𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐝 {𝐇. 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫}

87

Snow was swirling against the icy windows once more; Christmas was approaching fast. Hagrid had already singlehandedly delivered the usual twelve Christmas trees to the Great Hall; garlands of holly and tinsel had been twisted around the banisters of the stairs; everlasting candles glowed from inside the helmets of suits of armor and great bunches of mistletoe had been hung at intervals along the corridors. Large groups of girls tended to converge underneath the mistletoe bunches every time Johnny or went past, which caused blockages in the corridors; fortunately, however, their frequent nighttime wanderings had given them an unusually good knowledge of the castle's secret passageways, and then there was the fact Hermione would growl at anyone who dared look at her mate.

Hermione, who seemed to become best friends with Padma, refused to sit in the common room while Ron was there, so Johnny and Harry generally joined her in the library, which meant that their conversations were held in whispers.

"He's at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes," said Padma, while the librarian, Madam Pince, prowled the shelves behind them. "I really couldn't care less."

She raised her quill and dotted an 'i' so ferociously that she punctured a hole in her parchment. Harry, Hermione and Johnny said nothing.

"And incidentally," said Hermione, after a few moments, "you need to be careful."

"For the last time," said Harry, speaking in a slightly hoarse tone after three-quarters of an hour's silence, "I am not giving back this book. I've learned more from the Half-Blood Prince than Snape or Slughorn have taught me in--"

"We're not talking about your stupid so-called Prince," said Padma, giving his book a nasty look as though it had been rude to her. Hermione and clearly informed her new best friend of the book. "I'm talking about earlier. Hermione and I went into the girls' bathroom just before we came in here and there were about a dozen girls in there, including that Romilda Vane, trying to decide how to slip you a love potion. They're all hoping they're going to get you to take them to Slughorn's party, and thay all seem to have bought Fred and George's love potions, which I'm afraid to say probably work--"

"Why didn't you confiscate them then?" demanded Harry, it seemed extraordinary that Hermione's mania for upholding the rules could have abandoned her at this crucial juncture.

"They didn't have the potions with them in the bathroom," said Hermione scornfully, "They were just discussing tactics. As I doubt the Half-Blood Prince," she gave the book another scornful look, "could dream up an antidote for a dozen different love potions at once, I'd just invite someone to go with you, that'll stop all the others thinking they've still got a chance. It's tomorrow night, they're getting desperate."

"There isn't anyone I want to invite," mumbled Harry.

"Yes there is," Johnny smirked teasingly, causing Harry to whack him, earning curious looks from Padma and Hermione.

"Well, just be careful what you drink, because Romilda Vane looked like she meant business." said Hermione grimly.

"Hang on a moment," Johnny said slowly. "I thought Filch had banned anything bought at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?"

"And when has anyone ever paid attention to what Filch has banned?" asked Hermione, still concentrating on her essay.

"But I thought all the owls were being searched. So how come these girls are able to bring love potions into the school?"

"Fred and George Weasley send them disguised as perfumes and cough potions," said Padma, sighing as she looked at her Arithmancy paper. "It's part of their Owl Order Service."

"You know a lot about it," Johnny joked.

Padma gave him the kind of nasty look she had just given Harry's copy of Advanced Potion-Making.