Black's Daughter And The Half-Blood Prince [Book 3]

The Meeting

Just a while later Alecto heard shouts from the room Hermione was staying in, the twins suddenly apparated, she rolled her eyes, left her room and walked up the stairs and entered the room from which the shouts came from, there she saw Harry, Ron, Hermione and the twins.

“You don’t want to bottle up your anger like that, Harry, let it all out,” said Fred, who was beaming. “There might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn’t hear you.”

“You two passed your Apparation tests, then?” asked Harry grumpily.

“With distinction,” said Fred, who was holding what looked like a piece of very long, flesh-coloured string.

“It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer to walk down the stairs,” said Ron.

“Time is Galleons, little brother,” said Fred. “Anyway, Harry, you’re interfering with reception. Extendable Ears,” he added in response to Harry’s raised eyebrows, and held up the string which Harry now saw was trailing out on to the landing.

Alecto rolled her eyes and walked to them, "Hi, Harry." She greeted him, she had a slight idea what he was going through along with Cedric's death, she also witnessed it in a way, but she knew she didn't fully understand.

"Hi..." he greeted hesitantly, he was still angry about being in the dark with all this, but he didn't know that they also didn't know much about what was going on.

Fred spoke up again–
“We’re trying to hear what’s going on downstairs.”

“You want to be careful,” said Ron, staring at the Ear, “if Mum sees one of them again…”

“It’s worth the risk, that’s a major meeting they’re having,” said Fred.

The door opened and a long mane of red hair appeared.

“Oh, hello, Harry!” said Ron’s younger sister, Ginny, brightly. “I thought I heard your voice.”

Turning to Fred and George, she said, “It’s no-go with the Extendable Ears, she’s gone and put an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door.”

“How d’you know?” said George, looking crestfallen.

“Tonks told me how to find out,” said Ginny. “You just chuck stuff at the door and if it can’t make contact the door’s been Imperturbed. I’ve been flicking Dungbombs at it from the top of the stairs and they just soar away from it, so there’s no way the Extendable Ears will be able to get under the gap.”

Fred heaved a deep sigh.

“Shame. I really fancied finding out what old Snape’s been up to.”

“Snape!” said Harry quickly. “Is he here?”

“Yeah,” said George, carefully closing the door.

Alecto looked at them again, they mentioned it to her earlier, that he was here.

“Giving a report. Top secret.”

“Git,” said Fred idly.

“He’s on our side now,” said Hermione reprovingly.

Ron snorted. “Doesn’t stop him being a git. The way he looks at us when he sees us.”

“Bill doesn’t like him, either,” said Ginny, as though that settled the matter.

Alecto sat down on one of the beds, she wanted to argue so bad, but she knew she couldn't let anyone know about her and Severus, she didn't like the fact that none of her friends liked him but she couldn't argue about it, he did give them all nasty looks, even Alecto from time to time.