Skinny Love - Ron Weasley

Chapter 11

"Stop it, Ron. You're making it snow." Hermione scolds.

"Tell me how I broke up with Lavender again." Ron requests.

Alex slowly stops chewing and looks up to meet Harry and Hermione's gaze, "Well, uh, she came to visit you in the hospital. And you talked. I don't believe it was a particularly long conversation."

"Don't get me wrong. I'm bloody thrilled to be shot of her. It's just she seems a bit... put out."

The Quartet all lean over to look at Lavender who glares at them as she draws on the table with a spoon, "Yes, um... She does, doesn't she? You say you don't remember anything from that night. Anything at all? Not even before the poison?"

"There is something," Ron says glancing to Alex beside him before quickly shaking his head in denial, "It can't be. I was completely boggled, wasn't I?"

Alex nods slowly, "Boggled. Yeah..."

"Harry... That's Katie. Katie Bell." Hermione says, Harry quickly gets to his feet chasing her down the tables before leaving the Hall a few moments later.

~~~~~

"Well, how do you feel?" Hermione questions.

She, Alex and Ron sit in front of Harry watching him as he takes the liquid luck, "Excellent. Really excellent."

"Remember, Slughorn usually leaves early, takes a walk, and then returns to his office."

Harry nods standing up which the others soon following, "Right. I'm going down to Hagrid's."

"What? No, Harry, you've got to go to speak to Slughorn."

Alex nods in agreement, "We have a plan. You can't break the plan."

"I know but I've got a really good feeling about Hagrid's. I feel it's-it's the place to be tonight. Do you know what I mean?"

The other three quickly shake their heads, "No."

Harry shrugs not looking too bothered, "Well, trust me. I know what I'm doing. Or Felix does. Hi!"

~~~~~

Alex sighs as she walks down the corridor a hand grips her arm and she yelps as Harry drags her towards the Astronomy tower, "Hello, Harold, how are you? Really? I'm fine, thanks for asking, oh no, carry on, I thoroughly enjoy getting dragged."

"Not now, Alex," Harry mumbles taking her up the many stairs, "We need your help?"

"We?"

"Yes." A voice says startling her, she turns to see Dumbledore standing with his hands folded in front of him.

She breaths out asking her head, "Blimey, sir, almost gave me a heart attack."

Dumbledore chuckles and walks forward, "Alexandra Minerva McGonagall," He ignores her clear disgust of her full name and raises a hand to silence her, "Harry has suggested you to help us, of course if-"

"Yeah." She shrugs.

"What?"

"I'll do it, I have History of Magic next and haven't finished my homework."

~~~~~

Dumbledore led them to a large cave where they stopped on a small island in the middle of the cave, "You're not going to kill us, are you?"

Dumbledore laughs quietly and shakes his head, "No, Alex, I am not."

He leads them to a small bowl of sorts that holds a cloudy liquid, "It has to be drunk. All of it has to be drunk. You remember the conditions on which I brought you with me? This potion might paralyze me. May make me forget what I'm doing here. Might cause me so much pain that I beg for relief. You are not to indulge these requests. It's your job, Harry, Alex, to make sure I keep drinking this potion. Even if you have to force it down my throat. Understood?"

"Why can't I drink it, sir?"

"I've drunk black coffee once surely this is better."

Albus shakes his head quickly, "Because I'm much older, much cleverer and much less valuable."

Dumbledore shakily raises the potion to his lips and drops the shell into the bowl as he falls back, the pair are quick to catch him and lay him down carefully, "Professor. Professor!"

"Professor. Can you hear me? Professor!"

Dumbledore points to the bowl and Harry runs back to it as Alex holds him up. After a few sips he begins to shake his head, "No. Don't..."

"You have to keep drinking like you said, remember?"

Harry makes him drink again before running off. "Almost there, Professor, I promise."

"Stop."

"I will stop. I will stop. But only- only if you keep drinking."

"Don't make me."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Kill me. Kill me! All my fault. My fault."

"Just one more, sir. One more, I promise. I promise I'll do what you say."

Harry sighs in relief when Dumbledore drinks the last drop of potion, Alex falls back against the rocks with a sigh of relief, "Harry. Water. Water."

"Water. Look, you did it, sir. Look." Harry calls running back over with a locket of sorts.

"Harry... water."

"Aguamenti!" Harry yells trying to refill the bowl.

Harry sighs when nothing happens and looks down at the water around them, leaning over he scoops up some water only to jump back suddenly, "Harry?"

Alex gets to her feet and walks towards the bowl where he has left the locket, she quickly grabs it stuffing it into her jean pocket.

"Lumos. Lumos maxima! Stupefy!"

"Harry."

A creature jumps from the water towards them making them stumble back, "Sectumsempra! Stupefy!"

The pair fire spells as the creatures walk closer and closer to them

"Harry..."

"Incarcerous! Stupefy!"

One grabs Harry dragging him under the water, "Harry!" Alex dives in after him hitting them with spells under the water and dragging Harry back to the surface, "H-Harry!"

"Partis Temporus!"