Ineffable | Harry Potter - George Weasley // COMPLETED

43 | Half-Blood Prince

After arriving at Hogwarts, Harry still hadn't returned from his trip to 'get some air,' but being Harry's best friends had its perks and we knew what whatever he was doing was probably important and he knew his way up to the castle by now, so we left without him and didn't worry.

That all changed though as we sat at the feast with still no sight of Harry. Hermione and I were starting to grow a little freaked out, but Ron was just shovelling red jello down his throat.

"Don't worry," Ron told us. "He'll be here in a minute."

Taking the book she was holding, Hermione started smacking Ron on the arm with it. "Will you stop eating? Your best friend is missing."

"Oi. Turn around, you lunatic." Ron told her, and right then I saw Harry and Luna walking into the Dining Hall.

"He's covered in blood again." Ginny noticed. "Why is it he's always covered in blood?"

Staring at Harry, I sighed. "Looks like it's his own this time."

As Harry sat down with us, holding a bloody cloth to his nose, Hermione leaned in closer to him from across the table. "Where have you been? What happened to your face?"

"Later," Harry told her as he took a sip of water. "What did I miss?"

"The Sorting Hat urged us all to be brave and strong in these trouble times." Ron filled Harry in. "Easy for it to say, though. It's a hat, isn't it?

"Very best of evenings to you all." Dumbledore stepped up to the podium as the room quieted down. "First off, let me introduce the newest member of our staff...Horace Slughorn. Professor Slughorn, I'm happy to say, has agreed to resume his old post as Potions Master. Meanwhile, the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts...will be taken by Professor Snape. Now, as you know, each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight. And you have the right to know why. Once, there was a young man, who like you...sat in this very hall. Walked this castle's corridors. Slept under its roof. He seemed to all the world a student like any other. His name? Tom Riddle. Today, of course, he's known all over the world by another name. Which is why, as I stand looking out upon you all tonight, I'm reminded of a sobering fact. Every day, every hour, this very minute, perhaps...dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle's walls. But in the end, their greatest weapon...is you. Just something to think about. Now, off to bed. Pip-pip."

"That was cheerful." Ron huffed as we all stood up and headed to our common room, ready to call it a night and start our sixth year at Hogwarts.

The next morning, as I stood in my Potions class with Hermione and a few other familiar faces, we watched as Professor Slughorn, an older man with orange robes, went over a short demonstration. "Attention to detail in the preparation is the prerequisite of all planning," he said as Harry and Ron walked in, never having supposed to be in that class at all.

"Harry, my boy, I was beginning to worry." Slughorn turned to the door. "We've brought someone with us, I see."

"Ron Weasley, sir." Ron introduced himself. "But I'm dead awful at Potions, a menace, actually. So-"

Harry stopped Ron from trying to sneak out of the class, it becoming quite clear that neither of them wanted to be there. "Nonsense, we'll sort you out," Slughorn told him. "Any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine. Get your books out."

"I'm sorry, sir, I haven't actually got my book yet, and nor has Ron," Harry said.

Slughorn nodded. "Not to worry, get what you want from the cupboard. Now, as I was saying, I prepared some concoctions this morning. Any ideas what these might be?"