Jinx Not-So-Malfoy and the Heir of Slytherin

Chapter 12

My friend disabled her iPod for 41 years. Not kidding. She dropped it in a puddle. It was funny, but she plugged it into the computer and reset it. It works fine, to my great disappointment. I was hoping she had to wait 41 years.

The double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick turned what had hither to been nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most. What could possibly do that to a ghost? people asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead? There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas.

"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Ron told Harry and Hermione. I was standing behind a random post where they couldn’t see me. He he. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be."

Crabbe and Goyle, who always did whatever Draco did, had signed up to stay over the holidays, too. But Harry was glad that most people were leaving, as he told me. He was tired of people skirting around him in the corridors, as though he was about to sprout fangs or spit poison; tired of all the muttering, pointing, and hissing as he passed. Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through...” which I found highly amusing.

Which made Harry hit me.

 Percy was deeply disapproving of this behavior.

"It is not a laughing matter," he said coldly.

"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Harry's in a hurry."

"Yeah, he's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant," said George, chortling. Ginny didn't find it amusing either.

"Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked Harry loudly who he was planning to attack next, or when George pretended to ward Harry off with a large clove of garlic when they met. Harry didn't mind; it made him feel better that Fred and George, at least, thought the idea of his being Slytherin's heir was quite ludicrous.

I really don’t get why people always tell me what they’re feeling and stuff. I mean, I make fun of it and then they get pissed off. Like, if you want sympathy, why did you come to me?

Anyhow, Gred and Forge’s antics seemed to be aggravating Draco, who looked increasingly sour each time he saw them at it -- which made it a zillion times better.

"It's because he's bursting to say it's really him," said Ron knowingly. "You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you're getting all the credit for his dirty work."

“Lie,” I said.

"Not for long, " said Hermione in a satisfied tone, totally ignoring my word. "The Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready. We'll be getting the truth out of him any day now."

At last the term ended, and a silence deep as the snow on the grounds descended on the castle. I found it peaceful, rather than gloomy, and enjoyed the fact that Harry, Hermione, the Weasleys, and I had the run of Gryffindor Tower, which meant we could play Exploding Snap loudly without bothering anyone, and practice dueling in private.

Fred, George, and Ginny had chosen to stay at school rather than visit Bill in Egypt with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Percy, who disapproved of what he termed our childish behavior, didn't spend much time in the Gryffindor common room. He had already told us pompously that he was only staying over Christmas because it was his duty as a prefect to support the teachers during this troubled time.

Which is a total lie. His girlfriend is staying, so he decided to stay and “protect” her.

What a total, over-romantic loser.