Harry Potters Twin Book Four

The Task of Fright

"Dumbledore reckons You-Know-Who's getting stronger again as well?" Ron whispered.

Everything Harry and I had seen in the Pensieve, nearly everything Dumbledore had told and shown us afterward, we had now shared with Ron and Hermione - and, of course, with Sirius, to whom Harry had sent an owl the moment he had left Dumbledore's office. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I sat up late in the common room once again that night, talking it all over until my mind was reeling, until I understood what Dumbledore had meant about a head becoming so full of thoughts that it would have been a relief to siphon them off.

Ron stared into the common room fire. He shivered slightly, even though the room was warm.

"And he trusts Snape?" Ron said. "He really trusts Snape, even though he knows he was a Death Eater?"

"Yes," said Harry, before I could answer.

Hermione had not spoken for ten minutes. She was sitting with her forehead in her hands, staring at her knees. I thought she too looked as though she could have done with a Pensieve.

"Rita Skeeter," she muttered finally.

"How can you be worrying about her now?" said Ron, in utter disbelief.

"I'm not worrying about her," Hermione said to her knees. "I'm just thinking… remember what she said to me in the Three Broomsticks? 'I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl.' This is what she meant, isn't it? She reported his trial, she knew he'd passed information to the Death Eaters. And Winky too, remember… 'Ludo Bagman's a bad wizard.' Mr. Crouch would have been furious he got off, he would have talked about it at home."

"Yeah, but Bagman didn't pass information on purpose, did he?" Hermione shrugged.

"And Fudge reckons Madame Maxime attacked Crouch?" Ron said, turning back to Harry and I.

"Yeah," I said, getting angry. "The filthy prejudiced -" I said something that made Ron grin, Harry scowled, and Hermione say 'Nixie!' very loudly.

"He only aaid that because Crouch disapeared next to the Bauexbatons carrage, I think," said Harry.

"We never thought of her, did we?" said Ron slowly. "Mind you, she's definitely got giant blood, and she doesn't want to admit it-"

"Of course she doesn't," said Hermione sharply, looking up. "Look what happened to Hagrid when Rita found out about his mother. Look at Fudge, jumping to conclusions about her, just because she's part giant. Who needs that sort of prejudice? I'd probably say I had big bones if I knew that's what I'd get for telling the truth."

I glared at Ron. "You've got something against giants, Ron?"

Ron looked taken aback. "Nixie, you don't know about giants-"

"I know Hagrid," I said, interupting him. "And if giant blood makes you evil then Hagrid would have been a growling maniac. He's not."

"Yeah, well, thats Hagrid," Ron muttered under his breath.

"This isn't about giant prejudice," Harry said, before I could open my mouth. "Besides, what reason would Madame Maxime have to attack Crouch? And why leave Krum? Wouldn't she want to get rid of other champions?"

Ron looked stumped, and I was impressed.

Hermione looked at her watch. "We haven't done any practicing!" she said, looking shocked. "We were going to do the Impediment Curse! We'll have to really get down to it tomorrow! Come on. Harry, Nixie, you two need to get some sleep."

"Yes, Mum," I said sarcastically, before rushing up the girls' dormitory steps before Hermione could say anything.

Ron and Hermione were supposed to be studying for their exams, which would finish on the day of the third task, but they were putting most of their efforts into helping Harry and I prepare.