Dark Pasts { A Harry Potter Story }

Chapter 24 - The Mark

The Second Task was all anyone wanted to talk about. Seeing as no one knew exactly what had occurred at the bottom of the lake, Harry, Ron and Hermione were continually assaulted for answers. Fortunately, after two weeks, people finally began to occupy themselves with fresher gossip.

Like my classmates, I was very much looking forward to Saturday, which would be the next Hogsmeade visit. During breakfast on Friday, Ginny was raving about new Zonko's products she was dying to try when Hermione, Harry, and Ron joined us. With a smile, Harry took the spot next to me. Hermione glared at him for a moment before sitting opposite him.

Overhead, the swooshing of wings indicated that it was mail time. I received my usual letters from my dad and Remus, asking me how the term was going and so on. However, there was something unusual about my godfather's letter. At the end of it, he wrote

I tried to tell Padfoot it was too dangerous, but he would not listen, so just try and not be seen by anyone, alright?

Love, Remus

I turned to question Harry, but he was busy reading a letter. When he was done, he turned to me so that I could read it.

Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can.

Although still ambiguous, it somewhat cleared up Remus' letter.

"He's come to Hogsmeade?" I said incredulously.

"It looks like it, doesn't it?" Hermione said.

"I can't believe him," Harry said, "if he's caught . . ."

"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?" Ron said. "And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore."

After breakfast, we made our way to Snape's dungeon for double potions. The Slytherins were waiting by the door, all huddled in a corner and laughing.

"There they are, there they are!" Pansy giggled as she saw us. She was holding Witch Weekly. "You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!" she said and threw the magazine at Hermione.

The dungeon door opened and Snape beckoned us all inside. Once seated, Hermione flipped through the magazine until she landed on a page that presented a photograph of Harry above a piece titled Harry Potter's Secret Heartache. It was just another rubbish article delineating more dramatic episodes of the fictional love triangle between Harry, Hermione and Krum.

"I told you not to annoy Rita Skeeter!" Ron said. "She's made you out to be some sort of — of scarlet woman!"

The three of us looked at him, trying not to laugh.

"Scarlet woman?" Hermione said.

"It's what my mum calls them," Ron said, his ears going red.

"If that's the best Rita can do, she's losing her touch. What a pile of old rubbish," Hermione said. She looked at the Slytherins and gave them a sarcastic smile and wave.

"There's something funny though," she said after we had unpacked our ingredients for the Wit-Sharpening Potion. "How could she have known ?"

"Known what?" I said.

"How did she know Viktor asked me to visit him over the summer?"

"What?" Ron said.

"He asked me after the task," Hermione said quickly.

"And what did you say?" Ron asked

"And he did say he'd never felt the same about anyone else," she added, causing me to smirk. "But how could Rita Skeeter have heard him? She wasn't there . . . or was she? Maybe she has got an Invisibility Cloak. . . ."