"Did you hear about Katie Bell?" Lisa asked me that night as we sat and chatted.
"No," I replied, suddenly curious, "what about her?"
"She was cursed, it's all over the school, she's been transferred to St Mungo's - I'm surprised no one told you, your brother and his friends saw it happen."
I felt my mouth drop, Katie had been cursed? My head was spinning with questions; when, where, how, who did it? I ran my fingers through my hair and excused myself. I hurried up the smaller staircase which lead to the sixth year girl's dorms and hammered on the door, no answer. I hammered on the door and this time a girls reproachful voice said.
"Right, calm down, I'm coming," and the door swung open to reveal an irate looking Lavender Brown. Her expression changed to that of suurprise when she saw me. "Ginny? What's wrong?"
"Have you seen Hermione?" I asked, glancing around to check if she was there.
Lavender screwed up her face in memory, "she went for a bath about ten minutes ago, but you can wait here until she comes back if you like."
"Thanks, Lavender," I said and she stepped aside to let me in. The door swung shut behind me and I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.
"So," Lavender said, sounding like she was trying to be subtle but failing spectacularly, "does - does your brother have a girlfriend, y'know...Ron?"
I didn't like where this was going, "not that I know of."
"Oh, so, what about Hermione? Are they not a thing?"
"No," I replied, "whether they want to be, though, is an entirely different matter which I have no insight to."
"Ah, I see." Lavender mumbled and we lapsed into an awkward silence.
It seemed to take forever for Hermione to come back, I sat and looked around the spacious dorm feeling myself fall deeper and deeper into thought. First, I thought of Dean and how possessive he was and how I would have to tell him I couldn't go out with him anymore. Then I thought of Katie, who had cursed her? And why Katie? Whoever had done it had been advanced in dark magic, it couldn't have been a student...could it? Then I thought about Harry, how would he be coping knowing one of his friends and team members had been cursed...his emerald eyes, his dark, unruly hair, his soft pale pink lips...
"Ginny?"
"What?" I dragged myself from the labrynth of my thoughts to find Hermione standing next to me.
"Lavender told me you wanted to see me?"
I shook my head, pushing Harry to the back of my brain, "oh, yeah. Erm - why didn't you tell me Katie had been cursed?"
"I assumed you knew," Hermione said simply, "just about everyone does."
"Well, I didn't," I said irritably, "no one told me."
"Sorry, Ginny, I honestly thought - being on the quidditch team - you would have been one of the first to know." Hermione looked ashamed and I suddenly felt terrible.
"No, don't be sorry, anyway - I have to go, goodnight." I slipped out of the room and down the stairs back to my dorm and lay awake for hours. Thinking. Why would anyone curse Katie? What had she done? Who had she offended? Even then, a student wouldn't go to such lengths. A Death Eater, yes, but a student? How could a Death Eater possibly have been in Hogsmede without getting caught, unless...unless...struck by sudden brilliance, I scrambled out of bed and over to the boys dorms to wake Neville - I needed an accomplice. When I entered the boys dorms, I saw Harry's and Ron's beds were empty. I suddenly heard footsteps on the stairs, desperate not to have anyone see me coming out of the boys's room - especially the one with Dean in it - I dived under Harry's bed and flattened myself against the ground. I could hear the steady breaths of Dean, Seamus and Neville as they all slept soundly. Light poured into the room as the door swung open and in walked Harry and Ron, conversing in whispers. I strained my ears to listen.
