The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|52| Memories

Harry and I sent an owl to Sirius the next morning and bumped into Fred and George at the Owlery. I haven't spoken much to Fred since the Yule Ball and my Second Task win, but I did get a lecture from the twins for being a 'nosey little mouse' when I asked them information on their blackmail.

Then the next day, Sirius responded rather quickly; yelling at Harry and me for hanging around with Viktor Krum, congratulating us for our win (and my first place spot), and then suggested that Hermione and Ron help us learn hexes.

The Hogwarts grounds never looked more inviting than when forced to stay indoors. For the next few days Harry and I spent all of our free time either in the library with Hermione and Ron, looking up hexes, or else in empty classrooms, which we sneaked into to practice. I was concentrating on the Stunning Spell, which I had never used before. The trouble was that practicing it involved certain sacrifices on Ron's and Hermione's part.

"Can't we kidnap Mrs. Norris?" Ron suggested on Monday lunchtime as he lay flat on his back in the middle of their Charms classroom, having just been Stunned and reawoken by Harry for the fifth time. "Let's Stun her for a bit. Or you could use Dobby, Harry, I bet he'd do anything to help you. I'm not complaining or anything" — he got gingerly to his feet, rubbing his backside— "but I'm aching all over."

"Well, you keep missing the cushions, don't you!" said Hermione impatiently. "Just try and fall backward!"

"Once you're Stunned, you can't aim too well, Hermione!" said Ron angrily. "Maisey, why don't you take a turn on her?"

"But—"

"Hermione, that was the deal," I tried to suppress a laugh. "Harry tried on Ron and I tried on you."

"Alright," Hermione said softly and stood in front of a pile of pillows.

"Stupefy!" I pointed my wand at Hermione and she fell back, narrowly missing the pillow. "Ahh! Rennervate!"

Hermione groaned and looked over to Ron, who held a triumphant smile.

"No more, Maisey's got the hang of it. Didn't just knock me off my feet like Harry had done the first time," Hermione groaned, rubbing her head. "I think we ought to start on some of these hexes this evening."

She looked down the list they had made in the library.

"I like the look of this one," she said, "this Impediment Curse. Should slow down anything that's trying to attack you. We'll start with that one."

The bell rang. We hastily shoved the cushions back into Flitwick's cupboard and slipped out of the classroom.

"See you at dinner!" said Hermione, and she and I set off for Arithmancy, while Harry and Ron headed toward North Tower, and Divination.

"I think I've done well," I said to Hermione.

"Yeah, Harry only knocked Ron off his feet the first time, you fully knocked me out," she nodded.

"First try and all," I beamed walking into the class.

Halfway through the lesson, a felt a growing sharp pain in my chest radiating to my neck and shoulder, down my arm and to my head. My breath hitched and I tried to not make a sound.

"H-Herm-m-mione," I could barely get out.

Tears welled in my eyes and my hand shot to the hot fire on my collarbone. The pain felt worse than when I had woke up to pain during the summer.

I whacked my left arm over to hit Hermione in the chest, trying to get her attention. My head spun with the pain and tears fell down my face. I felt Hermione grab my arm, that had hit her, and say my name, looking over at me.