Harry Potters Twin Book Four

Karkaroff's Fear

Hermione, Dani and Ron had became instant celebrities - which Ron really enjoyed.

Dani didn't enjoy it at all. In fact, she thought it was all a big joke.

"They just want tsomething to pass along," Dani said in distaste as we both watched a group of students whisper excitedly to eachother after badgering her about what happened. "They don't care if its a straight out lie, they just want something to gossip about."

"You don't like the attention?" I asked her. Most girls would be flattered with all the attention they were getting - take Ron for example.

"The only person I want attention from is Fred," Dani said, glancing at the Weasley twins who were cracking jokes with the crowd around them.

I rolled my eyes at her in amusement before turning back to my food.

I noticed that Ron's version of events - unlike Dani's whose always stood plain and simple - changed subtly with every retelling. At first, he gave what seemed to be the truth; it tallied with Hermione's and Dani's story, anyway - Dumbledore had put all the hostages into a bewitched sleep in Professor McGonagall's office, first assuring them that they would be quite safe, and would awake when they were back above the water. One week later, however, Ron was telling a thrilling tale of kidnap in which he struggled single-handedly against fifty heavily armed merpeople who had to beat him into submission before tying him up.

"But I had my wand hidden up my sleeve," he assured Parvati Patil, who seemed to be a lot keener on Ron now that he was getting so much attention and was making a point of talking to him every time they passed in the corridors. "I could've taken those mer-idiots any time I wanted."

"What were you going to do, snore at them?" said Hermione waspishly. People had been teasing her so much about being the thing that Viktor Krum would most miss that she was in a rather tetchy mood.

Ron's ears went red, and thereafter, he reverted to the bewitched sleep version of events.

As we entered March the weather became drier, but cruel winds skinned our hands and faces every time we went out onto the grounds. There were delays in the post because the owls kept being blown off course. The brown owl that Harry had sent to Sirius with the dates of the Hogsmeade weekend turned up at breakfast on Friday morning with half its feathers sticking up the wrong way; Harry had no sooner torn off Sirius's reply than it took flight, clearly afraid it was going to be sent outside again.

"Aw, that poor owl," I said, watching it fly away sadly. "I was going to give it some hot cocoa. . ."

Hermione tutted and said in a demanding voice, "What does the letter say, Harry?"

Harry sent her a wary glance and read the short letter out loud.

"Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can."

"He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?" said Ron incredulously.

"It looks like it, doesn't it?" said Hermione.

"I can't believe him," said Harry tensely, "if he's caught…"

"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?" said Ron. "And it's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore."

While Harry folded up the letter I sat silently thinking. I couldn't deny that I really wanted to see Sirius again. But I frowned. I was being selfish, what if Sirius was caught and while he was being locked up in Azkaban all I would be thinking is 'Well, at least I got to see him.'

I bit my lip as Harry, Ron, and Hermione started to change the topic.

My eyes flashed up to Cedric, who was talking to his Hufflepuff friends. I was shocked to see that I didn't feel like talking to him as much as I usually did. Then my eyes flashed across the Great Hall, wondering where that boy was that brought me to the Hospital Wing when my foot broke. I forgot his name. . .