A Hogwarts Legend: Changing Paths [3]

Chapter Sixteen

Unedited

Chapter Sixteen - "I try to be a nice person but sometimes my mouth doesn't cooperate."

I don't have a very clear idea of how I manage to get back into the Honeydukes cellar, through the tunnel and into the castle once more. All I know is that the return trip seems to take no time at all, and that I hardly notice what I'm doing, because my head is pounding with the conversation I've just heard.

Why has nobody ever told me? Dumbledore, Hagrid, Mr Weasley, Cornelius Fudge ... why hasn't anyone mentioned the fact that Sirius Black, most likely, killed my parents.

But Harry's even worse than me.

Ron, Hermione, Maya, Elinor and I watch nervously all through dinner, not daring to talk about what we overheard, because Percy is sitting close by us. When we go upstairs to the crowded common room, it's to find Fred and George has set off half-a-dozen Dungbombs in a fit of end-of-term high spirits.

Harry sneaks up to his dormitory, but I let him go. I don't really think he wants to talk to us tonight.

Fred and George come over to talk about the map, and I tell them it went well.

"Hey, where's Harry gone?" Ron asks, and I face palm.

"He went upstairs, he probably wants to be alo-"

But Ron's already gone up the staircase, to find him.

"Idiot," I shake my head.

Hermione raises her eyebrows at me.

"I'm not saying I'm not an idiot, just Ron's more of an idiot."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Elinor pats my back, and we head up to bed.

"I try to be a nice person but sometimes my mouth doesn't cooperate. Is that my fault? Maybe, but I'm not taking responsibility for it."

"Shut up," Maya groans.

*

"Harry, you - you look terrible."

"You're so nice, Ron. Really. Any girl would be lucky to have you."

Harry comes down at midday, to an almost empty common room, except for Ron, who's eating a Peppermint Toad and massaging his stomach, Hermione, who's spread her homework over three tables and me, who's reading a book.

"Where is everyone?" says Harry.

"Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?" says Ron, watching Harry closely. "It's nearly lunchtime, I was going to come and wake you up in a minute."

Harry slumps into a chair next to the fire. Snow is still falling outside the windows. Crookshanks is spread out in front of the fire like a large, ginger rug.

"You really don't look well, you know," Hermione says, peering anxiously into his face.

"I'm fine," says Harry.

"Harry, listen," I say, exchanging looks with the other two, "you must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid."