Percy Jackson and the Hound of Hogwarts [Book 3]

25) Binky the Rabbit

Ron was still mad at Hermione the next day. They hardly talked during Herbology, even though we all shared a puffapod.

"How's Scabbers?" Hermione asked timidly as we stripped pink pods from the plant and put the beans into a pail.

"He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking," Ron snapped, missing the pail and spilling beans all over the floor.

"Careful, Weasley, careful!" Sprout cried as the beans burst into bloom in front of us.

After that we had Transfiguration, and we were all distracted. At the front of the line, Lavender Brown was crying. Parvati had an arm wrapped around her shoulder. Seamus and Dean stood beside her, serious expressions on their faces.

"What's the matter, Lavender?" Hermione asked as we moved towards them.

"She got a letter from home this morning," Parvati explained in a whisper. "It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."

"Oh," Hermione said. "I'm sorry, Lavender."

"I should have known!" Lavender wailed. "You know what day it is?"

"Er—"

"The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!"

The entire class was gathered around them now. Seamus shook his head seriously. Hermione paused, then said, "You — you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?"

"Well, not necessarily by a fox," Lavender looked up at Hermione with teary eyes, "but I was obviously dreading him dying, wasn't I?"

"Oh," Hermione hesitated again. "Was Binky an old rabbit?"

"N-no!" Lavender cried. "H-he was only a baby!"

"But then, why should you dread him dying?" Hermione asked, and Parvati glared at her.

"Well, look at it logically," Hermione turned to address the rest of the group. "I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today" — Lavender cries loudly — "and she can't have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock—"

"Don't mind Hermione, Lavender," Ron said loudly, "she doesn't think other people's pets matter very much."

Thankfully, McGonagall opened the door at that moment. Ron and Hermione were glaring at each other, and they sat on opposite sides of me and Harry, not saying a word.

Lavender was sitting behind me, still sniffling. I leaned back in my chair, turning to look at her, "I think Hermione's right. Professor Trelawney didn't foretell the death of your rabbit."

Lavender looked at me in confusion, and I stared at her for a moment. I remembered seeing her eat chocolate at breakfast and during classes. She had also winced every once in awhile, as if in pain.

"You started your period today, didn't you?" She nodded hurriedly and I continued, "You couldn't have been dreading the death of Binky. That's not what dread means. But a lifetime of pain and blood... I would dread that."

Lavender smiled brightly at me, wiping away her tears, "You really do have the Gift, don't you?"

"I, well, er—"

The bell rung, saving me from explaining I had watched her eat chocolate at breakfast.

"One moment, please!" McGonagall called at we went to leave. "As you're all in third year, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Halloween. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"

I had left mine on my table in my room, and planned to bring it by later. I was about to leave, but Ron grabbed my arm and held me back.

"Ask her now," Ron hissed at Harry.

"Oh, but—" Hermione started.

"Go for it, Harry," Ron said stubbornly.

After the rest of the class left, Harry moved to the front of the room, talking to Professor McGonagall.

"What's he doing?" I whispered.

"Asking McGonagall to sign his Hogsmeade form," Ron whispered back.

I watched Harry's face fall, then saw the look of  pity grow on Professor McGonagall's face.

***

Throughout the day, Harry was gloomy. Ron called McGonagall a lot of rude names, and Hermione thought it was all for the best. Everyone in class kept talking about it, and I doubt that helped Harry's mood.

"There's always the feast," Ron said, hoping to cheer Harry up. "You know, the Halloween feast, in the evening."

"Yeah," Harry said tiredly, "great."

I offered to forge his uncle's signature, but Harry had apparently told McGonagall that they hadn't signed his form, so that option flew out of the window. Ron suggested the Invisibility Cloak, but Hermione shut that down, reminding us that dementors could see through them.

Perry offered the worst words of comfort.

"They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all it's cracked up to be," he said seriously. "All right, the sweetshop's rather good, and Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack's always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything."

"You're an idiot, Perry," Giulianna said as she walked by, giving him a look. "A real idiot."

"T-ten points from Slytherin!"

It's been bad day. Everything was going great until I got invited to a sleepover. I was so excited. It was with the same friend who I went skating with. Him and some other people, for Halloween. My dad said no. You know why? Cause he doesn't trust me. He thinks that just because I'm a girl and my friend is a boy, we'll screw. The one damn thing I want from him is trust and respect and I get neither. I already don't get to see my friends, and now I don't get to spend time with them just because he thinks we'll fuck. Bro, we were gonna sleep in different rooms. I'm freaking pissed. The only friends I have that are girls wouldn't invite me over. I guess one of them would, but it's not the same. I want to celebrate Halloween as a freshman with my best friends who happen to be guys. My best friends who all have crushes on other girls. My best friends who would never fuck me and whom I would never fuck. My dad's just a paranoid brat who can't comprehend the idea of boys and girls being nothing more than friends. He also grounded my sister for having a seventy, which is understandable, but what isn't understandable is the fact that he screamed at her and called her stupid. He didn't do that for Kadee, who also has a C. He didn't yell at me when I had a C. He's biased and bitchy and so bipolar. Yesterday he was all happy and nice and now he's freaking mad at everything. And you know what the best part is? He expects me to understand his decision. He expects me to be happy and fine and cool with it, when all he did was make me mad. He doesn't want me to be mad at him. If he doesn't fucking want that then why the fuck does he not even try to understand anyone else's point of view? Why does he not sit down and talk with me about it, instead freaking ruining my social life a little bit more. I just want to talk to my friends.

I hope you guys have a good time. I'll see you on Wednesday.