Invisible (I)

NINE

HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
chapter ten

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N O B O D Y   B L A M E S
H E R

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"Friendships take time and even if it seems like you'll die alone, it's not gonna be that way because everybody meets somebody, trust me."

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Draco couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful.

Indeed, by the next morning, Harry and Ron think that meeting the three-headed dog has been an excellent adventure, and they are quite keen to have another one.

In the meantime, Harry and Lily fill Ron in about the package that seems to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spend a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," Ron shares his thoughts out loud.

"Or both," Harry says.

But as all they know for sure about the mysterious object is that it's about two inches long, they don't have much chance of guessing what it is without further clues.

"Maybe it's some kind of a rock or something." Harry and Ron nod, thoughtfully.

Neither Neville nor Hermione shows the slightest interest in what lies underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cares about is never going near the dog again.

Hermione is now refusing to speak to Harry, Ron, and Lily, but she's such a bossy know-it-all that they see this as a bonus.

Lily's leg hurts so much, she can barely move without having the strong urge to scream in pain. It's quickly getting worse, but she doesn't want to go to Madam Pomfrey because she can't think of a lie convincing enough for the woman to not ask any questions. She's limping hard and she is sure that a lot of teachers have noticed.

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All Harry and Ron want now is a way of getting back at Draco, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrives with the post about a week later.

As the owls flood into the Great Hall, as usual, everyone's attention is caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls.

Lily is just as interested as everyone else to see what is in this large parcel and is amazed when the owls soar down and drop it right in front of her brother, knocking his bacon to the floor. They have hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl drops a letter on top of the parcel.

Harry rips open the letter first and reads it. He has difficulty hiding his glee as he hands the note to Ron to read. Lily watches him become as excited as Harry, while in her mind she's hoping her brother will share it with her willingly, without her asking for it. Although she'd have trouble reading it, the untreated wound on her leg is beginning to cause other health problems such as light-headedness and a fever.

When he looks like he's going to leave, she's forced to quickly ask if she can read the note, although her words slightly slur together. Harry doesn't look annoyed, angry or disgusted (thankfully) as he hands it over to her.

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.

It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch pitch at seven o'clock for your first training session.