Lucille Rose Potter

Chapter 89

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

Lucy frowned and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

It was the evening of March the first, Ron's seventeenth birthday. 

Ginny, Hermione, Harry, and Lucy had spent the entire day waiting outside the hospital wing, trying to see inside when anyone entered or excited.

Madam Pomfrey hadn't let them inside until eight o'clock and the twins had arrived half past ten.

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

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

"There we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him—" George started.

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

"We were thinking of buying Zonko's," Fred said gloomily, "A Hogsmeade branch, you know, but a fat lot of good it'll do us if you lot aren't allowed out on weekends to buy our stuff anym...but never mind that now." He threw an arm around Lucy's shoulder as he sat on the arm of her chair.

"So, Harry, how'd it happen?" George asked.

Harry recounted the day, starting at love potion laced chocolates, Slughorn, poisoned mead....

"...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 alright. 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," Harry said, his face turning white. 

Hermione sniffed quietly.

She had been close to silent the entire day, jaw-clenched and frightened until they were let inside, then she just sat  next to Ron, looking at him with a frown.

"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 as they all watched Ron mumble a little in his sleep.

"So the poison was in the drink?" Fred asked, turning to Harry.

"Yes," Harry said quickly, "Slughorn poured it out—"

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

"Probably," Harry gave her a look, "but why would Slughorn want to poison Ron?"

"No idea," Fred said, "but think about it, there must be loads of people who want to poison Harry...the Chosen One and all that rubbish?"

"So you think Slughorn is a Death Eater?" Ginny asked, astonished, "I'd highly doubt it, he adores Harry."

"Anything's possible," Fred said, a dark expression on his face.

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

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

"Who'd want to kill Slughorn?" Lucy asked.

Ginny shrugged.

"Dumbledore reckons Voldemort wanted Slughorn on his side," Harry said, "remember, Luce? Slughorn was in hiding for a year before he came to Hogwarts. And-"