𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 •°𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴

[63]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"So, all in all, not one of Ron's better birthdays?" said Fred.

It was evening; the hospital wing was quiet, the windows curtained, the  lamps lit. Ron's was the only occupied bed. Sara, Nico, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were sitting around him; they had spent all day waiting outside the  double doors, trying to see inside whenever somebody went in or out.  Madam Pomfrey had only let them enter at eight o'clock. Fred and George had arrived at ten past.

"This isn't how we imagined handing over our present," said George  grimly, putting down a large wrapped gift on Ron's bedside cabinet and  sitting beside Ginny.

"Yeah, when we pictured the scene, he was conscious," said Fred.

"There we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him --" said George.

"You were in Hogsmeade?" asked Ginny, looking up.

"We were thinking of buying Zonko's," said Fred gloomily. "A  Hogsmeade branch, you know, but a fat lot of good it'll do us if you lot  aren't allowed out at weekends to buy our stuff anymore . . . But never  mind that now. "

He drew up a chair beside Harry and looked at Ron's pale face.

"How exactly did it happen, Harry?"

Harry retold the story he had already recounted. Sara leaned on Nico's chest and closed her eyes, listening to her brother's words.

After they left the room of requirement, everything went to shit as they continually asked Madam Pomfrey to let them see Ron. They weren't allowed in until Mrs. and Mr. Weasley finally arrived.

". . . and then I got the bezoar down his throat and his breathing  eased up a bit. Slughorn ran for help, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey  turned up, and they brought Ron up here. They reckon he'll be all right.  Madam Pomfrey says he'll have to stay here a week or so . . . keep  taking Essence of Rue . . . "

"Blimey, it was lucky you thought of a bezoar," said George in a low voice.

"Lucky there was one in the room," said Harry who was anxiously playing with his fingers.

"Do Mum and Dad know?" Fred asked Ginny.

"They've already seen him, they arrived an hour ago--they're in Dumbledore's office now, but they'll be back soon. . . "

There was a pause while they all watched Ron mumble a little in his sleep.

"So the poison was in the drink?" said Fred quietly.

"Yes," said Harry at once. "Slughorn poured it  out --"

"Would he have been able to slip something into Ron's glass without you seeing?"

"Probably," said Harry, "but why would Slughorn want to poison Ron?"

"No idea," said Fred, frowning. "You don't think he could have mixed up the glasses by mistake? Meaning to get you?"

"Why would Slughorn want to poison Harry?" asked Ginny.

"I dunno," said Fred, "but there must be loads of people who'd like  to poison Harry, mustn't there? The 'Chosen One' and all that?"

"So you think Slughorn's a Death Eater?" said Ginny.

"Anything's possible," said Fred darkly.

"He could be under the Imperius Curse," said George.

"Or he could be innocent," said Ginny. "The poison could have been  in the bottle, in which case it was probably meant for Slughorn himself. "

"Who'd want to kill Slughorn?"