Chapter 12- Ew!
By M-Fever
Back at Hogwarts again, Harry and Hermione debated.
"So, you reckon that this Mary caused Betty's accident?" Harry asked.
"Well, she seems to be our prime subject. But I still don't think a thirteen-year-old could be up to all this."
"What, you think she's an adult?"
Hermione shrugged. "There's loads of ways to hide yourself. Sounds a bit like the whole Mad-eye situation all over again, doesn't it?"
"I guess she could be using polyjuice potion... DRAT! I'd use my map of the school, 'cept it got burned up, remember?"
"Yeah, that's too bad." The Marauders Map had been destroyed in a fire the previous year. Neville had been practicing a bit too hard for his N.E.W.T.s and the map had been in the wrong place at the wrong time as he misdirected a spell. "Polyjuice potion would be a bit difficult though. I mean, Moody had the hip-flask going for him, and Betty's hair isn't quite so readily available, now is it?"
Harry massaged his forehead with his knuckles. "And what's up with Lover-Boy anyway? He doesn't make a lick of sense. 'She hasn't given me a name,' what the heck's that supposed to mean?"
Hermione shrugged her shoulders, looking out the window at Hagrid's hut. "The students are coming back, now," she said. Harry came over and watched the procession. The miniscule figure of Betty, or Mary, or whatever her name was, had stopped to talk to someone. Harry tapped his glasses and muttered, magnifio. Instantly, he could see the two figures as if they were standing in front of him. The back of a tall, blond figure was to him, while Betty, a good head and a half shorter moved her mouth noiselessly. There was something familiar about that head. The two walked over to a slightly more secluded looking area. Harry could still make them out, despite the branches of a bush in front of them. The tall-somebody bent down and whispered something into her ear. Then Harry's stomach lurched uncomfortably. This person kissed her smack dab on the mouth. Harry grimaced, but was even more uncomfortable as he watched the figure turn slightly so that he recognized who it was. There, on the edge of the grounds talking to a girl five years his junior, was Draco Malfoy.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Harry said, ogling at them.
"What? Tell me what you see," Hermione said, squinting.
"You don't want to know," Harry said, still staring. The figure of Malfoy turned again and walked back toward Hogsmeade. Betty, looking cool as a cucumber, rejoined a group of third-years.
"What happened?" Hermione said, looking frantic.
"Betty and—boy am I going to be ill—Malfoy just kissed!"
"NO!" Hermione said, looking horrorstruck. "Ew! That's, that's disgusting! Didn't Betty say that Mary fancies you, Harry?"
"Maybe, but... Ew. She must not mind having a beau at the same time."
"She must be either really naïve or else really evil," Hermione said, shuddering. "Oh bother, I've got to go to the lou now," she said, covering her mouth and rushing from the room.
Harry made up his mind and decided that the girl definitely was a girl, was probably older, and had let Malfoy in on her secret. He turned around; the room was now very out of focus. He tapped his glasses and could see normally again. He wrote down his new information on the mystery in his notebook Hermione had started for him. Whoever she was, she was probably about his own age. He doubted very much that she was any of the Slytherin girls from his year. Pansy Parkinson was clearly out of the question. If she could transform herself like that, than Harry was a bullfrog. Transform herself... Harry's mind flickered suddenly onto Tonks. Yes, that would do it. Perhaps this person was another Metamorphmagi. Still thinking of Tonks, it seemed funny that she was a first cousin to Malfoy, so any relative of hers was out. Was there, perhaps, a list somewhere of all those born Metamorphmagi? Or perhaps this wasn't regulated the same way as with Animagi. Afterall, Animagi weren't born with the gift. Hermione returned a moment later.
"I'm going to the Owlery to send a letter to Tonks, want to come with?" Harry asked.
"Sure, I can look for my owl a bit more," Hermione said. They took the fastest route and emerged in the Owlery a moment later. Harry got out parchment and quill as Hermione went looking for her spotted owl.
Dear Tonks,
Hey, what can you tell me about your gift? Teaching's great. See you.
Harry
The letter was certainly short, but he didn't feel like writing much at the moment. Hermione's voice came from a corner of the room.
"Hey, I found him!" she said, holding a cross looking owl.
"He doesn't look too happy, does he?" Harry commented.
"Yeah, well, I think I woke him," Hermione said.
"Hedwig?" Harry called, and the snowy white owl landed on his shoulder. "Take this to Tonks, will you?" Hedwig hooted softly and took flight. Hermione's owl wiggled its way out of her arms and flew up to the rafters.
"I'm starving," Hermione said, not looking too hurt by her owl's disdain. "Let's go down to dinner."
"Alright," Harry said, picking up his things, and they left.
A.N.: Okay, that was 'bout a page shorter than usual, but I'm running out of ideas for this chapter. The conclusion's coming soon I think...
By M-Fever
Back at Hogwarts again, Harry and Hermione debated.
"So, you reckon that this Mary caused Betty's accident?" Harry asked.
"Well, she seems to be our prime subject. But I still don't think a thirteen-year-old could be up to all this."
"What, you think she's an adult?"
Hermione shrugged. "There's loads of ways to hide yourself. Sounds a bit like the whole Mad-eye situation all over again, doesn't it?"
"I guess she could be using polyjuice potion... DRAT! I'd use my map of the school, 'cept it got burned up, remember?"
"Yeah, that's too bad." The Marauders Map had been destroyed in a fire the previous year. Neville had been practicing a bit too hard for his N.E.W.T.s and the map had been in the wrong place at the wrong time as he misdirected a spell. "Polyjuice potion would be a bit difficult though. I mean, Moody had the hip-flask going for him, and Betty's hair isn't quite so readily available, now is it?"
Harry massaged his forehead with his knuckles. "And what's up with Lover-Boy anyway? He doesn't make a lick of sense. 'She hasn't given me a name,' what the heck's that supposed to mean?"
Hermione shrugged her shoulders, looking out the window at Hagrid's hut. "The students are coming back, now," she said. Harry came over and watched the procession. The miniscule figure of Betty, or Mary, or whatever her name was, had stopped to talk to someone. Harry tapped his glasses and muttered, magnifio. Instantly, he could see the two figures as if they were standing in front of him. The back of a tall, blond figure was to him, while Betty, a good head and a half shorter moved her mouth noiselessly. There was something familiar about that head. The two walked over to a slightly more secluded looking area. Harry could still make them out, despite the branches of a bush in front of them. The tall-somebody bent down and whispered something into her ear. Then Harry's stomach lurched uncomfortably. This person kissed her smack dab on the mouth. Harry grimaced, but was even more uncomfortable as he watched the figure turn slightly so that he recognized who it was. There, on the edge of the grounds talking to a girl five years his junior, was Draco Malfoy.
"I think I'm going to be sick," Harry said, ogling at them.
"What? Tell me what you see," Hermione said, squinting.
"You don't want to know," Harry said, still staring. The figure of Malfoy turned again and walked back toward Hogsmeade. Betty, looking cool as a cucumber, rejoined a group of third-years.
"What happened?" Hermione said, looking frantic.
"Betty and—boy am I going to be ill—Malfoy just kissed!"
"NO!" Hermione said, looking horrorstruck. "Ew! That's, that's disgusting! Didn't Betty say that Mary fancies you, Harry?"
"Maybe, but... Ew. She must not mind having a beau at the same time."
"She must be either really naïve or else really evil," Hermione said, shuddering. "Oh bother, I've got to go to the lou now," she said, covering her mouth and rushing from the room.
Harry made up his mind and decided that the girl definitely was a girl, was probably older, and had let Malfoy in on her secret. He turned around; the room was now very out of focus. He tapped his glasses and could see normally again. He wrote down his new information on the mystery in his notebook Hermione had started for him. Whoever she was, she was probably about his own age. He doubted very much that she was any of the Slytherin girls from his year. Pansy Parkinson was clearly out of the question. If she could transform herself like that, than Harry was a bullfrog. Transform herself... Harry's mind flickered suddenly onto Tonks. Yes, that would do it. Perhaps this person was another Metamorphmagi. Still thinking of Tonks, it seemed funny that she was a first cousin to Malfoy, so any relative of hers was out. Was there, perhaps, a list somewhere of all those born Metamorphmagi? Or perhaps this wasn't regulated the same way as with Animagi. Afterall, Animagi weren't born with the gift. Hermione returned a moment later.
"I'm going to the Owlery to send a letter to Tonks, want to come with?" Harry asked.
"Sure, I can look for my owl a bit more," Hermione said. They took the fastest route and emerged in the Owlery a moment later. Harry got out parchment and quill as Hermione went looking for her spotted owl.
Dear Tonks,
Hey, what can you tell me about your gift? Teaching's great. See you.
Harry
The letter was certainly short, but he didn't feel like writing much at the moment. Hermione's voice came from a corner of the room.
"Hey, I found him!" she said, holding a cross looking owl.
"He doesn't look too happy, does he?" Harry commented.
"Yeah, well, I think I woke him," Hermione said.
"Hedwig?" Harry called, and the snowy white owl landed on his shoulder. "Take this to Tonks, will you?" Hedwig hooted softly and took flight. Hermione's owl wiggled its way out of her arms and flew up to the rafters.
"I'm starving," Hermione said, not looking too hurt by her owl's disdain. "Let's go down to dinner."
"Alright," Harry said, picking up his things, and they left.
A.N.: Okay, that was 'bout a page shorter than usual, but I'm running out of ideas for this chapter. The conclusion's coming soon I think...