Slytherin Weasley

Chapter 42

We all knew that Hermione had meant well, but that didn't stop Harry from being angry with her. He had, of course, been the owner of the best broom in the world for a few short hours, and now, because of her interference, he didn't know whether he would ever see it again. 

Ron was furious with Hermione too. As far as he was concerned, the stripping down of a brand-new Firebolt was nothing less than criminal damage. Hermione, who remained convinced that she had acted for the best, started avoiding the common room, but the tension was still palpable, so I retreated to the Slytherin common room and lounged on the sofas by the fire. 

It was of course OWL year, and the teachers were laying on thick. Snape wanted 2 feet on poisons and antidotes, 14 inches for Flitwick on proper wand movement and 18 for McGonagall on the difficulties of Human Transfiguration. 

The fire flickered late into the night and my arm was aching from trying to finish Snape's stupid essay. (Where was Addy when you needed him?) I'd already finished McGonagall's essay earlier and my eyes were drooping.

"Immy!" Someone shook my shoulder. I groaned, swiping half heartedly in front of me. 

"Go 'way" I grumbled. 

"Immy come on," The voice said again, shoving harder at my shoulder. "Its nearly dinner." 

I sat up, sending parchment and quills flying, barely avoiding knocking over my ink pot. "What? Who?" I looked around, my vision still blurry. "Daph?" 

"Hi sleepy head" She said, with a smile. 

"Did you say dinner? What time is it?" I asked rubbing the sleep away from eyes.

"Nearly 6" She said, "Come on, we'll miss it if we don't hurry." 

I stood up and collected all my homework up, shoving it haphazardly into my bag. "When did you get back?" I asked as we climbed up towards the great hall.

"About an hour ago," She said, "I've been unpacking," 

"OH!" I exclaimed and stopped dead, "I'll meet you in the hall, there's something I need to first" and turned on my heel, hurrying back down towards the dorms. Once in our room, I hurriedly grabbed the crystal phial out of my bedside table. It's contents moved sluggishly, dark green and thick, the chewed up wad of mandrake leaf and saliva, that had taken several restarts to finally get to this take just after Christmas, and single long strand of hair that George had ever so lovingingly ripped off my head.   

Carefully pulling off the stopper, I added a single teaspoon of dew, Fred and I had collected from deep in the forbidden forest. Riding our brooms low to the ground and wand tips ignited, carefully holding the jug up to the wide jungle like plants covered in water, to ensure no human had ever set foot on it and it had never been touched by sunlight. This was the last day I needed to do this, after a full week, only needing to add the chrysalis of a dead hawk's head moth, that George had stolen from Snape's private supply with the help of Lee Jordan. 

Placing the stopper back on the phial, I knelt down to the floorboards by my bed, and lifted the loose one, gently laying it on pillow I had prepared, and replacing the floorboard. Now came the hard part, completely ignoring it's existence until the next electrical storm, and tomorrow I would begin the incantations. Every sunrise and sundown until the I would speak the following: 'Amato Animo Animato Animagus' until comes a time when, with the touch of the wand-tip to the chest, a second heartbeat may be sensed. It would be a long process, but worth it. 

I made it back up to the great hall, out of breathe as i joined Addy and Daph at the table. 

"Where have you been?" Addy asked, giving me a quizzical look.