Muggle | 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

Chapter 117

Soon, the news of Katie Bell being cursed had travelled all around the school as she was transferred to St. Mungo's. So Harry was forced to make Dean the team's new chaser to replace Katie, even though I was sure he loathed him for being with Ginny.

That day, we had Herbology first thing in the morning and so Hermione, Ron, and I made our way over the greenhouse as Harry told us about his most recent lesson with Dumbledore and how he had seen the memory of Tom Riddle in an orphanage.

"Wow, scary thought, the boy You-Know-Who," said Ron quietly, as we walked across the vegetable patch. "But I still don't get why Dumbledore's showing you all this. I mean, it's really interesting and everything, but what's the point?"

"Dunno," said Harry, shrugging. "But he says it's all important and it'll help me survive."

     "I think it's fascinating," said Hermione earnestly. "It makes absolute sense to know as much about Voldemort as possible. How else will you find out his weaknesses?"

       As we reached the crowd at the front of the sixth year's greenhouse, we had to change the subject.

     "So how was Slughorn's latest party?" Harry asked us.

      "Oh, it was quite fun, really," said Hermione. "I mean, he drones on about famous ex-pupils a bit, and he absolutely fawns on McLaggen because he's so well-connected."

      "The food was great though! Better than before, I mean," I said with a happy grin. "And not to mention we got to meet Gwenog Jones."

      "Gwenog Jones?" said Ron, his eyes widening. "The Gwenog Jones? Captain of the Holyhead Harpies?"

      "Yup." I nodded.

     "Personally, I thought she was a bit full of herself, but —" Hermione was saying, but just then Professor Sprout opened the door for us.

       "Take your seats, everyone," said Professor Sprout briskly, bustling over and looking stern.

       "C'mon, Lexi," said Hermione as she saw me hesitate to take the seats next to them.

       "Actually..." I started, my gaze fixed on Neville who was now putting on his safety goggles, "you guys go on. I'll catch up with you later." And without waiting for their respond, I made my way over him.

       "Hello," I said softly as I reached him.

      "Oh hi, Lexi," said Neville, smiling up at me shyly.

        "Do you mind?" I asked, pointing at the empty seat next to him and so he nodded with delight, gesturing at it kindly.

        I was only just putting on my gloves that Neville had already started filling in his pod and soon started on with his plant.

       "I really don't know how you're doing that," I said apprehensively, diving at the Snargaluff plant as one of its bramble-like vines shot into the air and tried to grab for my hair.

       "It's fun, actually," said Neville, fighting off the plant, but was finally able to put it in the pod, though he ended up with a bloody lip and several scratches.

       "Quite enough chat over here!" Professor Sprout called out to Harry, Ron, and Hermione who were in the middle of a bitter conversation. "You're lagging behind, everybody else has started, and Neville's already got his first pod!"

       "Aargh!" I suddenly yelped as the plant grabbed onto my hair painfully and started pulling.

      "Here, let me help," said Neville promptly, fighting the gnarled stump off me.

       "How are you so good at this..." I mused in awe and chuckled, watching him place the plant in the pod, and by that it became very still again.

      "Dunno," Neville laughed nervously, "but Gran says I take it after my mother. Apparently she fancied Herbology too."

     He said excitedly, but as if just realizing what he had said, he frowned, looking away.

       Swallowing, I softly put my hand on top of his which laid on the table and I gave it a gentle squeeze comfortingly. "I'm sure she would be very proud of you."

       By that, his head shot up and gaped at me in shock. "You — you know?"

       "Well, of course," I nodded. "Their story isn't unheard of. They fought like heroes."

      Neville looked at me intently for a moment longer, as if expecting me to start laughing. But his face finally relaxed and he gave me a weak smile, nodding.

After the class was over, I bid Neville goodbye and left the greenhouse with the others. For some reason, Ron and Hermione both seemed to be in a foul mood.

"What's with them?" I quietly asked Harry as the two of us walked behind them.

"Hermione wanted to ask Ron to the Slughorn Christmas party," he explained in a hushed tone, "but then they had a spat and the whole thing fell apart — I have no idea how it happened, really."

Harry then sighed in exhaustion, shaking his head at the two who were walking before us, a few feet apart from one another.

I was pretty sure that exact scene in Herbology had happened in the books now that Harry had mentioned it, but for some reason I'd forgotten all about it, seeing as I hadn't read the books in two and a half years, which started to worry me.

       But as we got to the Great Hall, my thoughts wondered back to more pressing matters at hand.

Dumbledore had said that there was a way to undo my mistake and help Neville, only I had to wait for the right time.

Although the problem was, not only I had no idea when the right time was to come, but also I had no idea what to do when it did arrive. I was lost once again.