Poison Pen

Chapter 15: Out of the Horse's Mouth

Harry sat down with a weary sigh. Hermione sat directly across from him at the library table, while Ron and Ginny flanked him. Ginny was on his left and Ron on his right. From the determined look on Hermione's face, he got the distinct impression he was in for a rough time. 'Let the interrogation begin,' he thought.

"Harry?" asked Ginny. "Just where do you go when you disappear?"

Harry looked at her coldly. 'Ah, the opening salvo.'

"Yea mate," Ron said, looking up from the charms essay he was working on. "We need to know in case something happens."

Harry closed his eyes in disgust. "It really is none of your business, but if you must know, some place where I can think." He replied in an icy voice. "I'm tired of the stares and whispers and getting bloody tired of people asking me about how I feel about Twist's articles!" Then his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Can't I have at least some privacy of my own?"

"But we're your friends, Harry. You can tell us anything," Hermione pleaded.

"Are you really?" Harry asked in disbelief. "Does that work both ways? Tell me 'Mione, when was the last time you and Ron snogged? Any plans on shagging soon?" He leered at her.

Hermione choked, turning bright scarlet at his words. Madam Pince shushed them from her desk.

Ginny batted the back of Harry's head. "Yes we are your friends. And mind your mouth Harry!"

"Ow! Bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?"

Ginny grinned and shrugged. "Something to remind you that we are still here for you. You can tell is anything."

Harry huffed and returned to his homework, ignoring his friends. "Yeah, right. Anything. Just like you lot tell me anything."

"Well?" Hermione demanded, struggling for control of her blush.

Harry looked up. "When you see your way clear to answer all of my questions, I'll think about answering yours. Until then, it is simply none of your business. You are not my mother. You are not related to me in any way. I don't have to tell you anything, unless I want to, and I don't. Friends respect each other's privacy and we all know I have none, thanks to this bloody scar." His three companions sat in shocked silence.

"Hey Harry!"

"Hey mate!"

Harry's attention was immediately drawn to the pair of identical red headed twins that were bearing down on them.

"Yeah Forge and Gred?"

"Help us out here, mate..."

"Yeah, who do you think is Oliver Twist?"

Harry groaned, ducking his head, but was silently thankful for the change of subject. "Well, I personally think he's two people. One doing research and one doing the writing. There is no way one person is doing it all," he said while cackling silently. Right, now that Professor Flitwick is helping him, there really are two people working on the articles. Well, sort of. The professor had been a fountain of information and research opportunities.

"Why hasn't he come out of the closet?" Ginny asked in an attempt to ease the tension.

"Well, he would be expelled..." Fred said.

"Too right, there, Gred." George agreed. "Snape is already on the warpath. He wants the articles to cease now. He doesn't like his main source of entertainment under scrutiny."

"Not to mention our fearless headmaster, Forge."

Hermione huffed. "Well, whoever Oliver Twist is, he should be expelled! He's destroying the reputation of our school!"