Always - Welcome to the Wizarding World

Part 28

I decided not to tell Zarah what news my uncle had imparted upon me about my mother, but I did tell her about the advanced potion making book he had given me. 

"Blimey, Ray!" she said. "That's the book the sixth years are working from! Are you going to be taking your lessons with them from now on, then?" she asked me, almost worriedly at the thought of me being alone in Snape's lesson. Although he was my uncle, he was a frightfully scary man. I shook my head and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"No, Harry, Draco and I are doing this is as extra work for the O.W.L.S! I'm glad he thinks I'm ready, but its just stressful! It's Harry I feel sorry for, extra potions on top of preparing for the Triwizard tournament!" I said. 

"Oh, yes! Gosh, the final task has come about quickly! It's in three days' time, isn't it? The last task?" Zarah asked me. I had just remembered that too, it was in three days! The winner would finally be crowned! I was certain Harry or Cedric would win, they were both drawn for first, after all. I knew that I should talk to Cedric before the third task, like Draco had advised. Also, if Cedric won, he could come back a completely different person, he could become pompous and self-righteous because of his victory. This tournament had the ability to change people. Don't get me wrong, we could never be as close friends as we were before everything came out, but there was nothing stopping us from being decent to one another. No, Draco was right, I must talk to Cedric, but he wasn't my priority. Harry was. 

The day before the final task, almost the entire school were down near the lake as it was a sweltering hot day again. However, I decided to begin to practice brewing the potion Snape suggested out in the quad, which was completely deserted. It didn't seem too complicated a potion, Snape had given me all the ingredients I needed and if I managed to complete it successfully, I would get extra credit on my O.W.L.S for certain. 

I had set out all my ingredients and lit the fire beneath the cauldron in a jar. It was going well for a while, but I added in too many sopophorous beans and the burning water splashed out of the cauldron, scolding my hand. I screeched loudly, whipping my hand up in pain and blowing on it to cool it down. Just as I did so, I saw someone sprinting towards me from the open corridor. It was Harry, a worried expression on his pale pink face. 

"Ray, what's the matter? I heard you scream!" he asked concernedly. I laughed at him and I showed him my swollen, burnt hand. 

"Just having a spot of trouble brewing this potion" I told him. "You couldn't help me, could you?" Harry nodded and took over, taking the stirrer from me. I watched him as he brewed the elixir expertly, he certainly had a knack for potion making. Harry noticed me watching him; he smiled and very suddenly, pulled me tightly into him. I patted him on the back confusedly. "Harry?" 

"I'm sorry, Ray. I'm just glad to finally hear your voice again! I was worried I had done something to upset you" he informed me. I shook my head. 

"No, Harry, you haven't done anything at all. It's just...well, something rather awful has happened". I told him that Professor McGonagall had pulled me out of Divination so that Dumbledore could tell me that my mother had died. At first, Harry didn't quite know how to respond. This surprised me, after years of telling people that his parents had died, I was sure he'd have come up with the ideal response that he would like to get. 

"Ray, I know how hard this must be for you to talk about, but if you need to, just come and find me, okay?" he offered. I nodded and we both sat down on the stone bench behind us after Harry had successfully brewed the elixir.

"Harry, do you think it would have been easier if you'd known your parents before they died?" I asked him. I watched his green eyes whiz around as he thought about it, then he shook his head slowly.