His Broken Valentine

By Anne Parkington

[a/n: I'm not feeling really well. I had a very rude awakening from a really creepy dream about fanfiction.net. . . have any of you ever had one of those. I think It's because I've been ODing on fics since my friends left for Cape Cod. .  .so I woke up at like 5:00. . . spazzing out, and now I really don't feel good. But I cant go back to sleep, cuz, the dream will come BACK! :fearful eyes: so, sorry if this chapter is lacking. . . I'm not feeling up to par.]

.: chapter 5 :.

Finally, the day of the Valentine's Day dance arrived. All the girls were in a mild state of utter hysteria as they towed their boyfriends around. (Dumbledore had given them half the day off to be with their sweethearts and such.) Harry was just about to go into the Gryffindor common room when Dobby the house elf rand up to him.

"Harry Potter, sir Is wanted in Professor Dumbledore's office! Him, Miss Granger and Mr. Ron Weasley are all wanted." He said, slightly out of breath.

"Really?!" Harry said with slight alarm. "What's wrong?"

"Just hurry, sir! Professor says its urgent!"

Harry nodded.

"Parsnip Juice." He said at the fat lady who sung open for him, and Dobby. They rushed in and were greeted by Crookshanks who was sleeping on top of a table.

"Hey cat." Harry said stroking the cat's ears, "Where's 'mione?" Crookshanks leapt off the table and disappeared behind the table cloth. Harry looked down and saw a very familure show sticking out from under the table. He gave it a small tap and there came a loud: }BANG!!{ as the table made a sudden jerk upwards. Hermione appeared from under the table looking ruffled and holding her head.

"Oooo, you nasty blighter! What did you do that for? I was sleeping!"

"With who? Ron?" Harry smirked. Heroine's eyes narrowed. She did not like that. Not at all.

"Sorry. Sorry!!" Harry said apologetically as Hermione scooped up her papers and started to walk off.

"For the last time, I do not like Ron that way, You keep making wisecracks about things like that but I really don't see how you would have any evidence that would prove I have such emotions for Ron. And Furthermore I-"

Harry shushed her.

"Fine! Fine, I'm sorry, Jeez! What were you doing sleeping under there?"

"I wanted some peace. Lavender's busy talking to her boyfriend on her two-way mirror in the room."

"Oh, well. Come along, Dumbledore wants us to meet him in his office." He ran over to the staircase leading up to the boys dorms.

"OY! Ron! Get down here!"

"I'm busy, you lump!" came a muffled voice. Harry threw a quizzical look at Hermione, who was looking stricken.

"Ron! Stop messing around!" Harry said impatiently. "Get your bum down here right now!"

"LATER!! I'm alright here fanks!" He said thickly. Harry walked up the stairs and burst through the door to see Ron and Parvati making out furiously against the window.

"Um, Ron?" Harry hissed. Ron turned and glared angrily at Harry. "Wot?" He snapped, his mouth smeared with pink lipstick.

"Dumbledore asked to see us right away." Harry mumbled looking his feet.

Ron's face softened.

"Why didn't you say so?!" He said. Parvati was now a brilliant shade a scarlet. "Err. . . see you?" He said to her. She nodded, and scurried out of the room. Harry wiggled his eyebrows at Ron, who punched him in the arm. They came down to Hermione, who was staring at Ron in a odd way.

"What?" He asked, blushing slightly.

"Oh nothing." Hermione said, matter-of-factly. "It's just that you did a horrible job of putting your lip stick on. Its all over your mouth." Harry snorted, but the look in Hermione's eyes told him that she was extremely hurt. He knew she liked him more than she claimed, and she denied his attempts to make her realize so many times, she was probably  starting to believe herself. Blushing with a mixture of anger and embarrassment he rubbed his face with the sleeve of his robes and glared at Hermione, who kept her eyes ahead as they walked down the hall to Dumbledore's office. When they got to the goblin, Dobby said,

"Mint Treacle."

And like clockwork the goblin sprang aside and let them into his office. Dumbledore had already laid out chairs for them to sit in and they took their seats.

"Now, I have brought you here, today to talk about a serious matter that is heinous beyond all measure. There are many things I do not permit in my school most of which involve magical interactions. But this requires no magic at all. No weapon apparatuses at all." Dumbledore said calmly. The three exchanged bewildered looks.

"Cho is having troubles with her boyfriend. And I am asking you to help."

"With all due respect, Professor, but why don't you talk to Cho's friends about this? We don't really know her too well, and I'm sure her friends would be at a better service to you." Hermione said.

"No. It's not Cho that needs to be reached. It's Oliver."

Their glances when from bewildered to fear.

"What is Oliver doing to her?" Harry asked slowly. If he's hurting Cho, I'll. . .

"Beating her. Regularly. This needs to be stopped. But I fear I will not be able to interfere."

"What?! Why?" Ron asked.

"I need you to find out exactly what he's doing, and then come to me with your proof. I am not under any liberty to spy on my students."

"Then how did you find this out in the first place?" Hermione asked.

"I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I saw her looking into the mirror of Arised, and what she saw was him acting like a normal boy to a girl he truly cares for. And it all came together. The bruises, the sudden faint spell, the fear of talking to boys she used to laugh with. Yes, Oliver is abusing her, and he must be stopped. Can I trust you to follow him and stop him before Cho is seriously injured?"

The three were silent for a moment, but then,

"Yes you can." Harry said determinedly.

-Still short. . . gahh! Oh well, I'll update soon. . . hopefully!