Chapter Twenty-one

"We were… umm, doing homework! Professor, please, we--"

"Silence! I can't believe you would do something like this!" Professor McGonagall's voice was hard and cold. "Fifty points from Gryffindor."

Behind her, Malfoy smirked with glee.

"But Professor, we don't know what we were thinking, it'll never hap--" "Fifty points each."

Professor McGonagall breathed hard through her nose, as though it was taking some effort to continue speaking. "And you Lina, what will your parents say?" "My mother won't care," Lina muttered, half to herself.

"What was that?" demanded Professor McGonagall. "Nothing," Lina answered. "Well then, all four of you will receive notice of your detentions."

"Excuse me, Professor, I think I heard you wrong. You said the four of us."

"It was no mistake, Mr. Malfoy, for while your intentions may have been good, you too were up after hours. Now, all of you go straight to bed." She dismissed them, and Lina, Harry, and Hermione walked miserably back to Gryffindor tower. "Oh, my gosh!" Harry cried, "I forgot the invisibility cloak on the Astronomy Tower!"

The next few days were murder for the three. The other Gryffindors couldn't believe that they had one-hundred and fifty points down over night, but when they found out that it had been the great Harry Potter's doing, they shunned him. Lina and Hermione had it bad as well, but since Hermione wasn't as well known, and Lina had dealt with it before, it wasn't as bad. "Oh, Harry, it's nothing to worry about," said Hermione. "I've been shunned lots of times, and I've always made it through eventually." "Like when?" asked Harry. "Like when I told everyone in the Isthaenian court that I was a girl. They freaked out so bad I was banned. And on top of that they took away my shield. But then I sort of—helped the king out and they forgave me."

"But I don't have a king to help out. All I have is the enmity of about a million billion people."

"It's not a million billion, Harry. You know what, let's go visit Ron. That should cheer you up."

While they were seeing Ron, Madam Pomfrey pulled Lina side. "Lina, Ron said you gave him—what was it, Fireberry juice?"

"Umm, yeah, why?"

"Well, how did you know it would help?"

Lina, who had been expecting Madam Pomfrey to tell her it nearly killed Ron, was taken aback. "It's used as a healing potion all the time in Zell."

"I was wondering if you could get some for me. It really helped Ron recover."

"Sure, I'll have my father send some."

Lina turned to go to Ron's bed, but Madam Pomfrey said, "But next time you decide to administer healing potions, check first! It might have hurt Ronald if you hadn't been careful." "Of course, Madam."

Lina went to Ron's bedside where Hermione and Harry were talking with him.

Lina was talking on the Com with Robin, and had asked him for Fireberry juice for Madam Pomfrey, when he said, "I have to level with you, Lina. "Your mother and I are getting a divorce." "Oh, oh," said Lina softly. "I understand, Robin, I really do, but where are you gonna stay?" "I'll go to the Glade, but that's beside the point. Your mother is marrying—er—someone."

"But you're not even divorced yet!"

"Actually, we are. Almost, that is. You see, our divorce is just about finalized."

"Who's she marrying?"

"Er, uh, Phineas Morgan."

"WHAT?!!! No way! He's a jerk! And, and he-I- we- they… Uh!"

For the first time, Lina was utterly at a loss for words. She was already drifting in a dream-like state, unable to believe that her parents were getting a divorce. But to hear that her mother was marrying a convict… She wasn't even upset, she just could not wrap her brain around what she had learned. Robin was saying something, but all Lina could hear were comforting noises. "I'll call you back," said Lina. "Have… loads of homework, yes, that's it, I…" Lina pressed a button and cut the connection between them. She tucked her Com in its place on her hip and walked to the window. She jumped down, and her feet carried her to the Forest, even though she knew Lena wasn't there. She curled up in the crotch of her favorite tree, where she would sit when talking with Lena. She found herself drifting off to sleep…