PHANTOM FIGURES | harry potter

99. silver and opals

     Halfway through October came their first trip of the term to Hogsmeade. Aspen wondered whether these trips would still be allowed, given the increasingly tight security measures around the school, but was pleased to know that they were going ahead; it was always good to get out of the castle grounds for a few hours.

     When Aspen awoke that morning she was disappointed to find the weather was proving quite stormy. She pulled on her sweater, and carrying her scarf, beanie hat, and gloves, she went downstairs toward the Great Hall.

     When Aspen sat down next to Hermione at Gryffindor table, Ron was excitedly telling some story.

     "...and then there was another flash of light and I landed on the bed again!" Ron grinned, helping himself to sausages.

     Hermione had not cracked a smile and turned an expression of wintry disapproval upon Harry.

     Aspen started to plate her breakfast, not caring to get involved at this time of the morning.

     "Was this spell, by any chance, another one from that potion book of yours?" she asked.

     Harry frowned at her.

     "Always jump to the worst conclusions, don't you?"

     "Was it?" Hermione pressed.

     "Well... yeah, it was, but so what?"

     "So you just decided to try out an unknown, handwritten incantation and see what would happen?"

     "Why does it matter if it's handwritten?" said Harry, conveniently not answering the rest of the question.

     "Because it's probably not Ministry of Magic-approved," said Hermione. "And also," she added, as Harry and Ron rolled their eyes, "because I'm starting to think this Prince character was a bit dodgy."

     Both Harry and Ron shouted her down at once.

     "It was just a laugh!" defended Ron, upending a ketchup bottle over his sausages. "Just a laugh, Hermione, that's all!"

     "Dangling people upside down by the ankle?" said Hermione. "Who puts their time and energy into making up spells like that?"

     "Fred and George," said Ron, shrugging, "it's their kind of thing. And er -"

     "My dad," said Harry.

     "What?" said Aspen, Ron, and Hermione together.

     "My dad used this spell," said Harry. "I - Lupin told me."

     "Maybe your dad did use it, Harry," reasoned Hermione, "but he's not the only one. We've seen a whole bunch of people use it, in case you've forgotten. Dangling people in the air. Making them float along, asleep, helpless."

     Aspen stared at her. With a sinking feeling, she too remembered the behaviour of the Death Eaters at the Quidditch World Cup.

     "That was different," said Ron robustly. "They were abusing it. Harry and his dad were just having a laugh. You don't like the Prince, Hermione," he added, pointing a sausage at her sternly, "because he's better than you at Potions -"

     "It's got nothing to do with that!" said Hermione, her cheeks reddening. "I just think it's very irresponsible to start performing spells when you don't even know what they're for, and stop talking about 'the Prince' as if it's his title, I bet it's just a stupid nickname, and it doesn't seem as though he was a very nice person to me!"

     "I don't see where you got that from," said Harry heatedly. "If he'd been a budding Death Eater he wouldn't have been boasting about being 'half-blood,' would he?"