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Chapter 2

An Ominous Feeling

The next day, Ron woke up with an ominous feeling he just couldn't place. He lay in bed, wondering vaguely if the day was some sort of anniversary or birthday, but finally dismissed it as an empty stomach and began to get dressed. It was only while he was hunting socks under the bed that he remembered about the cat. Having it stare at him with glassy eyes helped matters considerably.

He straightened up quickly, eyes darting furtively around him to check whether the dormitory was, indeed, empty. After checking everyone's bed, and even under them all, he began pacing up and down the room, pondering the disposal of The Evidence.

That was when he saw the lake. The rusty cogwheels of his mind began turning, ever so slowly (they hadn'thad much practice). And he had an Idea.

He grabbed his schoolbag, and emptied from it dusty inkbottles, chocolate wrappers, bits of doodled-on parchment, and an absolute absence of books, before stuffing the cat in. "There", he thought, "it should be comfortable enough." He frowned for a moment. "At least, it would have been, had it still been alive."

It was time for breakfast. Perfect! Everyone would be in the Great Hall, giving him a clear field. He sneaked down the stairs to the common room, which was mercifully empty, except for a few fellow stragglers whom he didn't know anyway.

Ron raced through the castle, not stopping till he was safely outside the great oak front doors. Breathing heavily, but determined not to stop till he was at the lake, he ran on through the school grounds, sliding to a stop at the lake. That was when he saw the giant squid, floating lazily at the surface, it's tentacles spread out behind it.

He wondered for a moment whether the giant squid would mind sharing its lake with a dead cat. Nah..not unless Crookshanks had tried to eat it. He frowned. The trouble was, that was exactly the sort of thing Crookshanks would do. Besides, the giant squid was not alone, it suddenly propelled itself a few inches through the water, enabling him to see...

"Hello Luna" said Ron, trying not to show his discomfort at seeing her there." What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hello Ron" said Luna vaguely. "I've just been talking to Charles Marshall George Wellington the Third. "

"Who?"

"I call him Boris for short.He's just been telling me how lonely it gets down here."

"Oh…right" said Ron "Well, its wish is about to be granted"

He quickly drew the cat out of his bag and flung it into the lake.

No one believes a word old Loony says anyway, he reasoned with himself.

"Ron?" an unwelcomingly familiar voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"Morning Hermione" said Ron in what he hoped was a normal voice.

"What're you doing here?" Hermione asked uncertainly, her eyes wandering between Luna and Ron.

"Nothing" said Ron quickly, turning red.

"If you call throwing cats into the lake 'nothing'" said Luna absently. "Where's Boris gone?" she suddenly asked in a sharper voice.

Ron shrugged and gave Hermione a look that plainly said, "You're going to believe something she says?"

"Oh there he is!" Luna suddenly exclaimed. "I think he likes the cat. Look! He's playing with him"

As one, Ron and Hermione turned towards the lake in time to see a cat being tossed up into the air only to be caught again by a large tentacle. There was definitely no mistaking that ginger hair from this short distance.

"Crookshanks?" Hermione said faintly.

Ron winced. First came the shock, then came the-

"RONALD MURIEL WEASLEY! HOW COULD YOU THROW MY CAT INTO THE LAKE?"

"It wasn't…I mean I…"

"YOU GET MY CAT OUT THIS MINUTE OR THERE'LL BE HELL TO PAY"

"What!" Ron said flabbergasted. "What's the point of going into the lake after a dead cat?"

That had not been the smartest thing to say.

"Dead?" Hermione's voice was so faint Ron could barely hear her. And with a sinking feeling he saw tears welling up in her eyes. Then, without a word, she turned on her heel and hurried away.

"Damn it!" Ron muttered to himself. He knew better than to go after her. If he did, he'd probably find himself under the Bat Bogey Hex. (He had heard Ginny teaching Hermione that one)

He sighed and started to make his way back to the castle for breakfast. The ominous feeling had turned out to be hunger after all.

-Hyperactive snails (yeah, freexrule again, I just do all the author's notes and take full credit ;)