𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 (𝟐) || HARRY POTTER LOVE STORY

24

For a few days, the school could talk of little but the attack on Mrs Norris. Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as though he thought the attacker might come back. While hanging out in between classes, Lilith and Julie had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with 'Mrs Skowers All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover', but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone.

When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging out at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like 'breathing loudly' and 'looking happy'.

Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed by Mrs Norriss fate. Julie knew she loved cats.

"But you hadn't really got to know Mrs Norris." Ron told her bracingly. "Honestly, we're much better off without her"

Ginny's lip trembled.

"Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts" Ron assured her. "They'll catch the nutter who did it and have him out of here in no time. I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before hes expelled. I'm only joking-" Ron added hastily, as Ginny blanched.

The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite usual for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else.

Nor could Harry, Ron and Julie get much response from her when they asked what she was up to, and not until the following Wednesday did they find out.

Harry and Julie had been held back in Potions, where Snape had made them stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks.

After a hurried lunch, they went upstairs to meet Ron in the library, and saw Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Hufflepuff boy from Herbology, coming towards them.

Julie just opened her mouth to say hello when Justin caught sight of Harry, he turned abruptly and sped off in the opposite direction.

"Did you do something to him?" Julie asked with a raised eyebrow. "Did you, like, cast some weird curse and not tell us?"

"Honestly, I wish I could take credit for scaring him off, but no," Harry replied, shrugging.

Julie looked at him with mock suspicion. "Well, you're no fun. You should've at least tried to mess with him a little."

"Maybe next time," Harry grinned. "Don't want to give him too much of a fright."

We found Ron at the back of the library, measuring his History of Magic homework.
Professor Binns had asked for a three-foot long composition on 'The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards'.

"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short..." said Ron furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll "and Hermione's done four feet seven inches and her writing's tiny!"

"Where is she?" asked Harry, grabbing the tape measure and unrolling his own homework.

"Somewhere over there." said Ron pointing along the shelves. "looking for another book. I think she's trying to read the whole library before Christmas."

Harry told Ron about Justin Finch-Fletchley running away from him.

"Dunno why you care, I thought he was a bit of an idiot" said Ron, scribbling away, making his writing as large as possible. "All that rubbish about Lockhart being so great-"

Hermione emerged from between the bookshelves. She looked irritable and at last seemed ready to talk to them.

"All the copies of Hogwarts: A History have been taken out" she said, sitting down next to us. "And there's a two-week waiting list. I wish I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books!"