Not Again//Harry Potter [2]

21

Since Dumbledore and Hagrid left, nothing was going right.

Harry, Ron, and Autumn tried to visit Hermione, but they weren't allowed to anymore.

"We're taking no more chances," Madam Pomfrey told them severely through a crack in the infirmary door. "No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off. . ."

Class was boring. And they had no time to 'follow the spiders' as Hagrid suggested, because they could only be in groups with teachers.

"I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore," Draco said, not troubling to keep his voice down. "I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in. . ."

Snape walked past the three and straight towards Malfoy.

"Sir," said Malfoy loudly. "Why don't you apply for the headmaster's job?"

"Now, now, Malfoy," said Snape, though he couldn't suppress a thin-lipped smile. "Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I daresay he'll be back with us soon enough."

"Yeah, right," said Malfoy, smirking. "I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job. I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir—"

Snape smirked as he swept off around the dungeon, fortunately not spotting Seamus Finnigan, who was pretending to vomit into his cauldron. Autumn was lucky enough to hide a laugh behind her book.

"I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now," Malfoy went on. "Bet you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity it wasn't Granger—"

The bell rang, which was very fortunate for everyone because Ron jumped out of his seat.

"Let me at him," Ron spat as Harry and Autumn held him back. 

Autumn was tempted to punch him square in the face, but realized that would cause more trouble than solving it.

"I don't care, I don't need my wand, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands—"

Snape led the class outside to Herbology class.

Autumn and Harry were gathering materials and saw Ernie Macmillan, the man who said Harry was the 'Heir of Slytherin'. She had to take a deep breath to avoid punching him.

Ernie took a deep breath and said, "I just want to say, Harry, that I'm sorry I ever suspected you. And I'm sorry I thought you were a follower of his, Autumn. I know you'd never attack Hermione Granger, and I apologize for all the stuff I said. We're all in the same boat now, and, well—"

He held out a hand for Harry to shake. Harry shook it.Ernie held out a hand for Autumn to shake, and she hesitantly shook it. "I find it best, Mr. Macmillan, to never assume things. You could learn a thing or two about that before returning to school next year." Autumn walked closer to him and whispered in his ear. "And before you assume anything else, Potter and I aren't dating." Ernie had only a look of pure terror on his face as he realized she had heard his conversation that night.

Autumn just went back to her spot next to Harry. Ernie took Hermione's place at Autumn, Harry, and Ron's table. Autumn was trying to not yell at him, as she'd probably get into some trouble.

"That Draco Malfoy character," said Ernie, breaking off dead twigs, "he seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? D'you know, I think he might be Slytherin's heir."

"That's clever of you," said Ron, who didn't seem to have forgiven Ernie as readily as Harry. Autumn was glad that he hadn't.

"I'm glad you went straight back to assuming things," Autumn said sarcastically.

"Do you think it's Malfoy, Harry?" Ernie asked, ignoring Autumn's statement.

"No," said Harry, so firmly that Ernie stared.

Autumn felt a shiver up her spine as she saw spiders crawling on the ground.

She stomped on Harry's foot.

"Ouch! What was that—" Harry noticed the spiders as well. He hit Ron with the spears in his hands.

"What're you doing—" Ron exclaimed, looking at Harry.

Harry and Autumn pointed at the spiders.

"Oh, nice." Ron said, attempting to sound happy about the spiders. "But we can't follow them now—"

Autumn threw a spare pebble at Ron, trying to get him to shut up. Ernie was listening to their every word, and he didn't deserve to know.

"Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest—" Harry whispered.

And Ron looked even unhappier about that.

At the end of the lesson Professor Sprout escorted the class to their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Harry, Autumn, and Ron slowed behind the others so they could talk out of earshot.

"We'll have to use the Invisibility Cloak again," Harry told the two. "We can take Fang with us. He's used to going into the forest with Hagrid, he might be some help."

"Right," said Ron, who was twirling his wand nervously in his fingers. "Er -- aren't there -- aren't there supposed to be werewolves in the forest?" he added as they took their usual places at the back of Lockhart's classroom.

Harry avoided the question by saying, "There are good things in there, too. The centaurs are alright, and the unicorns. . ." 

"Come now," Lockhart cried, beaming around him. "Why all these long faces?"

People swapped exasperated looks, but nobody answered.

"Don't you people realize," said Lockhart, speaking slowly, as though they were all a bit dim, "the danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away—"

"Says who?" said Dean Thomas loudly.

"My dear young man, the Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred percent sure that he was guilty," said Lockhart, in the tone of someone explaining that one and one made two.

"Oh, yes he would," said Ron, even more loudly than Dean.

"I flatter myself I know a touch more about Hagrid's arrest than you do, Mr. Weasley," said Lockhart in a self-satisfied tone.

Ron started to say that he didn't think so, somehow, but stopped in mid-sentence when Harry kicked him hard under the desk.

"We weren't there, remember?" Harry muttered. 

After class, the three walked out and were met with two kids.

A kid with blonde hair and blue eyes spoke first. "H-Hi, Aut-Autumn. I j-just wanted-wanted to say t-that you look v-very beautiful t-today."

Autumn gave the boy a smile. "Thank you, and you look very dashing yourself."

"Excuse him, I'm Matthew. He, uh, gets a little nervous around you," The other boy said. 

"That's a first." Autumn muttered, but quickly smiled at the two.

"But, I just- It's funny."

"What is?" Autumn asked.

"Your name: it's the season where everything is colorful, yet your last name is 'Grey'."

Autumn awkwardly smiled, then Harry and Ron warned her that they'd be late to their next class. Autumn is also the season where everything is dead.