Harry Potter and Claire Smith Adventures: Book Three

Dementors and Dates

Chapter 14: Dementors and Dates

It looked like the end of Ron and Hermione's friendship. Each was so angry with the other that Claire and Harry couldn't see how they'd ever make up. Ron was upset that Hermione didn't take Crookshanks's attempts to eat Scabbers seriously, and that Hermione was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting he look for Scabbers under all the boys' beds. Hermione, meanwhile, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas, and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since Crookshanks had landed on Ron's head in the Magical Menagerie.

Personally, Claire and Harry were sure that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers. Harry tried to voice this opinion and Hermione snapped at him.

"Okay, side with Ron, I knew you would!" she said shrilly. "First the Firebolt, now Scabber's, everything's my fault, isn't it! Just leave me alone, Harry, I've got a lot of work to do!"

Harry left to hang out with Ron while Claire stayed with Hermione.

"Hermione, you know Harry wasn't trying to say that, right?" Claire tried to reason with her. "He's just saying that most of the evidence does point to Crookshanks." Hermione glared at her, but Claire continued to talk. "However, Ron should've kept a closer watch on Scabbers if he was so concerned over his well-being."

"Finally, someone who has some sense." Hermione said.

Ron had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed.

"Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was," Fred said bracingly. "And he's been off-color for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly— one swallow—he probably didn't feel a thing."

Claire smacked Fred upside the head while Ginny said indignantly, "Fred!"

"All he did was eat and sleep, Ron, you said it yourself," George said.

"You two really should rethink your pep-talks." Claire said.

"He bit Goyle for us once!" Ron said miserably. "Remember, Claire, Harry?"

"Yeah, that's true," Harry said while Claire nodded.

"His finest hour," Fred said, unable to keep a straight face. "Let the scar on Goyle's finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory. Oh, come on, Ron, get yourself down to Hogsmeade and buy a new rat, what's the point of moaning?"

In a last-ditch attempt to cheer Ron up, Harry persuaded him to come along to the Gryffindor team's final practice before the Ravenclaw match, so that he could have a ride on the Firebolt after they'd finished. This did seem to take Ron's mind off Scabbers for a moment ("Great! Can I try and shoot a few goals on it?"). Just before they left, Harry said to Claire, "Do you want to come?"

Claire shook her head. "No, thanks. I'll hang out with Hermione."

"Ok, see you later." Harry said disappearing through the portrait.

Claire went up to the girls' dormitory to find Hermione. When she entered her dorm, she saw her other two roommates Evy and Charisse.

"Hey, have you two seen Hermione?" Claire asked them.

"Yea," Evy said. "I think she was saying something about going to the library."

"I should've known," Claire muttered. "Thanks."

"Hey, Claire?" Charisse said. "What's going on between you and that Slytherin boy, Saxton?"

"Yea, we saw you two the other day talking. Are you two an item?" Evy asked with a smile.