore as he led Luna out of the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall rose from the front row and quickly followed, her trademark long skirts billowing as she ran out the door, following Dumbledore.
Hermione also followed, her footsteps silent in the empty hallways. Several times she fell behind but Dumbledore always slowed down, letting her catch up. Even though she was but a ghost and no one could see her, Dumbledore could. The group arrived at the doorway to Dumbledore's office.
"Pickled Peppermints," he said sadly, the large bird opening its wings for them. Everyone got into the "bird elevator" and stood awkwardly as it rose to his office. Luna was crying silently, clutching her mermaid flask tightly like a security blanket.
"Come along everyone. Let's talk," Dumbledore said, walking into his candlelit office. "We have many things to discuss. Many things."