No Body No Crime □■ Hermione Granger

Chapter 9

When Arlene entered the Great Hall, she was surprised to see Theo and Blaise sitting with Crabe, Goyle and Pansy, three of the most stereotypical Slytherins Arlene has ever seen.

She threw a quick discrete glance at the Gryffindor table from the corner of her eye and saw Hermione staring at her.

Trying hard not to blush, Arlene ran her fingers through her hair which she decided not to tie up that night, and made her way to were the boys were sitting.

"Arlene!" Pansy exclaimed once she saw her "You weren't there all day! And Madame Pomfrey won't let me in to see Draco, sit down."

Suddenly, the girl, who was surprisingly strong, pulled Arlene down beside her "How is he?"

Arlene bit her lip, remembering the previous conversation with Sage "I don't know, Madame Pomfrey asked me to leave when she was cleaning his wound."

If possible, Pansy looked even more worried "Was he is pain? Oh it's all that man's fault!"

Theo gave her a look "Draco was the one who insulted the Hippogriff."

"So you're saying that our safety codes should be that if a student zones out while a teacher is talking, it's totally their fault if they get hurt?" Pansy said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"He should have been listening." Theo argued.

Pansy glare even harder "Tell me, Theo," She said, her void dripping venom "if Professor Snape assigned us a potion that requires accuracy, and told us to stir it clockwise,

"But a student forgets and stirs it counterclockwise so it explodes in his face, would it be the student's fault for not listening or Professor Snape for assigning us such a dangerous potion?"

"Everything could be dangerous!" Theo argued.

"Then why don't you don't teach yourself the lambada on a greased platform over a pit full of knives? I mean, you could die but hey, everything could be dangerous!" Pansy exclaimed.

"Hippogriffs are XXX-" Theo started.

"Which mean competent wizard or witch should handle, but he's not a competent wizard, he was expelled from Hogwarts!" Pansy snapped.

"For a crime he didn't commit!" Theo snapped back.

"Both of you shut up!" Arlene hissed, already feeling a headache coming "Placing blame is not going to solve anything and Pansy, I'm sure Draco's fine, Madame Pomfrey has healed worse wounds."

"I hope you're right." Theo sighed.

"She better be." Pansy said, resting her head on her palm.

Arlene massaged her temples and moved the potatoes around in her plate "I'm going to the hospital wing," She announced, standing up as she swung her bag over her shoulder.

"Check on Draco while you're there!" Pansy called after her.

As soon as she left the Great Hall, her stomach growled, she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, her head hurt, she kept worrying about both Malfoy and Hagrid, and worse of all, Hermione wasn't talking to her.

Speaking of the latter.

Arlene jumped up she felt something touch her leg, the orange cat she had seen in the pet shop earlier was purring, as it moved around her leg.

Crookshanks' owner appeared, Hermione's hair was bushier than ever and she was holding something in her hand.

"I'm sorry, he just ran at you," She mumbled, picking up the cat as sh sorry, e handed her the item in hand "you left your robes."