Love at First Sight (Harry Potter)

The Second Task

|RIA WEASLEY'S P.O.V.|

"You said you'd already worked out that egg clue!"

It was the day after Harry and I's escapade to the prefects' bathroom — and, therefore, the day after our run-in with Moody. Harry was trying to explain everything to Ron and Hermione. However, as soon as she had heard that Harry lied about when he'd first figured out the egg's clue, Hermione completely lost it.

She was glowering at him now, her face red with anger. It was a good thing that he was sat furthest away from her — if she had been able to reach him, I'm sure it wouldn't have been a pretty sight.

It was during Charms class. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I had pulled up four chairs around one, rectangular table. We cramped in close to hear one another, our wands out but no magic sparking them. All around us, plush cushions were soaring through the air; bumping into people, walls, and the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

"Keep your voice down!" said Harry crossly, very quietly, to Hermione. She was about to spit fire as she watched him glance around, assuring that we weren't being overheard. "I just need to — sort of fine-tune it, all right?"

We were supposed to be practicing the opposite of the Summoning Charm — the Banishing Charm. Cushions were meant to soften the blow but, alas, it was a futile gesture. Already, Neville had managed to miss his cushion and hit Professor Flitwick head-on. Flitwick had just gone whizzing resignedly past us, his short legs kicking helplessly in the air, before landing on top of a large cabinet with a trembling bang.

"Just forget the egg for a minute, all right?" Harry hissed, looking to each of us with importance. "I'm trying to tell you about Snape and Moody. . . ."

"Snape said Moody's searched his office as well?" Ron whispered, his eyes alight with interest. He brandished his wand, and accidentally sent a cushion soaring into Parvati's head. I watched with a grimace as she screamed, holding at her mussed hair with fury — well, it was clear that she would never favour Ron again after this year. "What . . . d'you reckon Moody's here to keep an eye on Snape as well as Karkaroff?"

"Well, I dunno if that's what Dumbledore asked him to do, but he's definitely doing it," said Harry. Flitwick was retreating past our table in an odd, hunched-over slump, clutching at his stomach; his spectacles sat crooked on his nose. At once, each of us waved our wands to act busy — Harry, not paying attention, made his cushion do a pathetic flop off the desk. Thankfully, Flitwick wasn't even looking at us — he was much too distracted, his face contorted in a wince. "Moody said Dumbledore only lets Snape stay here because he's giving him a second chance or something. . . ."

"What?" said Ron, his eyes widening. His cushion spun high into the air, ricocheted off the chandelier, and dropped heavily onto Flitwick's desk. "Harry . . . maybe Moody thinks Snape put your name in the Goblet of Fire!"

"Oh Ron," said Hermione with pity, shaking her head sceptically. He sent her a bit of blank side-eye, his excitement dwindling, "we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry before, and it turned out he was saving Harry's life, remember?"

She Banished her cushion; It flew across the room, and landed in the box we were all supposed to be aiming at. Harry stared at her thoughtfully, his brows knit.

"Snape said it himself last night," I muttered, my hands flat against the tabletop. My wand rested between my fingers carelessly — I hadn't used it once all class. "Dumbledore trusts him. And Snape looked like he meant it — I don't think Snape is your enemy, Harry. . . . Or, at least, not the enemy we are looking for now."

Hermione nodded at me in agreement, her lips pursed. She, too, put down her wand as she said strongly, "I don't care what Moody says. Dumbledore's not stupid. He was right to trust Hagrid and Professor Lupin, even though loads of people wouldn't have given them jobs, so why shouldn't he be right about Snape, even if Snape is a bit —"