𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 || h.potter

forty || Year 6 ✔️

Amelia shivers in the bitter wind, trudging through deep snow.

"For weeks you carry around this
book, practically sleep with it..." scolded Hermione. "and you have no desire to find out who The Half-Blood Prince is?"

"I didn't say I wasn't curious." scoffed Harry. "And, by the way, I don't sleep with it."

"Yeah. Right." said Ron, with a sarcastic chortle.

Harry glares at the ginger haired boy. "Well, it's true. I like a nice chat before I go to bed." Amelia walks beside him and takes his hand, Harry was surprised at first but relaxed. "Now you're always reading that bloody book. It's like being with Hermione."

Now Hermione glares at him and Amelia chuckles. "Well, i was curious. So I went to-" Hermione was cut off by the three of them.

"The Library." Amelia, Ron and Harry said in unison. Hermione looks startled.

"And?" Amelia lifts a brow.

"And... nothing. There's no reference to the Half-Blood Prince anywhere." shrugged Hermione.

"Good. That settles it then." nodded Harry.

Hermione starts to object, when Hagrid called them: "Hey, you four!"

Hagrid emerges out of the trees, beard crusted in white, looking like a crazed Father Christmas. Behind him, deep in the woods, Aurors can be seen.

Amelia eyes them briefly, then nods to the bag  Hagrid clutches in his fist. "What've you got there, Hagrid?"

Hagrid tips open the bag. The Quartet grimace.

Hagrid chuckles. "Stinksap. Burn the whiskers right off yer chin. Trees 'ere are drippin' with it."

"Stinksap? You're not sick, are you?" asked Hermione.

"It's not fer me. It's fer Aragog. Yeh remember Aragog, don' yeh?" asked Hagrid to the boys.

"Spider? About six feet tall? Ten feet wide?" breathed Ron.

"Tha's the one. He's taken ill. I'm hopin' ter nurse 'im back. Keep yer fingers crossed."
Hagrid crosses his fingers.

Ron forces a grin, does the same, shakes his head as Hagrid disappears back into the trees.

"Barking. Does he not remember that raving arachnid tried to eat us?" Ron sees Hermione and Amelia staring at the Aurors "What?"

"The Aurors. I know they're here to protect us, but... somehow I don't feel any safer." stated Hermione, Amelia nods.

Just then Harry spies Slughorn, heading down towards the Village, passing a weary Flitwick coming the other way.

"Filius! I was hoping to find you at the Three Broomsticks." greeted Slughorn.

"Emergency choir practice, I'm afraid, Horace." smiled Flitwick.

Harry watches Slughorn continue on toward the Village.

"Who's up for a Butterbeer?" chirped Harry.

"Ooo, definitely me." chuckled Amelia.

As the Quartet enter, Harry glances round, locates Slughorn at the bar, planted plumply on a stool.

"No. Over here." said Harry.

Hermione, Amelia and Ron, in the midst of seating themselves at a perfectly acceptable and clean table, see Harry seat himself at one strewn with the detritus of a previous customer -- but which puts him in direct view of Slughorn. They exchange a glance, shrug, join Harry. Ron starts to take the chair directly opposite Harry  blocking his view.