Author's Notes: And here it is, another chapter nearly as long as the last one. I must have some sort of illness that causes me to write exceptionally long chapters – usually, the ones I write average around five to six pages, not nine to ten. I think it's rather a nice illness, really.
I apologize in advance if this chapter confuses anyone. It's very mind-boggling; I think I was beginning to confuse myself even. Lots of answers, though – and lots of answers that create more questions. Ahh, bliss.
But seriously, if anyone is confused beyond imagination, please submit your questions – in a review, of course! And read very closely; I may have hidden a few things in between the lines, you never know, I can be exceptionally sneaky… or perhaps just weird…
Thoroughbredchickie: Yes, I really love cliff-hangers, because I always know what'll happen next, and you don't. =)
Brilliant-author16: I know how much you love HR/R but remember, this story isn't TOTALLY based on that. I won't fail you, though, so never fear!
Moonypadfoot: That's a good suggestion, thank you! I may incorporate that into a future chapter.
And as my lovely, outspoken beta pointed out, the ending sucks, and I know it.
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSHermione couldn't believe the words she was hearing. For one crazy, impulsive minute, she thought that perhaps McGonagall had gone insane, or maybe she had gone insane. Instead of getting answers to her questions, her questions only seemed to multiply rapidly with each new piece of information she received. It was utterly impossible.
She was still seated in the hospital wing, gazing disbelievingly at McGonagall, her mouth unconsciously hanging open. Apart from the small scuffles of Madam Lucille bustling around the ward, tending to her cataleptic patients, everything was quite silent (a very strange feeling considering the racket she had just endured on the Quidditch field). Harry and Ron were immobile next to her, having not spoken a word for many head-throbbing minutes. Ginny, Bella, and Desdemona stood in the shadows near the door, listening earnestly and ducking out of sight now and then to whisper amongst themselves.
"Hogwarts is no longer safe," McGonagall austerely told the three adults seated in front of her. "You have just witnessed for yourself the reason why you were called back."
"The students have all gone mad?" Ron muttered quietly. It was more of a statement than a question.
"No, it isn't them," Hermione began slowly, trying to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together in a sensible fashion. "They aren't acting on their own self will. Someone else is controlling them." She glanced expectantly up at McGonagall, praying that McGonagall would shake her head and prove Hermione's theory false. To Hermione's great horror, she nodded.
"Correct, Miss Granger. But first, I believe I need to start at the beginning of today's events so you will fully understand what exactly we're up against." McGonagall took a long, rattling breath, and for the first time, Hermione noticed how old and weary she was looking. The lines on her face seemed intensified in her current countenance of gloom, and it was a sign of how ominous the situation was that McGonagall didn't try to smooth things over with her normally severe expression.
"As you know, three Gryffindors were attacked on the Quidditch pitch during this morning's game. I suppose I am right in saying the factor that makes the circumstances most precarious is that – that the students assaulted one another."
Hermione's hands flew to her mouth to sustain a small gasp. To her left, she could sense Harry strengthen his grip on the arm of his chair.
"Sadie Kinsey, the Gryffindor Seeker," said McGonagall slowly, "was hit with the Cruciatus Curse –"
It sounds worse when said aloud, Hermione thought painfully.
"– by Beater Mitch Cattrall."
No. It's a lie. The words reverberated around Hermione's brain endlessly, and she willed for them to stop. It was simply unfeasible. She didn't need to hear anymore to come to her own conclusion – it just wasn't done. It couldn't have happened. There was no logical explanation for any of the words being forced into her mind.
"Apparently," McGonagall continued in a would-be calm voice, "Kinsey had spotted the Snitch moments before Luke Barnes attacked her from behind with his club, catching her unaware. While all Slytherin team members remain innocent for the time being, there is a possibility that an agreement had been worked out –"
"You're saying Slytherin was paying Cattrall and Barnes to kill the Gryffindor Seeker, just so they could get to the Snitch first?" Ron blurted out angrily. McGonagall gazed at him in such a manner that one would gaze at a rather interesting fish, and Hermione once again expected her to correct Ron for being so rash. But she said nothing – the look in her eyes gave her answer away. Fazed, Ron sunk back in his seat and muttered, "That's sick."
"We aren't ruling the option out completely, Weasley," McGonagall said. "As highly unlikely as it is, we need to keep cool and collected heads to sort this through. Slytherin will be questioned – chances are Veritaserum will come in handy – and if someone from the opposing team was involved, the consequences shall be very harsh indeed."
"That still doesn't explain what happened to the Beaters," Hermione pointed out. She was hoping that a snag would be caught in McGonagall's story, that it would all unravel rationally and turn out to be a complete misunderstanding. She wasn't ready to believe what she was being told – and she wasn't ready to admit it to herself, either.
"It seems that several Slytherin and Gryffindor Chasers were caught in the midst of the – the accident. Barnes and Cattrall were Stunned shortly after Kinsey fell from her broom, their onlookers having panicked and believing the two Beaters were going to curse them as well. None of the three Gryffindors were injured after the fall, though I would be wrong to think Kinsey won't be quite traumatized after –" She broke off, gesturing to the fallen students, and cleared her throat unnecessarily. Hermione, completely in shock and feeling traumatized herself, did not notice.
Harry, who had been silent throughout McGonagall's explanation, suddenly spoke aloud, screwing up his face in concentration. "So – so the voice that yelled Crucio at Kinsey was Cattrall… and then he and Barnes were Stunned, that's when we heard Stupefy…"
Like Hermione, Harry was forced to recount the events of the match by only what had been heard. The snowstorm had been much too thick to actually see anything. Somehow, thought Hermione, basing the incident upon the sounds heard was far more disheartening.
"Wait – who did the Impediment Jinx?"
"That was me," Ron said sullenly, looking slightly sheepish at being dragged into the conversation. "I was – I saw one of the Beaters coming towards the ground and thought it would have saved him from crashing, you know –"
"Harry told me you were up at the castle!" Hermione exclaimed. She hadn't yet registered fully that Ron had indeed been on the field at the time… she should have known it was his yell that saved the Gryffindor Seeker from a near fatality.
"No, I wasn't," Ron said indignantly, shooting Harry a small glare. "I was lurking near the entrance to the field… I thought something like this would happen at the match, and I was right, wasn't I?"
Hermione blushed slightly, not precisely knowing why, and opened her mouth to retaliate. McGonagall cut her off just in the nick of time, waving her hand impatiently. "Yes, that was very smart of you, Weasley. But we need to focus on the situation at hand."
"Which is?" Ron demanded.
The drained professor gave him a disapproving frown. "While we agree the students are not acting on their own accord, it will be difficult to persuade others without actual evidence. In all reality, any sane person would take a look at what has been going on and conclude I'm running a madhouse. We have nothing to support these accounts with. The Ministry has been prying, of course, but as it is becoming more serious, I fear that their interference will soon become greater. It has all been kept quiet up until now – have you not wondered why nothing has appeared in the Daily Prophet? The Ministry will let it leak to the public eventually and soon the hordes of owls from parents will be flying in, demanding to know what danger their students are in, or what danger their students are to others."
Ron, who obviously did not fully understand the magnitude of the situation, looked almost elated. "Well, that's simple!" he said, looking round at Harry. "We'll just tell them the truth that someone mad's on the loose and controlling the kids –"
Hermione was coming to her senses now. The shock of three guiltless Gryffindors attacking one another was wearing off. She suddenly took in the fact that she was sitting in the hospital wing having a conference with McGonagall – she realized that the entire school was in imminent danger of an ethereal lunatic – and she fully comprehended that immature, brainless, narcissistic Ron was sitting next to her, acting as if nothing serious had happened at all. She could have kicked him.
"Don't you see?" she hissed in a much more Hermione-like way. "Listen to what you just said. If that statement was released to the public, especially to the parents, don't you think Hogwarts would seem just a bit dangerous? We are supposed to protect the students, not expose them to murderous criminals!"
Ron seemed rather taken aback. He looked as if he had just now realized Hermione was sitting aside him and, completely thrown off guard, did not have a witty come back at the ready. McGonagall took this as an opportunity to speak.
"Exactly, Granger," she said, lowering her voice even though Madam Lucille had disappeared into her office again; Ginny, Bella, and Desdemona were deep in hushed conversation; and the Gryffindors couldn't have listened any better than three highly intelligent rocks.
"The Ministry would be sent into turmoil if they knew anything at all was amiss at Hogwarts. While the Minister himself is a very sharp, independent man, I cannot pretend that he would not appreciate the chaos caused by this… situation."
"But we can't lie, Professor," Harry pointed out, still deeply absorbed in thought.
"No, we can't," McGonagall said, her eyes twinkling oddly. "We will not be forced to descend to being deceitful. If things do get out of hand, I will have no choice but to notify the Ministry and allow them to intervene."
Noticing the twinkle in McGonagall's eyes, Hermione abruptly understood. Harry and Ron still gazed at her nonplussed, but she knew – she finally knew what to do, what their mission was, what McGonagall had been hinting at.
"We have to solve it first," she mumbled into the silence. Harry and Ron turned to look at her. "Before the Ministry finds out, and before we have to result to requesting their assistance, we have to figure it out."
"Figure what out?" Ron asked exasperatedly. From the look on his face, Hermione could undoubtedly deduce that he thought she was off her rocker.
"Why the students are acting oddly," she said, gazing vaguely at the lawn of green grass visible through the nearby window but not really noticing the sight. "Why they're attacking one another, why they're acting as if – as if they're under mind-control…"
"You mean, the Imperius Curse?" said Harry with a hint of understanding in his voice too.
"Yes, that," Hermione said offhandedly. "The Ministry cannot know… they would take over the school, possibly even close it down, and who knows what else –"
"Wait a minute, the Imperius Curse?" Ron asked. He was looking from Harry, to Hermione, to McGonagall, and back to Hermione. "So, you're saying someone's got the entire school under the curse and they're controlling them to do whatever they like?"
Hermione was silent for a minute. "Well, I suppose it's a possibility…"
"It's crazy, if you ask me," Ron said, folding his arms and giving Hermione his you're-absolutely-nutty look again.
"I didn't ask you," Hermione snapped.
"It's still crazy. We don't even know who this person is, or why they want little students to do their bidding. What's the motive here?"
"They wanted my records, if the person I saw that night in the Forest is the same person we're talking about now," Hermione mumbled.
"Ah, yes," Ron said with a knowing smirk. "Someone probably wants to murder you, Professor Granger, as usual, I presume. They're having your faithful students do wild and crazy stunts to draw your attention away, so in the middle of the night, when you least expect it –"
"That is enough, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said sternly. Hermione shuddered at the thought, though it was too far-fetched to be true – and it was a theory of Ron's, so of course it was improbable. But if it weren't… the question wouldn't be who wanted to murder her, it would be why… and so absorbed in her own thoughts and speculations, the craving to kick Ron again went unnoticed.
"Once more, the Imperius Curse could be a possibility," McGonagall said wisely.
"There are too many possibilities," Harry mumbled. Hermione looked at him closely; his mouth was moving rapidly as if he were talking to himself and the frown he wore increased the lines on his face while he immersed himself in deep concentration. It was clear that he was trying to work out the solution here and now; Hermione knew, however, that it would take more time than Harry had realized.
McGonagall sighed. "Yes, Mr. Potter, that is true. But –" She broke off to glance at the door down the ward which had been thrown open by Madam Lucille. Lowering her voice and talking rapidly, she said, "I trust you three know what to do. It is imperative that you do not breathe a word of this to any of the students or any of the staff members you find… unreliable. Come to me if you have uncovered anything new. And now I daresay we will have a chance to speak with the Gryffindors themselves."
Ginny, Bella, and Desdemona emerged from the shadows by the door as Madam Lucille stood in front of the three occupied beds with a large bottle of purple liquid in her left hand, her wand in her other.
"Are you going to revive them, Yolanda?" McGonagall asked.
"Yes, and I think a simple Ennervate shall do it." The witch murmured the spell and waved her wand in an elongated arc over the beds. A muffled groaning from the one to the farthest right met everyone's waiting ears.
Sadie Kinsey's eyes flickered open and she pushed herself into an upright sitting position, rubbing her face and staring at the concerned adults gathered around her bed. She gazed around the room; flummoxed, she looked down to study her own Quidditch robes. A sudden expression of comprehension crossed her face just as one of the two Beaters next to her stirred. Sadie's head snapped around to find the source of the noise and, upon seeing Mitch Cattrall, she screamed.
"Him! He – he cursed me! I saw the Snitch and was about to reach out and – he used the Cruciatus Curse on me!" she concluded, shaking a finger at the boy and staring wildly around at the professors, expecting them to look shocked.
"I did no such thing!" Mitch Cattrall retorted, rubbing the back of his head and wincing. "What the bloody hell are you on, Kinsey?"
Luke Barnes groaned from Mitch's other side, throwing Sadie into another hysterical fit.
"And he – he attacked me!" she shrieked, looking outraged that none of the teachers were making any attempts to cuff and gag the two culprits. "Came up behind me and whacked me across the head with his club, he did! Professor –" She rounded on McGonagall. "They're deranged, they should be locked up in Azkaban!"
Luke and Mitch quickly engaged in a ferocious shouting match with the Seeker. Once again, Hermione's suspicious were confirmed – neither of the two Beaters had any recollection of their actions at all. They seemed almost indignant that their own fellow player would accuse them of such horrid crimes.
"Quiet!" Madam Lucille cried. The quarrelling Gryffindors promptly fell silent. "I'll have none of this arguing in my infirmary! Now, take this – don't look at me like that, Kinsey, just drink up, there's a good girl –" She handed the students three separate cups of thick, purple liquid, and with a pang of realization, Hermione knew she had slipped Veritaserum into the drinks. Still glaring at one another, the Gryffindors downed the cups and immediately after, their faces fell slack.
"Wait, shouldn't they know they're going to be questioned?" Hermione asked McGonagall. "They have a right to know the truth about what went on during the match as well."
"They'll hear it now," McGonagall replied quietly. "They will know that their stories are genuine if heard while being controlled by Veritaserum. Don't worry, it is perfectly safe," she added at the look on Hermione's face. She slowly rose from her chair to stand at Sadie Kinsey's bedside.
"Miss Kinsey," she pronounced loudly and clearly. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes," came a distant voice from the bed.
"Good. Now, tell me exactly what happened during the match after you saw the Snitch."
"Certainly, Professor," Sadie replied, smiling slightly. "I finally caught sight of the Snitch fluttering near DiLorenzo's left elbow – slimy Slytherin, she didn't see it at all" – Desdemona coughed faintly from the other side of the room, but Sadie continued as brightly as ever – "and I dived at her, and she tumbled out of the way. And believe it or not, the Slytherin Seeker wasn't around at all! I had a full, clear path to the Snitch! I was going to win the game for Gryffindor!" Sadie's voice was rising and growing more frantic as her smile quickly faded from her face. "But then Mitch and Luke came at me out of nowhere – I didn't even see them until I felt something smack against my head and nearly throw me off my broom. I looked around and there Luke was, his club raised high above his head and a crazed, hazy look in his eyes. I didn't know what to think; for a minute I thought a Bludger had hit me, but no, I knew it was Luke. Before I knew it, Mitch hurtled straight towards me, his club discarded and his wand pointed at me – and then – and that's when – and then he said – he said Crucio, right at me without a second thought."
The girl quickly broke off into small, wobbling sobs. McGonagall had been right, she was indeed traumatized by the incident, but it was no wonder; many wizards stronger than her had gone insane after being burdened with the Cruciatus Curse, and here she was, a mere fourteen-year-old. Then Hermione glanced at Harry, guilty for not remembering that he too had only been fourteen when struck with the curse. He was gazing at the girl with such empathy Hermione had never before seen.
"I thought I was going to die," Sadie continued. Her voice had lowered several notches and was now only above a whisper. Her eyes had an unfocused, haunted look, and she was staring across the room at a blank wall. "I wanted to die, really. It's worse than death, I think. It's the worst feeling in the world – like a thousand knives being chucked at your body over and over, and all you do is pray that it will soon end. It lasted only a few seconds, and I can't imagine it ever lasting longer. I was almost grateful when it suddenly stopped and I was thrown from my broom. I must've passed out before I hit the ground, because I don't remember hitting anything solid."
"Did you see anything suspicious before you passed out?" McGonagall inquired. "Anyone you didn't recognize, perhaps?"
"I saw four Chasers charging at Mitch and Luke before I slipped off my broom," Sadie answered mistily. "I think – I'm pretty sure they were Stunned. But other than that, no, Professor. There was nothing suspicious."
McGonagall sighed, looking wearier than ever. "Thank you, Kinsey. That is all." She turned to Mitch Cattrall, who was staring fixedly at the floor and twiddling his thumbs. Sadie's story hadn't seemed to faze him at all. "Mr. Cattrall, please tell me – did you or did you not attack Miss Kinsey on your own free will?"
Mitch gazed at Professor McGonagall, looking only partially interested. "Of course I didn't attack Sadie. I would never do that, annoying little prick she is sometimes."
Hermione seemed to be the only one who noticed his emphasis on the word I, and somehow, it intimidated her.
"You worked out a deal with Slytherin, didn't you?" Ron demanded suddenly, causing the Beater to jump and swivel his head round at him, having just noticed Ron. "They told you to knock Kinsey off her broom if she saw the Snitch so they could win. Clever plan, really. Nobody would've seen anything through the storm. But you forgot something, kid – we're not that stupid. What was it? Galleons? Sickles? Homework answers? Free dungbombs?"
"Ron, shut up," Hermione hissed under her breath.
"Mr. Weasley, please!" McGonagall exclaimed. Ron looked angrily from Mitch, to Hermione, to Ginny and Desdemona (who were both giving him exceptionally nasty glares) and then to McGonagall. Upon seeing her expression, Ron's rapid breathing ceased and he muttered an almost inaudible, "Sorry."
Mitch laughed. "No, Professor," he said merrily. "I did nothing of the sort. I would never work out an agreement with those greasy gits, especially against my own Seeker." He looked concernedly at Ron. "Are you sure you're okay, sir?"
"You do realize the use of an Unforgivable Curse will only get you a one-way trip to Azkaban," Ron said firmly.
"I used a what?" Mitch cried, looking appalled.
"He didn't do it," Harry muttered to Hermione. "This is Veritaserum. He can't lie. He doesn't know what he did."
"Calm down, Cattrall," said McGonagall in a voice very close to her normally strict one. "You will be informed of this morning's events more thoroughly after you've had sufficient time to recover."
"It's like I said," Mitch remarked nonchalantly. "I didn't attack Sadie."
"Wait a moment," Hermione interrupted. "What do you mean by that? What do you mean by 'I didn't attack Sadie'? Was somebody else we don't know about involved?"
Bella, Desdemona, and Ginny broke off into whispered discussion again behind Hermione. Ron gave an audible groan, Sadie looked over fairly interested, and Luke clucked his tongue. Harry and McGonagall, however, remained silent.
An odd expression passed over Mitch's face. He looked like he was caught between a frown and a rather malicious grin and began moving his mouth, although no words came out. Finally, the grin won, and he beamed at Hermione. Hermione, however, was unnerved. It wasn't an ordinary smile; it was really quite disturbing.
"Remarkable question, Professor," he said smoothly. "But you're smart, aren't you? You should be able to figure that one out for yourself."
"Answer her question, Cattrall," Harry said fiercely.
The grin was suddenly replaced by the frown again. Mitch closed his eyes, as if struggling with some internal conflict. Odd grunts issued from his mouth and his arms began shaking. "I didn't – it was – attacked –"
"What's he trying to say?" Desdemona asked weakly.
"Can't – it – I can't –" Mitch's eyes flew open and before anyone could get another word out of him, a shadow of the malevolent grin flitted across his face, and he passed out cold.
Ginny gave a muted yelp and backed into the shadows again. Madam Lucille rushed forward and placed her hand on the boy's forehead. "Still alive," she muttered to herself. "Too stressed – needs rest, he does –"
"Get more Veritaserum," Ron ordered aloud, swiveling around to Desdemona.
"I can't," she said as if she wished otherwise. "That was my last bottle. It takes a month to stew properly and another month to grow the correct ingredients, and I'm all out."
Ron gave a yell of frustration and fell back into his seat, glowering at Desdemona.
Hermione was absolutely frightened. Something had been wrong with the boy – she knew it from the moment he smirked at her. Veritaserum was a truth potion and forced its taker to tell nothing but the truth. Mitch wanted to tell her something important; it had been clear from the way he struggled with words. Someone, however, didn't want him to. Well, it looks like they succeeded, she thought bitterly.
"He needs proper medical attention," said McGonagall in a composed yet quivering tone. "Professor Weasley, would you please contact St. Mungo's Hospital as quick as you can?"
Ginny nodded and ducked out the door, vanishing from sight.
"Was he – was he possessed, Professor?" Desdemona asked, staring at the boy with an open mouth but directing her question at McGonagall.
"No, I don't believe it was possession, though he certainly displayed the accurate symptoms. There are a number of possibilities, but as I am no doctor, I honestly cannot say."
"What about him?" Ron asked in a shaky voice. He pointed at Luke Barnes, who was staring at the ceiling with high curiosity.
"We've really gotten all the information we can," Hermione said quickly. "I don't think he'll be much help to us."
"Yes, but we might as well try," McGonagall said despairingly. She turned to Luke. "Mr. Barnes, did you strike Sadie Kinsey with your Beater's club?" she asked bluntly.
Luke shook his head, still gazing transfixed at the less-than-interesting ceiling.
"Did Mr. Cattrall attack the Seeker with the Cruciatus Curse?"
Luke shook his head again.
"You did hit Kinsey with your club!" Ron exclaimed madly. "What are you playing at? Kinsey just told us what you did, and under Veritaserum too! This isn't adding up!"
"Well, it wasn't me who hit Sadie, if that's what you're asking," Luke said. Hermione was startled; these were the first words he had yet spoken.
"What do you mean?" she asked carefully. Mitch had gone into a fit of hysterics at this same question; she didn't want to be responsible for another student's insanity.
"Me and Mitch never attacked Sadie," Luke continued placidly, finally lowering his eyes from the ceiling to stare at Hermione.
"Are you saying someone else did?" Hermione pried.
"I don't know," Luke muttered.
"What's that?"
"I don't know," he repeated more loudly. "I can't say."
A shocked silence followed this announcement. "You have to say," Harry said disbelievingly. "You're under Veritaserum."
"I know," Luke said, only mildly concerned. "But I can't say anything."
"You'll tell us everything we want to know, Barnes!" said Ron. Hermione saw a mad glint in his eye as he reached for his wand stowed away in his pocket.
"Mr. Weasley!" McGonagall cried incredulously. "Please! If the boy knows nothing more then we cannot force what we want to know out of him!"
"He knows something," Ron said unsteadily. "He has something to say, he just won't –"
"Madam Lucille, I think now would be an appropriate time for some dreamless sleep," McGonagall said loudly, overriding Ron's ranting. "There is nothing more to question these students about. You may release Mr. Barnes back to class when you see fit, but I think I am right in suggesting you keep Kinsey in the hospital wing for a while longer."
The infirmary witch nodded and moved around to spoon yet another tonic into Sadie's mouth, causing her to gag and sputter. McGonagall stood from her chair and walked towards the door.
"Thank you for your assistance," she said to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "I do hope you will remember our discussions we had prior to the questioning. Please see me if you have anything at all to report. You are dismissed."
The trio shakily rose to their feet and marched out the door McGonagall was holding open. Desdemona and Bella, who were whispering once again, closely followed, and with a short snap, the door to the hospital wing closed.
The hallway was quite silent, but in the distance, Hermione could hear faint voices echoing around what was presumably the Great Hall. Checking her watch, she realized they had talked straight through lunch, but didn't mind anymore – oddly enough, her appetite had vanished.
Upon entering the Entrance Hall, the group that had walked wordlessly through the corridors of Hogwarts broke apart and went off in different directions. Hermione made to follow Harry and Ron to the staff room, but at that very moment students began filtering out from the Great Hall and the front doors flew open to reveal a line of witches and wizards dressed in professional white robes rush in, led by Ginny.
"They're taking Cattrall to St. Mungo's," she muttered to Hermione as they passed. Three stretchers magically floated at the end of the line behind a short, irritable-looking witch. Awed students watched the procession disappear up the grand steps before stumbling towards Hermione and immediately engulfing her in a sea of questions.
"Are those doctors, Professor Granger? Did someone die? Are they getting cremated?"
"Don't be stupid, you idiot, they're Healers, and we don't cremate like Muggles do."
"But did someone die?"
"Where's my Seeker? I demand to know where my Seeker and Beaters are, I'm the Gryffindor captain, they're part of my team!"
"It's Luke Barnes okay? We're supposed to go to Hogsmeade together, he promised!"
"I heard Kinsey sprouted frog legs and hopped away into the Forbidden Forest, is that true?"
Hermione's shouts of pleaded silence were ineffective. She desperately glanced at Harry and Ron, who were watching from the top of the stone steps, but Ron muttered something in Harry's ear and dragged him out of Hermione's sight. Furious, she began assigning weeklong detentions to anyone and everyone within a ten-foot distance.
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Author's Notes, Edition Two: Just as a second reminder to you all – don't forgot to submit your reviews! No, really, now. I am at a point in this story where I need your help. The plot is slowly being revealed and if it's all getting far too confusing, I need to know so I can fix it. Or, if it's just far too stupid… well, I need to know that as well. This could turn out to be a complete pile of garbage if I don't have insight from my readers!
Just one word to keep on your mind as you depart…
… REVIEW!