A Turn of Events

Chapter 18-Strange Occurences

Harry was alone today. There had been so much on his mind, he needed to sort it all out. So instead of finishing a paper during his free period, he was pacing around the fourth floor corridor. That was strange, even for him. Nobody ever came to the fourth floor corridor. There weren't many classes on this floor either. This corridor was always a place of strange occurrences. Like that one time Stephanie Kosinski, a third year Ravenclaw girl with bright blue eyes and deep brown hair had been trying to escape the bats following after her, her shoes tied together, hair a mess and no recollection of how she got to that state. Some people said it was Peeves, or others said it was just bullies. According to her friends and others in her year, she hadn't been seen that day...That was last year and he hadn't been here since then.

"Hey! Potter!" Great. Who could that be?

Harry turned around to see someone he wished he'd never have to interact with ever again. "Come to hit me with another bludger McLaggen?" Harry asked smartly.

"Are you still on about that? You're fine now aren't you?" The big jock replied.

"Luckily I am. But you'll still never play for Gryffindor again. What do you want anyway McLaggen?"

"I came here to tell you to stay away from Granger." Harry laughed at that. McLaggen looked nonplused.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because she's mine. First I had to steal her from Weasley, but this time 'round you're just going to hand her over to me."

"Hermione makes her own decisions, for your information. And, if you had to steal her away one time and she still doesn't want to be with you, don't you think you should back off?"

"Look, she'll be all over me in a few weeks and there is nothing you can do, Potter." McLaggen gave Harry a nasty stare and stalked off.

"Don't hold your breath." Harry said under his breath.

Harry shook his head. McLaggen was just psycho and Harry and Hermione's relationship wasn't ending anytime soon.

Harry decided he should probably head to the common room before his next class since he was not going to be able to do anymore thinking.

"Hey Harry! Did you see McLaggen just now? It looks like his head is gonna blow!" Ron said animatedly to Harry as he entered through the portrait hole.

"He's upset because I didn't want to accept his offer." Harry said angrily.

"What offer?"

"He basically told me to stay away from Hermione or he'd break my neck."

"You and Hermione are fine, nothing to worry about. You and her fix that problem, then?"

"What problem?"

"You know, how Hermione wants to y'know." Ron said with a look. "Maybe I'm the one paying more attention to your relationship than you are."

"Ron, we're fine. There's nothing to worry about." Harry said rolling his eyes.

"If you say so.."

— —
Harry wiped his eyes as he stared at the parchment. He was finally getting to that paper he hadn't finished. It felt like he'd been sitting there with the same routine for hours. He'd look down at the parchment for awhile, letting his mind drift. Then he would realize what was happening and he'd start thinking of information he could milk out of his brain. He'd finally write something else, then his mind would continue to wander. He'd think of Slughorn and that bloody memory he couldn't seem to get. He'd think of where Malfoy may be, if he was sneaking into the Room of Requirement. Then he would contemplate retreating to his room to get the map. He'd think about Hermione, wondering where she was... He hadn't seen her all day after classes, not even at dinner.