Granger Danger ⇗ Fred Weasley

Ch. 31: Elle, Don't

dedicated to WeGotThatWeasleySwag for the bad@ss cover/banner of Elle. I think it matches the chapter ;)

Ch. 31: Elle, Don't

Song For Chapter: Girls - Marina & The Diamonds

          This is all my fault. This is my fault. It is. 

     Fred had stuck by my side as we'd followed Hagrid to the carriages, but once we loaded the cart, the two of us were forced to part ways. I could tell that he hadn't wanted to leave me, but I was more concerned about Jenna.

     However, as I was called to an urgent meeting with Professors McGonagall and Snape, I found myself wishing that Fred was here, comforting me once more. Jenna had been immediately taken to Madame Pomfrey along with Katie Bell.

          Meanwhile, I was terrified. 

     McGonagall paced around the necklace that was set in the middle of the room, on her desk and open to the air. Lana gripped my hand tightly as we both gawked at the evil thing, both worried beyond belief for Jenna. 

     "Are you sure Miss Bell did not have this in her possession when entering The Three Broomsticks?" She asked, sternly staring down Katie's friend that I didn't know the name of. I felt slightly bad that I couldn't remember it, but the majority of me couldn't bring myself to care at the moment. 

     "It's like I said," the girl shook with fear, "She left to go to the loo, and.. when she came back she had that package." She glanced down at her hands before offering McGonagall a small frown, "She said it was important that she deliver it."

     "Did she say to whom?" Snape snapped, tired of how long the girl was taking to tell the tale.

           "Headmaster Dumbledore."

     McGonagall took a sharp breath and nodded, "Very well... Thank you Leanne, you may go." Leanne glanced nervously around the room before turning on her heel and stalking out of the room, hands tightly clasped together in fear for her friend Katie - the same fear that was in the hearts of Lana and I.

     "Severus, who would want to do this?" McGonagall sighed, cradling her head in her hands as she sat down in a stool across from the necklace, eyes locked on it's gleaming gems. "Why - what would they have to gain from it? What do you think?" She was so nervous she'd begun pacing, unable to keep seated for long.

          "I think that Miss Chase and Miss Bell are lucky to be alive."

     "I know who did it," Harry objected, getting rise from Professor McGonagall. "It was Malfoy. Malfoy did it."

     "That's a serious accusation, Potter," Snape snapped, eye hardening as he watched Harry, "Do you have any evidence, perhaps?" 

     "No," Harry groaned, earnest look over taking his face, "I just know. She was cursed wasn't she? I know Katie - off the Quidditch Pitch she'd never hurt a fly. If she was delivering that to Headmaster Dumbledore, she wasn't doing it knowingly. It has to be him. I just know it."

          "You just know?"

     "Yeah. I do." Harry crossed his arms over his chest. From the sidelines, Ron and Hermione were sparing him small frowns of uncertainty and nervous apperception. 

          "You must possess the substance that many mortals merely dream of possessing. How grand it must be to be the Chosen One." Snape's cold voice was so crude and sarcastic that Harry didn't have anything to say for a while. The silence was almost becoming suffocating when McGonagall decided to clear her throat.