meant to be (2)

18

We had barely set foot in the cool Entrance Hall when a voice rang out. "There you are, Potter, Weasley, Clarke!"

Professor McGonagall was walking towards us, looking stern. "You will all do your detentions this evening!"

"What are we doing, Professor?" asked Ron, who looked as though he was suppressing a burp.

"You will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Mr Filch" said Professor McGonagall. "And no magic, Weasley."

Ron gulped. Argus Filch, the caretaker, was disliked by every student in the school and it was no secret that he didn't like any of the students either.

"Clarke, you will be helping Hagrid with feeding Flobberworms" McGonnagall said. "And you, Potter, will be helping Professor Lockhart with answering his fan mail-"

I tried to contain my laughter, but failed miserably. Harry tried to shut me up by ellbowing me with no success.

"I bet he volunteered to do your detention" I said, still laughing.

"Yes indeed, Professor Lockhart requested you particularly." McGonnagall said.

"Oh no - can't I feed Flobberworms, too?" asked
Harry desperately, shuffling closer to me.

"Certainly not" said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrow while looking between me and Harry. "I don't want you and Miss Clarke messing around. Eight o'clock sharp, all of you!"

We slouched into the Great Hall in states of deepest gloom, Hermione next to us, wearing a well-you-did-break-school-rules sort of expression.

I was pretty happy about my detention while both Harry and Ron felt they'd got the worse deal.

"Filch'll have me there all night" said Ron heavily. "No magic! There must be about a hundred cups in that room. I'm no good at Muggle cleaning."

"I'd swap any time" said Harry hollowly. "I've had loads of practice with the Dursleys. Answering Lockhart's fan mail... he'll be a nightmare..."

Saturday afternoon seemed to melt away, and in what seemed like no time, it was five minutes to eight, and I almost had reached Hagrid's Hut.

"Hullo there, Julie!" Hagrid greeted me.

"Hi, Hagrid!" I said. "Where are the Flobberworms?"

"Right here." said Hagrid.

I definitely was the luckiest out of the three of us. Feeding Flobberworms wasn't the most exciting thing, but I really wasn't in the mood for Filch or Lockhart. Hagrid and I talked the whole time, making the process much more amusing.

"Thanks' fer helpin' me out." said Hagrid after several hours when we finished.

"I kind of was forced to do this" I joked. "But I'm glad I had to do. I really liked it."

"You can come by anytime if you want to feed the Flobberworms again!" Hagrid said before I hurried off to Gryffindor common room. To my delight, Ron and I arrived at the same time.

It was so late that the Gryffindor common room was almost empty, except for Harry who was sitting in front of the fire place, waiting for me and Ron.

"My muscles have all seized up" Ron groaned, sinking into an arm chair. "Fourteen times he made me buff up that Quidditch Cup before he was satisfied. And then I had another slug attack all over a Special Award for Services to the School. Took ages to shift the slime..."

"How was it with Lockhart?" I asked Harry while sitting down next to him on the sofa.

Keeping his voice low to not wake anyone or raise suspicion, Harry told us about the horrifying voice he had heard.

"And Lockhart said he couldn't hear it?" asked Ron. I could see him frowning in the moonlight.

"Do you think he was lying? But I don't get it - even someone invisible would've had to open the door" I said

"I know" said Harry, swinging his arm around my shoulders while staring at the ceiling above him. "I don't get it, either!"

~~~
a/n

Hi guys, this chapter is so short and I really don't like it. Sorry.