RECKLESS FUN | Blaise Zabini | Au

12- GRYFFINDOR VERSUS RAVENCLAW

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THERE HAD BEEN AN INCIDENT between Ron and Hermione in the common room. It had started when Ron hadn't been able to find Scabbers anywhere and came furiously down from their dormitory with his bed sheets, which had blood in them and showed that there had been ginger cat hairs on the dormitory floor. Everyone, apart from Hermione, were convinced that Scabbers had been eaten by Crookshanks. Zoe was of course feeling sorry for Ron about his rat being eaten but also slightly disappointed herself about the missed the opportunity to make a joke about him having blood on his sheets.

Ron was engraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshanks's attempts to eat Scabbers seriously and hadn't bothered to keep a close enough watch on him. Hermione, meanwhile, was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys' beds. She fiercely claimed Ron had no proof Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas.

Sadly, it looked like the end of Ron and Hermione's friendship. Each was so angry with the other Harry and Zoe pondered talked during their Magical History class how they couldn't see they'd make it up.

Harry was sure Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers and apparently when he had tried to point out to Hermione that the evidence all pointed that way, she had lost her temper with Harry, too. Zoe tried to stay impartial in the situation, even though, she thought too, that it was probably Crookshanks who had eaten Scabbers. Zoe didn't tell Hermione that. It didn't really matter, Hermione was so caught up in her work she didn't seem to really have time to do anything else.

Ron had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed.

"Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was." Fred comforted bracingly. "And he's been off-colour for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly. One swallow – he probably didn't feel a thing."

Zoe hid her laughter in a cough, only Fred knew it was a made up as he smirked knowingly to her.

"Fred!" Ginny scolded indignantly.

"All he did was eat and sleep, Ron, you said it yourself." George continued on.

"He bit Goyle for us once!" Ron said miserably. "Remember, Harry?"

"Yeah, that's true." Harry said, nodding.

"His finest hour." Fred said, he and Zoe now unable to keep a straight face. "Let the scar on Goyle's finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory. Oh, come on, Ron get yourself down to Hogsmeade and buy a new rat. What's the point of moaning?"

To Fred, George and Zoe trying to cheer someone up by using humor was very much more a natural than sitting with them quietly and patting them to the back. Which was exactly why Zoe quickly went to her dormitory as the others were still down in the common room: she had an idea to cheer Ron up.

When she returned,  Fred and George turned to her curiously while Harry and Ginny were still comforting to Ron. Zoe opened her cupped hands carefully, revealing a brilliant orange Salamander to the twins.

"Remember last year?" she said grinning.

"It was certainly a great experiment." George said, smiling proudly to the memory.

"Could you kindly take the Filibuster Firework from my pocket, Mr Weasley?" Zoe asked, imitating a Professor-like voice.

Fred took the firework from the pocket of her robes, they fed it to the fire dwelling lizard and then placed it onto the table where Harry, Ron and Ginny were sitting.