Lumos

Chapter 32

Care of Magical Creatures class was interesting today; Hagrid found two gold unicorn foals and let us to play with them while he spoke to Harry.

The evening before the second task found us in the library again. We spent hours searching only to come up empty handed.

"Hey Red, looking pretty tonight." Fred said suddenly.

"What are you two doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looking for these two pretty things. McGonagall wants you Ali, and you Hermione." George said, taking my hand.

"Why?" I asked.

"Dunno . . . she was looking a bit grim though." Fred said.

"We're supposed to accompany you two down to her office." George added.

"Ok, I guess we'll meet you back in the common room. Bring as many of the books as you can." I told the boys.

George pulled me close as we made our way to McGonagall's office. The walk was made in silence but it was a comfortable silence.

"Ok you two, what does professor McGonagall want with us?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Honestly love I don't know. She just saw us and asked us to go get you two. She figured I was the best one to find you and knew that Hermione would be with you." George said.

"I wonder what's going on, do you think it's for more tutoring?" Mione asked.

Feeling George's hand tense around mine I sneaked a look his way and he would not look at me at all. After the fiasco with the possible Krum tutoring, I sincerely hope that isn't the case now.

"I hope not, tutoring really isn't my thing." I told her.

George relaxed visibly when I answered and that made me happy. Before we reached McGonagall's office she was already on her way out.

"Good, it's wonderful to see that the two of you can follow instruction sometimes, that will be all boys. Ladies, follow me." she said.

With a kiss from George, Hermione and I followed the professor down the corridor. McGonagall was very silent and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

"Um Professor McGonagall, are we in trouble?" I asked.

She was so quiet and serious that I was really worried and so was Mione.

"No Miss Mitchell, you're not in trouble at all. Dumbledore wants a word with the two of you that is all." She answered.

The Headmaster? Oh bloody hell we are in trouble. We followed the professor to the headmaster's office where she gave the gargoyles the password and we walked up the spiral staircase to an unexpected surprise.

My dad, my aunt, Mr. Bagman, Professor Dumbledore, Percy Weasley, Cho Chang and Fleur's little sister Gabbi were already there. Confusion was the order of the day and it was reflected on all of the girls' faces.

"Wonderful! Our two missing friends are here." Professor Dumbledore said.

"Dad, what's going on?" I asked.

"Don't worry girls, the four of you are here because you mean something to one of the champions." Dad informed us.

"The champions? What do we have to do with them?" Cho asked.

"The clue for the second task said that something the champions would sorely miss would be taken away from them . . ." I muttered.

Dumbledore had a sparkle in his eye that made me blush. We shouldn't know anything about the task clues.