The Chosen One

Chapter Fifty Seven

Genesis’s P.O.V
It was another day and Ron was finally out of the Hospital Wing as the four of us sat together in the Great Hall during Breakfast before we noticed that he was making it snow before Hermione mentioned it to him, “stop it Ron, you’re making it snow.” she told him, “tell me how I broke up with Lavender again?” he asked us, “um, well, she came to visit you in the Hospital and you talked. I don’t believe it was a particularly long conversation.” Hermione said to him, “I think you said something she didn’t like.” I told him, “don’t get me wrong, I’m bloody thrilled to be done with her. It’s just, she seems a bit cut out.” Ron told us before we all looked at her giving us a death stare, “I think she’s ready to kill someone to be honest.” I said to them, “yes, she does, doesn’t she?” Hermione questioned, “you say, you don’t remember anything from that night, anything at all?” Hermione asked him, “there is something, but it can’t be I was completely Buggled wasn’t I” he said to us and we all just laughed nervously about it, “right, Buggled.” Hermione said to him and eventually, we noticed Katie walking by with her friends before Hermione spoke up to Harry about it, “Harry, that’s Katie. Katie Bell.” she said to him before he looked before getting up and walking over to her and talked with her and after a few moments had passed, I noticed Harry rush passed and I got up and followed him and eventually, I heard someone fighting in one of the bathrooms and eventually, I noticed Draco on the floor with blood seeping through his shirt, causing me to stop in my tracks as I nearly slipped because of the water that was on the floor before looking at Harry with wide eyes, “what happened?” I asked, wondering before Dad walked in and went over to Draco before I dragged Harry out of the bathroom and once we were a good distance away from the bathroom, the both of us stopped walking, “what’s gotten into you? You’re lucky my dad didn’t kill you on the spot without question.” I told him with anger in my voice, “you and I both know it was Malfoy that did that to Katie.” he said to me, “yeah but that doesn’t mean you can go around trying to kill him. For bloody sakes Harry you’re being reckless.” I told him before I noticed he still had the book in his hand, “you’re getting rid of that stupid book” I said to him before walking away and eventually bumped into Hermione and Ron, “Genesis, where’s Harry?” Hermione asked me, “besides the fact he nearly killed Malfoy, I don’t care.” I said to her as I walked with them to our first class, “wait what? Are you serious?” Ron asked me, “I don’t want to talk about it.” I said to them before we managed to make it to our first class of the day.

Later that day, we were all in the Common Room and out of our Uniforms and had gotten changed before we sat with Harry and talked with Harry about what had happened and about what we were going to do with the book and we all agreed to put it in the Room of Requirement since it’s now being used as some storage area for the time being and eventually, both Harry and myself had left and made our way there until the both of us stood outside, “take my hand.” I said to him and he grabbed it and eventually, the door appeared and the both of us walked inside and walked around until we came to a stop, “the Room of Requirement?” he questioned, “we need to hide the Half Blood Prince’s book, where no one will find it, especially you.” I told him as we continued walking around before we heard something, “what’s that?” The both of us questioned before Harry walked over to something before opening the door just as a bird flew out, “you never know what you’ll find up here. Considering it’s pretty much a storage room.” I told him before I took the book from him, “close your eyes.” I told him, “why?” he asked me, “you know why. You shouldn’t know where to find it, especially after what happened.” I told him before he closed his eyes and I kissed him before walking away and out of eyesight and I managed to hide the book from him before meeting him at the door before we left the Room of Requirement and eventually made it back to the Common Room and talked with Hermione and Ron as Harry wanted to talk with Slughorn and see if he can get what Dumbledore wanted from him and we talked about it and what his plans were for tonight before Harry decided to drink the Liquid Luck and once he did, his mood completely changed, “well?” Hermione And I questioned, wondering, “how do you feel?” Hermione asked him, “excellent. Really excellent.” he said to her as the three of us stood up before Hermione went over everything with him, “remember, Slughorn usually eats early, takes a walk and then returns to his office.” she told him, “right. I’m going down to Hagrid’s” he said to us, “wait, what?” I asked him, “no, Harry you’ve got to go to speak with Slughorn. We have a plan.” Hermione told him, “I know but I’ve got a really good feeling about Hagrids. I feel it’s the place to be tonight. Do you know what I mean?” He said to us, “no.” All three of us said to him, “Trust me, I know what I’m doing or Felix does.” Harry said to us, “I should probably go with him.” I said before following Harry as we eventually made our way outside before we bumped into Slughorn as he stuck his head in one of the Greenhouses and after walking up to him, we accidentally managed to startle him, “Merlin's Beard Harry and Genesis.” He said to us, “Sorry sir, we should have announced ourselves. Clear my throat. Coughed. You probably feared we were Professor Sprout” Harry said to him, “I did, actually. What makes you think so?” Slughorn said, “well just the general behavior sir. The sneaking around. The jumping when you saw us. Are those Tentacula Leaves sir?” Harry said to him, “they’re very Valuable aren’t they?” I asked him, “Ten Galleons a leaf to the right buyer. Not that I’m familiar with any such back alley transactions but one does hear rumors. My interests are purely for Academic purposes of course.” Professor Slughorn said to us, “personally, these plants always kind of freak me out.” Harry mentioned, “oh come on they’re not that bad.” I told him before he walked away and I sighed a little before Slughorn spoke up again, “exactly, how did the both of you get out of the Castle?” he asked us, “through the front door sir. We’re off to Hagrid’s you see, he’s a very dear friend and I just fancied paying him a visit and Genesis decided to come along with me. So if you don’t mind, we will be going.” Harry said to him, “originally, we wanted to talk to you but he decided to have a change of plan.” I told Professor Slughorn, “Harry” Slughorn said, “what?” Harry asked him, “it’s nearly nightfall. Surely you realize I can’t allow you to go roaming the grounds by ourselves.” he said to Harry, “well then by all means come along sir.” Harry said to Slughorn and he just looked at me, “What do you want me to do? I doubt he’d listen to me and besides, he drank the Liquid Luck.” I told him before Harry walked off and the both of us went after him, trying to get him to go back to the Castle.

We eventually made it to Hagrid while he just stood there while an Agromantula lay dead on the ground while Slughorn caught up to us, “is that who I think it is?” I asked Hagrid before Slughorn spoke up, “Merlin’s beard, is that an actual Acromatula?” Professor Slughorn asked, “a dead one I think sir” Harry pointed out, “thanks for pointing out the obvious” I said to him, “good god, my dear fellow, however did you manage to kill it?” Slughorn asked Hagrid, “I don’t think he did sir.” I told him, “kill it? Me oldest friend he was.” Hagrid told him, “I’m so sorry I didn’t-” Professor Slughorn tried saying, “oh, don’t worry yourself, you’re not alone. Seriously misunderstood creatures Spiders are. It’s the eyes I reckon. They unnerve some folk.” Hagrid said to him, “not to mention the pincers.” Harry mentioned to them and we all just looked at him, “I swear I’m starting to think what you drank are drugs or something.” I said to him, “yeah I reckon that too.” Hagrid mentioned, “Hagrid, the last thing I wish is to be indelicate but Acromantula Venom is uncommonly rare. Would you allow me to extract a vial or two? Purely for academic purposes you understand.” Slughorn asked him, “Well, I don’t suppose it’s going to do him much good now is it?” Hagrid said to him, “my thoughts exactly. I ought to have a sample or two about my person for just such occasions as this. Old Potions Master’s habit you know.” Slughorn said as he went up to the Spider and managed to take some of its Venom, “I wish you could have seen him in his prime. Magnificent he was, just magnificent.” Hagrid said before Slughorn walked back over to us, “would you like me to say a few words?” Slughorn asked Hagrid, “yes” Hagrid said to him, “he had a family I trust?” Slughorn asked him, “oh yeah.” Harry said to him, “a rather big one at that.” I mentioned, remembering the time Harry, Ron and myself went to talk with Aragog, “farewell-” Slughorn began but didn’t know the name, “Aragog” Hagrid told him, “Farewell, Aragog. King of the Arackneeds, the body will decay but your spirit lingers on.” Professor Slughorn began to say as he continued speaking about Aragog. After some time had passed, we were all back at Hagrids as both Slughorn and Hagrid had a few too many drinks as they had just finished singing a song before they started talking about something else, “I had him from an egg you know, tiny little thing he was when he hatched. No bigger than a pekingese.” Hagrid said to Slughorn, “How sweet, I once had a fish, Francis, he was very dear to me. One afternoon I came downstairs and it vanished, poof” Slughorn said, “that’s very odd isn’t it.” Hagrid said to us and I nodded a little, “isn’t it, that’s life, I suppose you go along and then suddenly Poof.” Slughorn said, “Poof,” Hagrid said until he suddenly passed out and I sighed a little, “it was a student who gave me Francis. One spring afternoon I discovered a bowl on my desk, with just a few inches of clear water in it. Floating on the surface was a flower petal. As I watched, it sank and just before it reached the bottom, it transformed into a wee fish. Just beautiful Magic, wondrous to behold. The flower petal had come from a Lily, your mother. The day I came downstairs, the bowl was empty was the day your mother- I know why the both of you are here. But I can’t help you, it would ruin me.” Professor Slughorn said to us and at that point, I didn’t know what to say as Harry spoke up, “do you know why I survived Professor? The night I got this. Because of her, because she sacrificed herself, Because she refused to step aside, Because her love was more powerful than Voldemort.” Harry told him, “don’t say his name.” Slughorn mentioned, “I’m not afraid of the name Professor. I’m going to tell you something, something others have only guessed at. It’s true, I am the Chosen One, only I can destroy him but in order to do so we need to know what Tom Riddle asked you all those years ago in your office and we need to know what you told him. Be brave professor, be brave like my mother. Otherwise you disgrace her, otherwise she died for nothing, otherwise the bowl will remain empty forever” Harry told him. After a few moments had passed, Slughorn had spoken up, “please, don’t think badly of me when you see it. You have no idea what he was like even then.” he told us as he took the memory from his head, “I have a pretty good Idea Professor.” I told him before Harry helped him put the Memory into a Vial.