Chapter 3: Finding Help

Harry stared down at the Prefect Badge in front of him. It had now been two weeks since he found it and there were only two choices. Number one and the most obvious, was that the person was a Prefect. Number two and least likely was that the Prefect Badge had been dropped before hand. That theory was squashed by a nagging Ginny, who so politely pointed out that if had been dropped before. The books would have been i over /i the badge, not under it. The one thing Harry knew was that who ever dropped the badge; either was or knew the person Hermione was trying to hide from him and Ron.

Harry leaned against the side of the tree and sighed. How was he supposed to find out who this guy was? He had eight choices of who it could be. He copied all the names of the Prefects onto a piece of paper.

Hermione Granger

Ronald Weasley

Ernie Macmillan

Hannah Abbott

Anthony Goldstein

Padma Patil

Pansy Parkinson

Draco Malfoy

He immediately crossed off Hermione's name; she was with him when it happened. Harry was about to cross off Ron's name when he decided against it. You can never be too careful. It was a better idea to see where he had been at the time. Harry stretched and looked across the lake. Well he had seven names and the sooner he started the sooner he'd finish. It just seemed like a waste of a perfectly good day.

Harry found Ron dozing in one of the armchairs by the fire. He sat down next to him and watched for a bit. It couldn't be Ron, he would have told him, but then again… Ron had been known not to tell Harry a few things. Well better safe than sorry.

"Ron!" Harry shouted. Ron woke up startled.

"It wasn't me mum!" Ron looked around with a scared expression on his face. "Oh, Harry, it's just you." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ron, where were you when I went to see Hermione in the library?" Harry looked at Ron attentively.

"I was with Ginny, sitting here in front of the fire, talking about… stuff."

Without another word Harry went over to Ginny, who was playing with Crookshanks on the floor. She looked up startled as Harry bent down to talk to her.

"Ginny…" Harry began.

"Harry I'm not going to tell you who Hermione is…" It was Harry's turn to cut her off.

"No. It's not that," he said hurriedly. "I just want to know if you and Ron were in front of the fire talking around dinner time yesterday."

"Yeah, why? Did Ron tell you what we were talking about?" She asked suddenly.

"No, why? What were you talking about?" Harry looked at her with interest.

"Nothing," with that she stood up and left.

Harry crossed off Ron's name and looked to see who was next. Ernie Macmillan. Harry didn't exactly know where to find him, he could be anywhere at the moment. He could always wait until Herbology. But this was too important to put down now and wait.

Eventually Harry found Ernie in the library. He had a book propped open on the table in front of him with one hand, and with the other was writing down notes at top speed. His Prefect Badge was set on the left side of his robe. Harry fingered the badge in his pocket; Ernie could have gotten a replacement.

"Hey Ernie," Harry said sitting down next to the Hufflepuff.

"Hello Harry," Ernie replied without looking up.

"When was the last time you were in the library?" This caused Ernie to look up at him; guilt was clearly on his face.

"Well, to tell you the truth Harry. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I haven't step foot inside the library for over a week."

"Well, you'll catch up don't worry." Harry patted him on the back and stood up. "By the way, do you know where I can find Hannah?"

"Aye, I do. She should be in the Great Hall. Lately she has been hanging out there; it seems that some of the second years have started an illegal dueling club. It is rumored that is where they meet. She had been trying to catch them since last month."

"Thanks Ernie and good luck with your studies." Harry got up and left. Taking the paper out of his pocket as he went, Harry crossed off Ernie's name. The next stop was the Great Hall.

Harry found Hannah eyeing a suspicious group of second years when he got to the Great Hall. Like Ernie, she had her Prefect Badge on the left side of her robe. It glistened in the light issuing through the open door. With a pang Harry looked out side, it was beautiful day. The birds were chirping and a bunch of kids were laughing by the lake as the giant squid wallowed in the shallow end. He turned his attention back to Hannah.

"How is the hunt going?" Harry asked eyeing the second years as well.

"Well, I've been fallowing them every day, thy also meet around dinner time. Ernie use to come and help, but…" She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "It was keeping him from going to the library." She shrugged.

"So you do this every day?"

"Yes?"

"And around dinner time as well?"

"What is this an interrogation? I'm always here around dinner time."

"Good luck." With that Harry left. The paper now only had four names on it. Harry strode off looking for his next suspect.

Anthony Goldstein was next on the list, Harry wouldn't normally know where to find him, but on his way out of the Great Hall he decided to take a break and go outside. As soon as he got there, he noticed that Anthony was over by the lake talking to some of the girls. When Harry got there, all the girls were giggling at something Anthony had said.

"Hey Anthony," Harry said, making him jump two feet in the air. At this the girls burst out into laughter.

"Hey Harry," Anthony went red in the face at the girls laughter.

"Where were you yesterday around dinner time?"

One of the girls over heard him and answered. "He was out here with us. Since it doesn't get dark till late we were out here waiting for the sun to go down. Anthony was with us."

"Well thank you." Harry went off crossing Anthony's name off as he went.

Harry didn't have to check with Padma, because she was complaining loudly at dinner yesterday, about how she had to do rounds on the sixth floor, right before dinner. Harry crossed her name off and his stomach tightened as he looked down at the next name. Draco Malfoy.

He found Malfoy by himself in the corridor on his way to the Great Hall. Harry was shocked; he had never seen Malfoy by himself. Malfoy was walking in circles talking to himself, but stopped when he heard Harry.

"Oh, it's you Potter," he drawled when he saw Harry.

"Malfoy, I have to ask you a question." Harry looked every where but at Malfoy.

"What does the famous Harry Potter want to know?" Malfoy looked amused.

"Where were you yesterday around dinner time?"

"None of you business Potter, but if you have to know I was stuck doing rounds with Patil."

Harry was about to say thank you, but realized who he was talking to. So instead just went past him and into the Great Hall. He looked down at his list crossing out the last name. His theory was in ruins, he must have made a mistake some where. He scanned the list again. Then his eyes stopped on Pansy Parkinson. He had skipped her name! His hope soared and he went to lunch.

He sat down across from Ron and Hermione in order to keep an eye on Pansy. She was sitting next to Malfoy and laughing. Every once and a while her eyes would flicker onto Hermione, but she stopped when she noticed Harry was watching her.

"Harry!" Harry snapped out of it when Ron shouted his name.

"Ah, what?" Harry asked.

"I was just saying to Ginny, that you are still trying to find out who Hermione goes and sees everyday." He motioned to Hermione's empty seat, and Harry stared. He hadn't even noticed that she had left.

"Yeah," Harry muttered his eyes back on Pansy.

"Forget it," Ron said and he went on talking to Ginny.

Just then, Harry saw Pansy get up and leave. Quickly Harry got up and left, hurrying just a tad so that he and Pansy left at the same time. After they got into the Great Hall, Pansy grabbed and pushed him down into an empty corridor.

"Why where you staring at me at lunch?" She demanded.

"Why where you staring at Hermione?" Harry retorted.

"I wasn't."

"And I wasn't staring at you. By the way, you dropped this in the library." He was making a bold move, but that was the only way he was going to get answers. He held out the Prefect Badge to her.

She stared at him for a moment then took her badge from his hand. Harry felt a successful feeling envelope him.

"How did you know it was me?" She asked bewildered.

"I asked everyone else first," he said truthfully. "Why were you spying on Hermione anyway?"

"You'll laugh," she said simply.

"Trust me; I don't consider this a laughing matter." Harry was serious.

"Well, I have a feeling that she is seeing a Slytherin privately." She confessed.

"I know that she is meeting someone privately, but I don't know who. Are you sure it is a Slytherin?"

"Positive." She seemed happy that Harry was taking her seriously.

"I have to find out who."

"So do I." They stared at each other; they knew what they had to do to solve this mystery. "I guess we'll have to work together to solve it." Pansy voiced what they were both thinking.

"Yeah, I guess so," Harry answered.

"Meet me here tonight at seven, they meet in the dungeons at eight, so that will give us time to get to the dungeons and everything."

"How will we know which dungeon to go to?"

"Leave that to me." With that Pansy disappeared around the corner.

Harry felt a sensation in the pit of his stomach. Tonight he was going to find out who Hermione was hiding from him and Ron.