Aurora | Harry Potter

chapter thirty-eight

I interlace my gloved hand with Harry's as we walk towards The Three Broomsticks, thick snow covering the ground and drops of snow falling from the sky, making everything feel really wintery and definitely helps it feel like Christmas is nearly here.

"So I went to-"

"The library, and..." me, Harry and Ron cut Hermione off, who's talking about how curious she was about the Half-Blood Prince. "And nothing," she groans, clearly disappointed, "I couldn't find a reference anywhere to a Half-Blood Prince."

In front of us, we see Professor Slugworth and Flitwick, who discreetly makes an excuse to not join Slugworth at The Three Broomsticks and hurriedly walks past us. 

"Does anyone fancy a Butterbeer?" Harry asks. I nod, actually being fairly thirsty, so we all walk to the local pub and get out of the cold. Harry motions to a table and quickly takes a seat with his back facing the fireplace, so I sit opposite him with Hermione and Ron sits beside him. 

"Any drinks?" A waiter asks us, a small flip notepad hovering in the air with a floating quill beside it. "Four Butterbeers please, one with some ginger inside," I respond, knowing that Hermione likes her Butterbeer like that. The waiter nods and as he walks away, I see Draco stop behind the stairs leading upstairs. I smile and wave at him, but he just subtly nods his head before walking through a nearby door. 

"Oh, bloody hell," Ron grumbles and when I follow his eyeline, I see Ginny and Dean together holding hands, "sick git." I scoff slightly and give him a polite kick under the table. "Relax Ron, they're just holding hands." But then, I look back and see them snogging.

"And snogging," Hermione says, quickly looking away from the two. "I'd like to leave," Ron replies just as our Butterbeers arrive. "Ron, you can't be serious, really?" I ask to have him sassily respond with, "that happens to be my sister."

"So?" Hermione exclaims, taking her Butterbeer in her hands. "What if she looked over here and saw you snogging me? Would you expect her to get up and leave?" Realisation settles into her face and she sinks down in her chair slightly, as Slugworth goes to walk past the table and Harry waves him over.

"Harry, my boy!" He exclaims. "Hello Sir, wonderful to see you!" Harry responds, standing up and shaking Sir's hand eagerly, "So what brings you here?" Slugworth responds saying that he goes far back with the pub, perhaps further than he'd care to admit. "I can remember when it was One Broomstick!" He chuckles and spills some of his beer, which splashes on the table and myself.

"Oh, all hands on deck, Diggory!" He says, which makes me chuckle slightly as he looks like he could be slightly tipsy. "Listen, my boy. In the old days I used to throw together the occasional supper party for a select student or two... would you be game?" He asks Harry, who eagerly nods his head and smiles at the Potions Master. 

Then, he turns to me and Hermione, saying that we would both be welcome as well. "That sounds wonderful, Sir," I reply after swallowing my mouthful of Butterbeer. "Splendid! Look for my owl!" Slugworth exclaims and as he goes to walk away, he looks at Ron and just says, "Good to see you, Wallenby."

I stifle my laugh as he walks away, Harry sitting back down again. "What are you playing at?" Ron asks Harry, looking at him with a blank face. "Dumbledore's asked me to get to know him," Harry responds which now makes all the eagerness make sense, "it must be important... if it wasn't, Dumbledore wouldn't ask."

I nod and see Ron try to subtly tell Hermione that there's Butterbeer on her upper lip, which she hastily wipes away with her cardigan sleeve. 

Once we've finished our drinks, we head back outside and start walking back to the castle. I walk ahead with Hermione slightly and can hear Ron mumbling about what Hermione said earlier about them snogging. I chuckle and fall back slightly, standing beside Harry and grabbing his hand whilst Hermione wraps her arms around both boys shoulders.

Suddenly, a terrified scream comes from in front of us and when we look, a girl in a red coat is on the ground, twitching slightly whilst the other girl in black watches in terror. "I told her! I told her not to touch it!" The girl in red starts sliding across the floor before her body launches into the air, her hair flying in all directions and her mouth open wide, a dull scream leaving it before she drops back on the ground.  

Her body starts twitching again and I squeeze Harry's hand tightly, terrified at what I just saw. "Don't get any closer! Get back, all of you!" We turn around to see Hagrid walk up to the girl and scoop her up in his arms. Harry's eyes fall on a dropped package that looks to be some kind of necklace.

"Do NOT touch that, except for the wrapping. Do you understand?" Hagrid warns as Harry carefully looks over the necklace. "We need to get this to McGonagall," I state. Everyone nods and we rush back to the castle, carefully taking the necklace with us.

McGonagall briefly questions the girl who was there with the one who was cursed - Katie - and once she's done, she turns to us and sighs. "Why is it why something happens it is always you four?" She asks, Ron replying with the fact that he's been wondering that for six years too just as Snape arrives.

He looks over the necklace and says that he thinks the girl is lucky to be alive. "Was she cursed?" I ask, followed by Harry stating that Katie wouldn't hurt a fly. "Yes, she was cursed."

"It was Malfoy," Harry states, bluntly and emotionlessly. I gasp slightly, both Ron and Hermione are as shocked as I am. "Harry, what in Merlin's name are you talking about?"