The Jade Malfoy Book 3: Half-Blood Prince

Chapter 16

     The trio and Ursa sit in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione reading the paper, Ron staring at the fire, and Ursa and Harry studying. "Ugh who let Malfoy in?" McLaggen complains.

     "Oh shut it McLaggen." Ursa replies. "Get over it."

     "Hey." Harry says. "Have you ever heard of the spell Sectumsempra?" Ursa freezes in her page turning.

     "No I haven't." Hermione says. "And if you had a shred of self-respect you'd hand that book in."

     "Not bloody likely." Ron says. "He's in the top of the class. He's even better than you, Hermione. Maybe even Ursa. Slughorn thinks he's a genius."

     "No one is better than me Ron." Ursa says. "I have a potions lab in my basement and spend my summers experimenting. And Severus lets me use his books."

     "I'd like to know who's that book was." Hermione says as she closes the newspaper. "Let's have a look shall we?"

     "No." Harry says as he closes the book and stands.

     "Why not?" Hermione says as she stands too.

     "The binding is fragile." Harry says as he walks around the couch, backing away from Hermione.

     "'The binding is fragile'?" Hermione questions as she follows.

     "Yeah." Harry says right before Ginny snatches the book from his hand.

     "Who's The Half-Blood Prince?" Ginny asks after opening the book.

     "Who?" Hermione questions.

     "That's what it says right here. 'This book is property of The Half-Blood Prince."

     "Give me that." Ursa says as she takes it from Ginny. She manages to keep it away from Harry until she finds the page with Sectumsempra on it. "'Sectumsempra, for enemies.' How did this Prince find that spell?"

     "So you've heard of it?" Harry asks. "Do you know what it does?"

     "Yes and the only thing I will ever tell you about it is that you should never use it. Never. I'm serious Harry. Don't use it. It is extremely dangerous."

     "What does it do?"

     "Hand that book in. If that spell is in it, then the whole book is dangerous. Turn it in or toss it in the fire."

     "Ursa what does it do?"

     "Stop asking. I won't tell you. Get rid of that book."

***

     The morning of their first Hogsmeade trip, Ursa sits with the trio at breakfast. Ron finishes his story about his rude awakening. "... and then there was a flash of light and I landed on the bed again." Hermione and Ursa look unamused for different reasons.

     "You mean Levicorpus?" Ursa asks.

     "You know that spell?" Harry asks. "How?"

     "Snape. It was popular when he was in school."

     "Was this spell another from that potion book of yours?" Hermione asks.

     "Always jump to the worst conclusion don't you?" Harry replies.

     "Was it?" Ursa asks.

     "Well yeah but so what?"

     "So you decided to try out an unknown, handwritten incantation to see what would happen?" Hermione asks.