"RONALD!"
"EYAHH!"
THUD!
Ron slowly picked himself off the floor, groaning in pain. He rubbed his head and glared at Hermione.
"Was that absolutely necessary?" He grumbled.
"Yes." Hermione said seriously. "Get dressed." She turned and left the boys dorm.
"Come on, mate. Today's the day." Harry said. "We're going to see if Alexander will come out. And Dumbledore said we can bring more food."
"And 'Ron, wake up.' Couldn't do?" Ron complained as he changed his clothes. "Or shake or tap me? You had to let her scream in my ear…"
"Believe me, I tried to wake you. I even threw my pillow at you." Harry said.
"And you couldn't have left it there for me to fall on?"
Harry grinned widely.
"You are such an ar-"
"Now, Ron." Harry said, imitating Mrs. Weasley. "We don't go around swearing everywhere. Honestly, set a good example for the younger children. I mean, you ARE a prefect!"'
"Two words, bugger off." Ron said.
"Would you tell your mother that?"
"Oh bloody- She's probably going to send me a Howler."
Ron's prediction came true as Errol flew in with a red envelope. Ron took it and ran out immediately. Everyone in the Great Hall only heard a loud, muffled voice. They couldn't make out what it was saying.
Luna and Ginny received regular letters. Luna's father said he was worried and hoped she didn't have too many Wrackspurts floating around near her. Mrs. Weasley told Ginny that she was never to go out in the forest without adult supervision again and that she was writing Ron to tell him off for including her. Colin's parents were also concerned that he would partake in more foolish things and told him to just keep doing well.
Harry received a letter from his uncle which stated that he had better not be kicked out of his 'freak' school because they didn't want to have to deal with his 'freakishness' more than they already had to.
Hermione's parents sent her a long letter full of worry and concern, hoping their daughter hadn't gone through a traumatic event that made her do such a reckless thing. She was told that she should stop hanging around the boys if they were pressuring her too much. They wanted to make sure she was using her conscience and following the rules.
Luna and Ginny met the trio in the Entrance Hall.
"Now what?" Ginny asked. "Personally, I was starting to get interested in this."
"Maybe you two should-"
"Harry!" A booming voice interrupted Ron.
"Oh no…" Harry groaned under his breath.
"I hear you've been getting yourself in trouble m'boy!" Professor Slughorn said as he approached. "Can I get you to come to a party of mine around noon? The Headmaster has informed me that you do not have a meeting. Madam Hooch has told me that today is reserved for Hufflepuff Quidditch practice. Miss Weasley, Miss Granger, I hope the two of you will grace us with your presence as well. Of course, Miss- I'm sorry, what was it again?"
"Lovegood, sir." Luna said politely while Ron rolled his eyes.
"Miss Lovegood is welcome to attend as well."
"I'm sorry, we got in trouble last night and my parents and her dad said we aren't allowed to party." Ginny said.
"Surely they do not have to be informed." Slughorn said with a wink.
"Sometimes I sleep talk." Luna said. "Especially if I've done something I shouldn't have."
"And if my Mum hears it from Mr. Lovegood, she'll get mad at me and my brother, Ron. More mad at Ron because he's supposed to be looking out for me like a good big brother…because he's my brother…Ron."
"Oh dear, I hope at least Mr. Potter and Miss Granger may attend?"
"Actually, we got in trouble last night." Harry said. "Ron, Hermione, and I are doing something for Hagrid. We were headed there now. Right, Ron?"
"Yes." Ron said loudly.
"Next time, maybe?" Slughorn asked, ignoring Ron.
"Maybe, just tell me the date." Harry said with a fake grin.
"Excellent, hope to see you later m'boy! Hopefully Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, and Miss Lovegood can come too."
The group collectively murmured. Slughorn beamed, taking that as a confirmation, and walked off.
"Five times…my name was said five times and he didn't even notice…I even said something!" Ron said. "What am I, chopped flobberworm?"
"Don't you mean chopped dragon liver?" Luna asked.
"No, because dragon liver is actually pretty cool. Flobberworms are not."
"Sorry Ron, but you know I don't want to go." Harry said.
"Yeah, but it would be nice to be invited…"
"Sorry, big brother, I tried." Ginny said.
"Oh well, let's move on." Luna said. "What shall we do?"
"We need to do research on how to-what?" Hermione looked offended at the groans.
"We already researched to find him, what else is there to know?" Ginny asked.
"Proper etiquette, how to dress, how to function in society, proper manners, speech, magic-"
"But we can teach him what we know…or what we learned from first and second year, he's twelve after all." Luna said.
"When I was twelve, I learned that diaries are evil and phoenix tears act faster than basilisk venom…oh and not to set pixies loose in a classroom." Harry said.
Hermione flushed. "Yes, but-"
"I learned how to fly to Hogwarts." Ron said, causing Hermione to blush deeper pink. "And that you make an attractive cat."
Luna and Ginny laughed.
"Good thing we had Professor Lupin in second year." Luna said. "He taught us very useful lessons."
"Hagrid taught us that it's sometimes good to judge a book by its cover." Harry said.
"That's our third year." Hermione said. "What else did we learn?"
"Well, first year, I learned that dragon bites are nasty." Ron said. "Oh, and I'm the chess master."
"I meant in lessons." Hermione said before Harry could input anything.
"Where page 394 is." Harry said.
Hermione whacked him. "Would you stop being cheeky and start being serious?"
"I can't, h-"
"One more word, Harry Potter and I swear I will-"
"What? Hex me in a soon to be crowded hall?"
"Hi Hagrid!" Ron said.
Hagrid approached them, his expression turned to a puzzled one when he saw Hermione glaring at Harry who was grinning at her.
"Don't ask." Ginny said. "Can we go look for Alexander now?"
"I was told to bring these three." Hagrid said. "But you two can help once we bring the kid in."
Ginny wanted to object, but Luna interrupted. "Okay, Professor." She said. "Let's go look for Nargles." She pulled Ginny along.
Hagrid shrugged and walked with the trio down to his hut. He retrieved his crossbow and adjusted it under his arm.
"That's a bit extreme." Hermione said.
"Wha' if a Death Eater came? Obviously I don't have me wand so I'll use this."
"Don't you have your umbrella that may or may not be concealing your wand?"
Hagrid nodded and patted one of his many pockets.
"Right, here we go."
"Hold on. I'm not going in that bloody forest!" Ron said.
"Oh yes you will."
"What makes you say that?" Ron asked as they exited the hut.
Harry grinned and whispered into Ron's ear.
Ron turned red. "You did NOT just say that."
"I did."
"HARRY POTTER YOU ARE DEAD!"
Harry ran into the forest with Ron hot on his trail.
"NO! Come back here!" Hagrid shouted.
"Those idiots are going to get themselves killed!"
Hagrid angrily stomped into the forest with Hermione trying to keep up with him.
"HARRY? RON?" Hagrid called. "Where are you? Hermione, I'd like help if you don't mind. Hermione?" He looked around, the bushy haired girl was nowhere in sight. "Galloping gargoyles, I've lost all three of them! HARRY, RON, AND HERMIONE WHERE ARE YOU?"
Hermione had heard a scuffling noise while trying to follow the half-giant's long strides. She approached the bushes where she thought the noise had come from. Her wand gripped firmly in her hand, she went through the bushes and found a trail of footsteps. She followed them until they stopped at a river.
"Harry bloody Potter where are you?" Ron's irritated voice rang out.
"Freeze!" Hermione hissed.
Ron stopped as he spotted Hermione with her hand held up.
"Alexander?" The girl said. "Are you around here? I'm sorry we scared you. We just want to be friends."
"AGH!"
Hermione swiveled around with her wand pointed at Ron. He stumbled to the ground, having been hit by a piece of pumpkin.
"What the-?"
"It came from the trees." Ron said, wiping the insides of the pumpkin off his head.
Hermione narrowly avoided a cream cake when it soared at her face.
"Hold on. We just want to talk." Hermione said.
A dark shadow leapt to a different tree. Another one jumped down to the ground.
"That was fun."
"Harry, you-"
"Shush, Ronald. Harry Potter, where have you been?"
"Having fun." Harry said. His hair was messier than ever with leaves and twigs in it. His robes were disheveled and dirt spattered. "Here, sniff my hand."
"What?" Hermione took a step backwards as Harry put his hand out.
"Why would she do that?" Ron said, approaching them.
"That's what he did." Harry whispered. "He sniffed my hand and then invited me to jump into a tree."
"O-kay…" Ron said.
Hermione shook her head and stepped back again.
"Hermione!" Ron shouted.
Hermione gasped and tried to reach for the boys, but she missed and fell into the river.
"Help!" She cried. Her robes tangled around her body, growing heavier and restricting her body movements.
Ron and Harry tore their robes off and chased her down the river. Ron jumped in as she was cast out into the lake.
Harry jumped in the lake, but he had lost sight of Hermione.
"Where'd she go?"
The boys held their breath and tried to find her in the murky water to no avail.
"Ouch." Harry said, rubbing his eyes. "I wish I had Gillyweed."
SPLASH!
"What the?" Ron said.
They looked to where the water had been disturbed. They went back under to see a dark shadow kicking up, dragging something with it.
"Hermione!" Ron gasped when he broke the surface.
The boys swam towards her when someone emerged from the water, dragging her up to the bank. Ron and Harry immediately checked her vital signs after taking off her tangled robe.
She coughed and blinked. "R-Ron?"
Ron chuckled weakly. "Please don't scare me like that again."
Hermione grinned.
"I'm sorry it's my fault." Harry said.
"No, it's mine. I wanted to go looking for something and I got us in trouble."
Ron helped her to Hagrid's hut while Harry followed the path back to their discarded robes. Fang had been let out and found Harry.
"Good boy, now go find Hagrid."
Fang barked and tore off into the trees.
Harry was makng his way back to the hut when a shadow caught his eye. Ron's robe slipped from his hand.
Harry's hand tightened on his wand, but loosened a little when he realized who it was.
"Hey, Alexander."
The wild boy came into the light. He had wild brown hair and blue eyes. He grinned at Harry.
"Thanks for saving Hermione. By the way, pumpkin clashes with Ron's hair."
The boy cocked his head.
"Do you want more of that food?"
Alexander perked up at the word and nodded vigorously.
"I can take you there. But first, we have to go to the giant man's house."
Alexander frowned.
"No, he's nice. He won't hurt you."
The boy gave a small smile He picked up Ron's robe and began to follow Harry.