Moonstruck Madness: Chapter 11

The Flying Squid Incident Part 2

"I'd rather walk calmly along and do without the flying and the thud." Marilla, Anne of Green Gables

Miraculously, they'd been able to keep the Flying Squid incident out of Hogwarts' gossip network. Hagrid, however, still didn't quite understand why a harried Hermione had burst into his hut, followed by Gilbert and Anne, who looked even more so. Apparently, for no reason.

Anne eventually explained all that had happened to Hermione, but she was seething, rather shaken, and on the whole, tight-lipped about it for a long while. Hermione finally wheedled the whole story out of Anne just before their first flying lesson.

Hermione's broom was causing her numerous problems. It simply refused to get off the ground – none of the tips her book had suggested were working. Anne's broom came up into her hands nearly as quickly as Ron's and Gilbert's had jumped up. Hermione noted that Harry's broom had been one of the first to rise.

Then Neville went and shot off into the air in panic, fell on his wrist with a nasty crack.

"Broken wrist," Hooch muttered, bending over him. "Come on, up you get."

To the rest of the class, she warned, "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'! Come on, dear."

Neville, his face white and his wrist at an unnatural angle, went off with Madame Hooch to the hospital wing.

Hermione was sorry for him, but she secretly thought that being so nervous always caused problems.

"Shut up, Malfoy." shouted Anne, pulling Hermione out of her musings.

Malfoy ignored her. "Look! It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

"Give that here, Malfoy." Harry said quietly.

Malfoy's two goons whose names Hermione could never remember moved up behind him silently. Ron and Gilbert shifted to flank Harry equally quietly.

Anne immediately turned away from the whole scene, realizing with a sinking feeling, that it was a Friday. The squid incident had been a Friday.

After a brief, heated exchange, Malfoy and Harry both took off into the air. Hermione was absolutely furious. He was going to get them all in trouble!

Ron whooped loudly, and Gilbert laughed. Anne shot them a menacing glare. Ron glared right back, but Gilbert ignored her. Hermione was momentarily distracted. Was Gilbert really that insulted by Anne's refusal of his friendship?

She turned back to the debacle above again, only to see the Remembrall falling from the sky. Hermione shrieked and grabbed Anne, who was directly in its path, and pulled her out of the way just in time for Harry to swoop down and grab it.

Professor McGonagall suddenly appeared, and, after much shouting, she took Harry back inside the castle.

"It wasn't his fault!" said Ron. Gilbert nodded silently in agreement.

"No one forced him to take off after Malfoy!" Hermione spat. Anne stood next to her, confirming her every word with her angry gaze.

Ron and Hermione continued to shout at each other and Anne and Gilbert continued to pretend to ignore each other until Madam Hooch returned. She was presented with an extremely jumbled retelling of the events from no less than ten different people at once. She had to threaten to give all of them detention for them to all be quiet and answer her questions about what had happened.

"He caught it in his hand after a fifty-foot dive?" said Madam Hooch, impressed.

"Without even hitting the ground," confirmed Gilbert. Anne shifted slightly away, towards Hermione. Hermione was still trying to understand why they were now acting as if the space the other occupied was empty air.

"And Professor McGonagall took him off to her office?"

"She didn't say that that was where they were going, but it probably was." replied Anne. Gilbert was slightly better at concealing his reactions; he didn't even blink.

"Well, then, class dismissed! My, my, what an incredible…" Madam Hooch murmured to herself in impressed tones as the students started to leave. Anne and Hermione took off immediately. The others all straggled behind, but Gilbert waited until they were well out of sight anyway before heading off with Ron.

Madam Hooch had noticed the animosity between Anne and Gilbert. She wondered to herself how on earth they could have offended each other so deeply.