Complete and Utter Poppycock

Chapter 7: The Bribe

Chapter 7: The Bribe

All I could feel was loneliness in the room. Hermione and Ron had a thing for each other, which was obvious to me as I could see them holding hands while they slept. I was struggling to stay asleep. Hermione slept on the cushions on the couch while Ron slept below her. My sleeping bag was away from them and Harry who was near them.

I felt out of place yet stuck with them, feeling nothing more than a tick that was clinging onto one's skin. In the end, I finally fell asleep dissatisfied and sad.

I was being woken up by Hermione who was yelling at me, but I just turned over in my sleeping bag, trying to get as much sleep as possible. How late did I stay up last night? Instead, she left me alone so I could continue to sleep.

I was woken up, however, when I heard Mrs. Black screaming again about who wretched Mudbloods were. Good Lord, we get it! I packed up my sleeping back and took a long shower to get rid of the dirt and sweat off of me and then changed into some fresh new clothes to ready my day. I brushed my teeth and got everything packed into my bag.

My stomach grumbled, and I agreed with it. I was starving. I was craving another donut at the café, as they were pretty decent. Not my favorite, but they were still good nonetheless.

I heard a bloodcurdling scream from the kitchens, which left me utterly confused. I didn't feel anything wrong, so I left the thought alone. I busied myself by walking around the house, visiting every room and finding anything that was interesting. I saw something that said BELLATRIX on a door, and I entered willingly. She killed her cousin. . . she killed my uncle. I hated her.

I looked around her large room, fancying her taste in decorating. It was dark designs which were crested by Slytherin. A dark chandelier hung from the ceiling with cobwebs swarming it. A giant mirror stood opposite of the Queen sized bed. It looked beautiful in an odd, creepy way. There was nothing peculiar in here as everything was trashed on the floor as if somebody was looking for something. There was no point in wasting my time in here so I left.

Once I came down to find food Harry, Hermione, and Ron went on all about how I missed Kreacher and how the locket was Regulas Black's; and Kreacher was going to retrieve Mundungus, the rat that stole them and that we're trying to get it back.

Kreacher didn't show up for a while. Not the following day, or the next day after that. Ron was panicking because Mr. Weasley's Patronus hasn't shown up again to let him know that they were okay. He had become restless and irritable and was annoying Hermione unknowingly by using his Deluminator turning the lights on and off again. She flipped on him by the third evening as they began to bicker and argue like an old married couple.

By the sound Mrs. Black screaming, they stopped their shouts at once. We went crashing out of the room where Harry had left with our wands out, pointing at the door at the end of the hall.

"Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!"

I didn't know if I should believed it or not, so I hurried next to Harry up to the defense.

"Show yourself!" he called. Lupin moved forward into lamplight, his hands held high in a gesture of surrender.

"I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moony, one of the four creators of the Marauder's Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I taught you two how to produce a Patronus, which Harry's takes form of a stag and Aquila's takes form of a thunderbird."

"Oh, all right," said Harry, lowering his wand, "but I had to check, didn't I?"

"Speaking as your ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I quite agree with that you had to check. Ron, Hermione, you shouldn't be quite so quick to lower your defenses."