Harry wasted no time calling a meeting of the Ambassadors. They met in Harry's room the next day, sitting on the floor in a circle with the vial in the middle.

Ron was late.

Neville filled the air with ramblings about cold nights and wanting more blankets, complaining about not being able to sleep. No one was paying him much attention. Hermione looked at her watch three times, frowning when Ron still didn't show up.

"So what did you want to talk to us about, Harry?" Hermione asked impatiently.

"Well, we should really wait for Ron-"

Ron came skidding into the room, almost knocking down the vial. His robes were askew and his hair windswept.

"Sorry, lost track of time," he panted, leaning against the wall to catch his breath.

"Lost track of time doing what, exactly?" Hermione said, frowning.

"Playing Quidd-It's none of your business, Hermione!"

"It's everyone's business when you're late and holding up the entire meeting!"

Ron huffed and sank to the floor next to them all, grumbling.

"If you're done bickering," Harry said, annoyed, "I'd like to get started."

"Go ahead," Hermione said bitterly. "I'm done talking to him."

"Remember when Hermione found the brick, and Neville saw Dumbledore down by the Potions classroom? I think there really is something going on. I can feel it." He took a deep breath.

"Are we supposed to go investigating after a vague gut feeling?" Ron asked, a hint of sarcasm darkening his tone.

Ignoring the tension building up, Harry said: "So. I was down at the Potions classroom the other night, and-"

"By yourself? When?" Neville said. "Why didn't you bring us?"

"It was midnight, and I was using the Cloak-"

"Harry! McGonagall told us not to go snooping! You're going to get into trouble!" Hermione looked shocked.

"Well, I went there anyway, and no one saw me, so it was all right-"

"It doesn't matter if no one saw you, they could have heard you or someone could find out later on-"

"Why couldn't I have come too? I'm your best mate; I know how to stay quiet!" Ron interjected.

"WILL YOU JUST LET ME TALK?!" Harry yelled, silencing them all. He took a couple deep breaths to calm himself before beginning again.

"I saw Vulchanova down there, holding a lantern, in front of the Potions classroom. Scared me half to death, too, but she left and I was able to get into the classroom. The door screeched, though, and after I got inside and hid, Vulchanova brought Blacke and they investigated the noise. I got a bit of their conversation and that." Harry pointed to the vial, the liquid inside sloshing sickeningly.

"What was Vulchanova doing down there without Blacke in the first place?" Ron said. "Isn't Blacke the Potions master?"

"Did Blacke say what it was?" Hermione said, holding the bottle up to the light. "It's a potion, but what does it do?"

"I don't know," Harry said. He passed it to Neville, who took the bottle warily.

"This is the thing Blacke wouldn't let me touch on the tour day," Neville said, gingerly inspecting it.

"Give it here," said Ron. Neville quickly gave it to him.

"Looks a bit like goo," Ron muttered. "Could be dangerous, though. Reckon we should just chuck it in the bin and be done with it, Harry?"

"No!" Hermione said, looking scandalized. "Ron, that could be valuable evidence! What if it does great things or something? Obviously, I'm not saying we should use it or anything, but we shouldn't just throw it away! It could end up in the wrong hands."

Harry took the potion from them and placed it carefully into his trunk.

"Listen, there's something else I want to tell you," Harry said, wanting to share about Vulchanova's drawn look, her bones and eyeballs protruding horribly. But before he had a chance to, the door swung open and all of them looked up guiltily as if caught doing something forbidden (which, in a way, they were), except Hermione.

She stood up and embraced the newcomer.

"Viktor! I didn't think you'd come!"

"Him?!" Ron yelped, leaping to his feet. "He's here?"

Viktor looked a bit surprised, if not hurt and confused.

"Ron!" Hermione shouted. "What is wrong with you?"

"You invited him?" Ron said incredulously.

"Of course!"

Harry didn't know what to say. He and Neville slowly shrunk away from the argument, Harry making sure the potion was tucked well out of sight. Viktor, he wasn't sure he could trust. Krum idolized Vulchanova and it was hard to believe that he wouldn't go running off to tell her what they'd found. For all Harry knew, Viktor could be in on the whole potion scheme.

"If you don't vant me here, I vill leave," Viktor said, looking uncomfortable and angry.

"No!" Hermione said, a bit desperately. "No, don't go! Ron-you-we have to tell you something, Viktor. Harry's been-"

"Oh, come on Hermione! Are you mental?"

"Ron!"

"If it makes you happy, I vill go." Viktor said, glaring at Ron, who glared right back.

"Go on, then." Ron said loudly, crossing his arms.

"You are so rude, Ronald Weasley! He has a right to know!"

But Viktor had already left.

"And you!" Hermione said, spinning around and pointing at Harry and Neville, sitting on the ground. They shrank under her livid gaze. "Why didn't you help me convince Viktor to stay? We need to tell him; it's his school too-"

"He would've gone blabbing to Vulchanova the second he walked out the door!" Ron yelled so loudly Neville covered his ears, wincing.

"You don't know that! He's a nice person, really-"

"You think you know him so well, with you study sessions-"

"It's none of your business, Ron, and I do know him so well-" Bright spots of pink had appeared on Hermione's cheeks; she looked ready to start throwing punches.

"Now he knows we've got something, some information that we shouldn't have-"

"He wouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly, and even if he did, so what?"

"So what? So what?! Then the whole school would know, Dumbledore would know, even McGonagall would know something's up and Harry will get in trouble. We'll get kicked out! We'll-"

"Oh, shut up, Ron! Everyone knows you've hated Viktor since the Triwizard Tournament! You're acting childish! This isn't about you, you know!"

"I never said it was about me, I'm just worried about Harry-"

"Sure! That's what this is all about. Harry's safety. Right. Of course." Hermione snapped sarcastically. Harry wanted them to end their feud, but he knew it wouldn't help matters if he spoke up now.

"It is, I-" Ron sputtered, looking aghast.

"You're too self-centered to see anyone else, Ron! Open your eyes! No one objected to Viktor being here! It was only you and your big head, always opening your mouth and ruining everything! And if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find Viktor so I can apologize to him about your utter disrespect." Hermione said scathingly, and spun on her heel to storm out of the room.

Ron looked sullen. Neville, scared and anxious, got up, said a hurried goodbye to Harry, and fled.

Harry got up with a sigh, and put his arm around Ron, who stared at the floor, his ears red.

"I ruin everything?" Ron mumbled, so quietly that Harry didn't know whether Ron was talking to him or just talking to himself.

"I just wish you two would stop fighting," Harry said, trying for a soothing tone but unable to keep a few notes of bitterness out of his voice.

Ron scrubbed a hand over his face. "I try, Harry, I really do-but-I don't know."

"It's okay," Harry sighed. He was used to them fighting, anyway. But this time didn't really seem like they'd be able to make up in a few days. It was probably best to give each of them some space. Hermione had probably headed to the library, maybe with Viktor. Ron left for his chamber, and Neville was nowhere to be found, so Harry rolled the vial around on his palm, alone after the aftermath of their meeting.

Uncorking it, he took a delicate whiff. The smell of overly sweet perfume, floral and sickening, invaded his nostrils at once. Where had he smelled that before?