Hermione sits on her bed, thinking as she reads the latest letter from Astoria. After a moment, her face clouds over and she balls up the parchment, hurling it across the wall with a primal screech of anger.
Lavender Brown looks up from her spot on her bed, where she is hard at work. That is, if you consider painting your toenails 'Perfectly Plum' while flipping through the latest edition of Witch Weekly, work.
"Something wrong Granger?"
Hermione flicks her glance to the wastebasket, where the paper was nestled comfortably between a couple of Lavender's old love letters from Seamus, and one of Parvati's coupons that advertised 50% off any Honeydukes sweets as long as she joined their 'Candy of the Month Club.'
Lavender expertly navigates her way through the room to the wastebasket (without messing up her toes) and plucks the letter from the can, reading quickly.
She shoots Hermione an apologetic glance, and embraces her roommate in a hug. "How long has this... snake been blackmailing you?" Lavender asks.
"About a month."
Thinking hard, the normally airheaded girl flops down on the bed again. She brushes the magazine and nail polish away with a flick of her wand.
"Sit down," Lavender says, patting the space next to her. "The way to get even with a Slytherin, is to play dirty like a Slytherin." She gives a smirk to rival Malfoy's.
Hermione is instantly nervous for her friend. "I don't think you should get involved. Astoria was very clear that we shouldn't tell anyone about this because-"
"We?"
Lavender raises her eyebrows, willing Hermione to tell her who else is involved in this. "Luna and Ginny," Hermione answers breathlessly. She instantly feels weight being lifted off her chest, but it comes back.
"So what exactly is she blackmailing you with?" Hermione notices that Lavender has gone back to Witch Weekly, and doesn't respond, in hopes that gossip will distract the girl.
No such luck.
"You have to have dirt on the person, that's how blackmailing works," Lavender says, looking up at Hermione. "So what's Astoria got on you, Granger?"
Hermione tells her.
"Really? I didn't even think it was possibly to fail a year at Hogwarts, let alone for Hermione Granger."
Hermione shoots Lavender a death look. "For your information, Hermione Granger has never failed. Hermione Puckle, on the other hand..." Hermione's voice trails off.
"Just promise me you won't say anything," she orders.
Silence.
"Lavender! Promise me you won't mention this to anyone!"
No sound except the pages of Witch Weekly flipping absently.
"Promise!"
Lavender scowls and slides off the bed. She tosses her long hair over her shoulder, and waddles in the direction of the bathroom, without getting her nails smudged. "Fine, I promise."
Then she shuts the lavatory door behind her. Once Lavender is out of Hermione's earshot, she smirks.
"I promise to talk to a certain third-year Slytherin. After all, what could possibly go wrong?"
Astoria tapped her wand menacingly against her thigh, glaring coldly at her adversary. "I'm sure Granger told you not to meddle," she said, staring Lavender down.
The sixth year glanced at the third year, who was a good two heads shorter than her. But the glint in Astoria's eyes was what scared Lavender. The look said that Astoria would kill Lavender with just two words, and think about it later.
"She did."
Astoria gave a little girl giggle, and twirled her wand. She studied Lavender, as if thinking of the best way to dissect her, which she might have been.
"I'm not going to 'avada' you," Astoria said dismissively. "To many tracks to cover, if you use an unforgivable."
This made Lavender even more fidgety. Astoria was going to kill her?
As if in reply to her question, Astoria wordlessly transfigured a nearby stick into an axe. She waved it at Lavender.
The latter began to pray. Lavender had never been the religious type, but she prayed to every deity she could think of.
'Please don't let her kill me, please don't let her kill me, please don't let her-'
The axe connected with her skull and everything went dark.
Astoria smiled smugly to herself, admiring her handiwork. Lavender's eyes were still open, her mouth hanging slack, and her arms and legs at odd angles.
The Slytherin spat on Lavender's lifeless body, added a kick for good measure, and sauntered away.
She had a letter to write.
The next day at breakfast, Professor Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement.
"Last night, six-year Gryffindor Lavender Brown was found murdered by the lake. There was an axe lodged in her head."
A hush fell over the Great Hall. Everyone stared at each other, confused. How could she be dead?
Hermione stood up so fast, her knees banged against the table. She could feel the bile creeping up her throat. She left the Great quickly running to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Hermione began to vomit loudly into a toilet, coughing and spluttering.
Ginny and Luna were on her heels, and Ginny held Hermione's hair up while she emptied her stomach, and Luna stood guard at the door, keeping people out.
When she finished, Hermione laid her head on the cool porcelain.
"What happened?" Ginny asked. She looked concerned as she felt her friend's forehead anxiously.
Hermione started crying. "It's my fault. I told Lavender what h-happened, and she went after Astoria, and Astoria killed Lavender because she knew t-too much!"